They say that our kitchens are the hearts of our homes, and whether this space is cozy or minimalist, elegant or rustic, we often find that the family gravitates towards this area more than others. Modern-day kitchens are much more than an area for cooking; they have become a social hub and hive of activity, far less formal and stuffy than they used to be in earlier times.
These features are why merging your kitchen with an area for eating or socializing, like a dining room, works beautifully, especially when it gives you a chance to have your family near while you prep meals or even allows you to work and host as you cook, prepare, and serve food while interacting with your guests.
A relaxed and comfortable kitchen-dining room remodel is the perfect solution for combining the space where your household prepares food and enjoys meals.
Creating an Elegant Cooking and Dining Area
Unlike earlier home structures that closed off their kitchens in a designated area, we now find the lines blurring, with many homeowners merging their kitchens with their dining rooms. This open-concept approach creates a more inviting floor plan but involves some thought and planning to get it right. Consider these five tips before opting for a kitchen-dining room remodel.
- Pay attention to your overall color palette and aesthetics: You need to ensure that the flooring, décor, furniture, and textures all come together beautifully, as coordination becomes a vital element when merging two spaces. Everything from the color of your cabinetry to the flooring should look cohesive. For instance, you can carry over the hue you use on your cabinetry in the kitchen area to your dining chairs. You can use shelving in the kitchen that corresponds with your dining table. Look at the ceiling, too (many homeowners overlook it). A uniform design running through both areas can make them look connected while retaining their characteristics. Remember, the two spaces do not have to be a replica of each other but should include common threads that tie them together visually. You can also do this by adding in some unique touches like an accent wall or a wallpaper mural that becomes the focal point, or opt for a kitchen island over a bulky dining table to enable everyone to gather around when space is at a premium, or even using unique area rugs or pendant fixtures to link the two spaces visually.
- Break up the areas cleverly: Replace the wall between the two spaces with a divider to give the illusion of two separate rooms while retaining the airy, expansive look and feel you’re after. You can even link them with an archway. Another way to keep the open feeling is to opt for shelving instead of closed cabinetry in both areas. You can use the kitchen shelves to house appliances, while the dining room can display unique crockery and pieces the family loves.
- Reroute your electric and plumbing lines: When you break down walls to combine the two spaces, you need to work on the electric and plumbing lines behind those walls and fix them to be useable for your new room.
- Height can make all the difference: Homeowners often ignore this small detail, but it can make quite a difference when it comes to eating or cooking comfortably. You need to see if you want your kitchen island to be the same height as your dining table. If you choose this option, remember that this will be your counter height and might not be practical if you have small children or older members living at home. Instead, you can keep the sizes different, with your kitchen island resting at counter height and your dining area at table height. Tie both elements together with a shared accent to ensure the spaces don’t look disconnected.
Contact Us Today
Combining two previously distinct areas needs technical know-how and a sense of aesthetic knowledge to ensure that the final area is open, organized, and welcoming.
At Owings Brothers, we have years of experience to back every project we take on. Contact us today to see how we can help you create a modern kitchen and dining area that holds all the charm of a kitchen and the soul of a living space, giving you the best of both worlds.
