Open kitchen or closed kitchen: Which is the one for you?

The kitchen is the source of power and energy of the entire household. Due to its life-sustaining role, everyone gives utmost importance to keeping this space hygienic and convenient to use. However, the modern-day kitchen is more than just a space for cooking food. With a development in technology and varied lifestyle choices of different families, it is only normal that the kitchen space should evolve to suit our needs. 

Kitchens are mainly of two types, namely open kitchen and closed kitchen. Each has its quirks and is suited for different needs. In this article, we delve deeper into the features of open and closed kitchens respectively to help you choose the right one for you.

See also: Top 10 kitchen renovation tips for your home improvement project

 

Open kitchen: Key features

An open kitchen is typically described as one that has very few barriers separating it from the rest of the house to give an open feel. Here are the main features of open kitchens:

Lack of barriers

The primary feature of open kitchens is that it is not enclosed by walls from all sides, therefore having minimal barriers separating it from the rest of the house. This type of kitchen does not have a door either, often replaced by a vacant doorway or none at all.

Connected spaces

The architecture of the kitchen is such that it allows its seamless blending with adjoining spaces. This promotes a smooth visual appeal with a greater sense of flow and continuity throughout the living space.

Centralised cooking area

The workspace designated for cooking and related activities is compact to keep the space organised free of clutter. Moreover, the workspace is located within full view of other parts of the house, commonly the living and dining area.

Island or peninsula

An island or peninsula is a space unique to open kitchens. It is a multifunctional space that can be used for food preparation and also for dining and socialising with people outside the kitchen area.

Integration of design elements

Open kitchens allow greater flexibility and ease of integrating aesthetic and design-related elements into the space and greater scope of customisation. You can incorporate matching colour palettes for walls, cabinets and tiles for a more uniform, cohesive look.

Ample natural light

Along with minimal barriers, open kitchens also allow the scope of incorporating larger windows. This facilitates ample flow of natural light and gives the space an airy and fresh feel.

Functional zones

Open kitchens allow for multiple functional zones. You can incorporate a cooking area, dining area and casual seating area easily in the compact space for better utility and convenience.

 

Open kitchens: Pros and cons

Open kitchens have their set of advantages and disadvantages. Here is a checklist of its pros and cons to help you confirm whether such a design is suited to your needs or not:

Pros	Cons
They facilitate greater interaction between people inside the kitchen space and outside, making it ideal for situations of hosting guests.	The lack of barriers also means easier dispersion of cooking smells and noises into other spaces in the houses, making it an undesirable feature for the indoor environment.
They promote seamless blending of spaces, thereby making them feel larger and more uniformly connected to each other, which is a plus for aesthetic reasons.	Greater visibility inside the kitchen from outside areas brings into view the mess and clutter of the workspace while cooking. This requires frequent tidying up of the space to ensure presentability.
The free flow of air and natural light due to large windows and minimal barriers ensures optimal use of natural resources and energy efficiency.	An open kitchen does not provide enough privacy to the person working inside. If you prefer a separated area for food preparation, this option is not viable for you.
Due to greater visibility to and from the kitchen, it is easier to monitor events taking place outside the kitchen while working, making it convenient if you have children or pets at home.	Open kitchens make it difficult to maintain optimal temperature levels throughout the house since the heat from the kitchen area might disperse into the rest of the space, thereby increasing the temperatures.

 

Closed kitchens: Key features

Unlike open kitchens, closed kitchens are characterised by the presence of walls and barriers to enclose the space. Here are its key features:

Enclosed space

Closed kitchens are enclosed by walls, barriers and doors from the rest of the spaces in the house. This creates a distinct area designated solely for cooking. The workspace is laid out in an L or U shape alongside the walls of the kitchen.

Functional layout

The layout of a traditional closed kitchen has separate areas for cooking and storage, completely separated from the other spaces in the house.

Limited visibility

The activities inside the kitchen are not visible from outside it. This ensures greater privacy and containment of kitchen activities within the kitchen space.

Potential for dedicated storage

Due to the presence of enclosed walls, closed kitchens allow more space for setting up elaborate cabinets and storage areas since the walls are not integrated with other areas.

Focused lighting

Closed kitchens have limited accessibility to natural light. The lighting setup of closed kitchens are task-oriented that light up specific areas that need it the most instead of incorporating ambient lighting.

Control over temperature and odours

Being enclosed by walls from all sides, closed kitchens allow the containment of cooking smells so that they don’t spread to the rest of the house. Similarly, it also controls the heating up of the house due to cooking activities.

Read also: How to optimise kitchen ventilation?

 

Closed kitchens: Pros and cons

Here are the pros and cons of closed kitchens to help you decide if they suit your needs:

Pros	Cons
They help contain cooking smells and noises within the kitchen area and ensure a pleasanter indoor living environment for the rest of the house.	Since the kitchen area is separated from the other living areas, it limits interaction between people within the kitchen and outside.
The enclosed space provides a secluded area for cooking resulting in a more private and focused experience.	The enclosed nature of the kitchen restricts the flow of natural light inside the space, thereby ridding it from the benefits of natural resources.
Since the kitchen isn’t exposed to the full view of the people outside, it is easier to conceal the clutter and mess of the workspace, allowing for a more convenient experience.	The person working inside the kitchen might feel isolated from the activities going outside it.
It is easier to control the temperature of the space without it affecting the other areas in the house.	Closed kitchens might feel suffocating due to their enclosed layout.

 

FAQs

Which is better - open kitchen or closed kitchen?

Both open and closed kitchens have their set of pros and cons respectively. It is recommended to do thorough research before deciding which suits you better.

Can open kitchens increase the value of the house?

Open kitchens are preferred by a lot of modern day homebuyers due to their aesthetic appeal and functionality. Its impact on the value of the house can depend on several factors such as the location of the property.

Are open kitchens more expensive to construct?

Open kitchens might require additional structures and designs that might result in increased construction costs.

How to reduce cooking smells from open kitchens?

To minimise smells from an open kitchen, it is recommended that you invest in an efficient ventilation system, use air purifiers and clean the cooking surface.

What can I do to make a closed kitchen feel more open?

Using light colours, glass cabinet doors and good lighting can make a closed kitchen look more spacious and airy.

Do open kitchens always have a spacious feel?

Open kitchens might look more spacious than closed kitchens but the actual space depends on the layout of the home.

Are closed kitchens out of style?

While open kitchens are more popular these days, closed kitchens are also preferred by several homeowners.

Got any questions or point of view on our article? We would love to hear from you. Write to our Editor-in-Chief Jhumur Ghosh at [email protected]