One of the best ways to reinvigorate the main floor of your home is by creating an open floor plan that connects your kitchen and living room.
Remodeling with an open layout is an opportunity to reimagine your home’s interior design. It can make your main floor feel bigger, brighter, and more dynamic. In many homes, an open concept can even include a dining room or family room, offering an entirely new flow and aesthetic for multiple spaces.
In this post, we’ll give five examples from our portfolio of what an open concept kitchen and living room can look like. While your home remodel could look completely different, we hope that seeing these layouts will give you a taste of what you can cook up with this approach. We’ll also go over some of the main considerations for the construction and interior design of an open concept for your kitchen and living room.
Open Concept #1: Bright and Spacious
In this West Chester home renovation, we brought the kitchen and living room together with a dining area to create an open yet cohesive main floor.
In a closed design for this home, the dining area and living room felt like small spaces, excessively cramped by the walls between each area. Instead, we designed these as open spaces with more light pouring in from the abundant windows.
The natural light is complemented by white walls, white cabinets, and light countertops in the kitchen. A centered column of the same color fits into the overall color scheme so that it doesn’t draw too much visual attention.
Hardwood flooring builds a sense of consistency throughout the space, but color-coordinated furniture groupings help delineate each area.
Open Concept #2: Just Around the Corner
This remodel in Downington included an updated kitchen with a more open transition into a living room around the corner.
By opening up the space between the kitchen and living room, the remodel gave the living room more access to natural light from the large picture windows. It also prevented this narrower kitchen from feeling like a small space that is totally disconnected from the rest of the main floor.
In this layout, a large kitchen island adds utility and visual interest. While many of the finishings are white, the base cabinets of the island stand out with a darker finish. The cabinet hardware adds contrast with a classic combination of black and white.
Open Concept #3: The Kitchen Island Hub
In this remodel, the house’s footprint meant that a fully open concept kitchen wasn’t feasible, but we took advantage of the available space to create a vibrant kitchen with an open feel.
In this layout, a spacious kitchen is at the center of an open design, connecting the kitchen, living room, and dining area. In a way, the kitchen island acts as the hub that brings everything together.
The remodel features wood tones from the hardwood floors along with multiple sources of subtle visual interest, including French doors to the outside and an arched window, both of which have white framing. Each little design element comes together to promote harmony and cohesion in this open layout.
Open Concept #4: A Contemporary Sensibility
For this layout, we created a contemporary look featuring a wide-open floor plan, clean lines, two kitchen islands, and a seamless flow between the kitchen and living room.
Design elements, such as mostly utilizing the same flooring, promote cohesion while distinct furniture helps distinguish each area. The huge kitchen provides enough space for a cocktail hour with the ability to move the party into the cozy living room with a fireplace. Although not pictured, bar stools could easily be added around the islands to provide extra seating in the kitchen.
Open Concept #5: Embracing Charm
For this project, we built out an open concept kitchen, living room, and dining room in a home that has certain classic elements along with an eclectic, modern touch.
The open layout makes the room feel bigger even though none of the individual areas is actually that big. Strategically placed area rugs help demarcate the dining area and kitchen while creating a cohesive color palette.
Hardwoods are featured in multiple places, including the flooring, dining table, built-in storage cabinets, and open shelving. That gives the room a certain cozy feel that is counterbalanced by bright colors and patterns on different furniture pieces.
Construction Considerations for an Open Concept Kitchen Living Room
Creating more open space on your main floor can require a complex remodeling project. In many cases, it demands structural remodeling, which modifies the load-bearing elements of your home.
As part of the interior design and construction plan, it is important to carefully consider issues like:
- Which walls are load-bearing and whether and how they can be modified or removed
- Whether the ceiling may need additional beams
- The current location of plumbing, electrical wiring, and ducts and whether they need to be moved
- If you need or want to add exterior access or change the location of windows and doors
Depending on the extent of the remodel, you may need an architect or engineer to stamp the design to ensure that it is structurally sound. Here at Hazley Builders, our design team is led by a licensed architect, which allows us to handle a wide range of structural changes in-house.
Design Considerations for an Open Concept Kitchen Living Room
When combining a kitchen and living room, interior design should focus on creating cohesion while also giving a distinct feel to each connected area.
In the following sections, we’ll go over some of the key considerations for organizing your kitchen and living room layout to achieve that goal.
A Zoned Design Style
Within an open concept, you can incorporate design elements that delineate different functional zones, such as your living room or dining area, within the open space. It’s good for everything to flow together, but you also want the characteristics of each zone to shine through. For example, you likely want your living room to feel a bit cozier than the kitchen.
There are multiple ways to create these zones, including decor, paint, rugs, flooring, furniture, lighting fixtures, and varied ceiling heights.
Furniture
Furniture can be a focal point that demarcates different spaces within an open concept floor plan. For example, a sofa and coffee table can identify a living room, and a dining table can show where to share meals.
Your choice of furniture allows you to add a personal touch to your home, and furniture placement helps ensure there’s ample storage on your main floor. Built-in storage or bookcases can save space and help differentiate a living room or study. Alternatively, you can opt for open shelves or floating shelves if you feel they better complement the airy feel of the open concept.
Flow
Room layouts for your open concept main floor should focus on not only maximizing space but also encouraging a natural flow of movement through that space. Try to arrange both movable and non-movable items so that there are clear and open traffic lanes throughout the kitchen and living area.
Lighting
For most open concept kitchen designs, you should try to optimize natural light. However, you also need a plan for artificial indoor lighting, which is needed at night and in homes with fewer windows.
Many open concept main floors have high ceilings, which give a roomier feel. If you want light sources that aren’t as high up, floor lamps can be an excellent option for the living space adjacent to the kitchen.
You can choose light fixtures that suit your personal style, including creative or elegant wall sconces and pendant lights. You can use matching fixtures in each room or select different types of fixtures to help differentiate each zone.
Materials and Decor
Materials and decor have a significant influence on the functionality and aesthetics of your open concept design.
Natural materials, especially natural wood, offer a classic sense of elegance, and they can often be included in multiple locations to create a degree of harmony in the entire space. Color contrast can make your space more visually appealing, which is why utilizing different colors—whether for furniture, cabinetry, or an accent wall—can make your home feel more dynamic and engaging.
We also like adding wall art or other decorations that reflect your own style, but we recommend against having too much visual clutter, which can detract from the overall vibe of the open concept approach.
Making Your Open Concept Layout a Reality
Getting the planning and construction right makes all the difference when your remodel includes an open kitchen and living room. Since structural remodeling may be required, it’s important to work with a trusted remodeler who has the experience and expertise to design and carry out the project.
Our company has been in business for over 25 years, proudly serving clients throughout the West Chester area. Our design department is second to none and includes a certified architect, so we’re ready to take on any type of project, including the most complex remodels.
If you want to find out more about renovating your home to install an open concept main floor, we’re here to help. No matter your design or decor preferences, we would welcome the opportunity to find out more about your project and how we can help bring it to life.
