Combining kitchen and dining room remodel [2023]

Combining kitchen and dining room remodel. The construction of houses has seen many changes throughout the years. With the changing trends, people also changed how they utilize the space of their homes. A formal dining room and separate kitchen were once common. However, combining the two spaces has become a symbol of modern architecture. Combining kitchen and dining room remodel eliminates a wall between the kitchen and dining area. As a result, the lack of extra walls creates more space with fewer barriers.

The trend of combining kitchen and dining room remodel is becoming a symbol of modern architecture, creating more spacious and harmonious living spaces. Key points why to consider it:

1. Creates a brighter and more spacious feel with the easy flow of light.
2. Provides a multifunctional space for cooking and dining activities.
3. Maintains connectivity between family members.
4. Ideal for entertaining guests and making family dinners more interactive.
5. Saves time and energy by reducing the distance between the kitchen and dining room.
6. Keeps styles harmonious with similar themes, color palette, and accessories.
7. Makes the space convenient for a comfortable lifestyle.
8. Avoids cramming the space by smart furniture placement for proper circulation.
9. Consider proper window placement for natural light flow.
10. Ideal for small houses to save space by eliminating extra walls.

A basic dining room has a pretty simple structure. Therefore, it is easy to merge the dining space with the kitchen. This specific design is commonly known as an open-plan kitchen. However, the next question arises; why would you want to combine the kitchen and dining room?

The answer to this question lies in studying the benefits of an open-plan kitchen and how to create it.

Should the Kitchen and Dining Room be Connected?

Absolutely. It is perfectly normal to connect the dining room with the kitchen. There are countless ways in which connecting them can be beneficial. 

Open-Space

One of the major benefits of an open plan is that it makes the space seems brighter and more spacious. The brighter a space looks, the more welcoming it will be. This happens because of the easy flow of light that reaches the naturally dark areas.

Light can flow more quickly as there are fewer walls to interrupt it. In addition, proper window placement can also encourage a better flow of natural light. 

This strategy is also beneficial when you need to design a small house with little space. So, removing extra walls gives you more space for your comfort. An open plan helps you have a spacious design without splitting the entire space into different rooms.

Allows More Work in One Place

What’s better than a multifunctional space that allows more work? An additional benefit of the kitchen and dining room combo is that it allows two different activities without having to create separate rooms. You can even watch your kids or talk with your friends while cooking. 

Maintains Connectivity Between Members

Nowadays, family members prefer staying holed up in their private rooms. So, people no longer interact with their families as they did in the past. Combining the dining room with the kitchen adds a solution to this problem. By combining both areas, friends or family members can maintain interaction from different space zones. Moreover, it also makes it easier for parents to watch the kids. 

Perfect for Gatherings

This design plan serves well when you have guests over at your place. This also allows you to entertain your guests while preparing your meals. So, an open floor plan makes family dinners more entertaining and interactive. 

Easier to Serve Food on Dining Table

Another benefit of the open floor plan is that it saves time and energy. Carrying your food from the kitchen to the dining room can be tiring. So, why not cut the efforts and make the trip shorter. So, as a result of combining the spaces, you will no longer have to make long trips to the kitchen. 

How to Pull it Off?

The kitchen dining room combo requires you to remove walls between the kitchen and the dining room. Once that is done, begin with these basic rules to design the perfect kitchen and dining room combo. 

Keep the Styles Harmonious 

Harmony and balance are the keys to an elegant design. You need to follow similar themes and tones in both spaces. Keeping the languages harmonious is essential to portray the two spaces as a single composition.

This setting can bring the space to life by accentuating the differences in the spaces with subtle elements. These elements include accessories like rugs, chairs, curtains, etc. Moreover, the color palette of the flooring, walls, and furniture must agree

Having similar themes ensures that both the zones speak to one another. For example, if you keep one zone simple and contemporary, do not adorn the rest of the area with luxurious chandeliers. 

If the kitchen has wooden flooring, do not install white marble tiles in the other space. Having two different themes would destroy the purpose of a kitchen dining room combo. So, both the distinct zones should be a part of a single organized composition.

Deciding on a specific theme for your open floor plan will lead you to the next step: shopping. While shopping, get your inspiration from the chosen theme. And make sure the furniture and decor help accentuate the subtle division in the space. 

Make the Space Convenient

Nowadays, a convenient lifestyle is the main priority in a person’s life. After busy hours of tiring work, everyone wants to return to a comfortable home. You should utilize the space to make your life convenient.

Place your furniture based on how you utilize the space. For example, attach a TV to a wall if you love entertainment while cooking or eating. It all depends on how you want the space to be. So, follow your heart for inspiration.

Avoid Cramming the Space

It is important to be smart while placing your furniture. The location of your furniture determines how much empty room there is for circulation. Ignoring this step will only cause your space to seem cluttered and cramped.

So, your furniture placement should leave enough space to walk around easily. More room for circulation will make it more comfortable. 

It is best to leave approximately 4 feet of space around the dining table for better circulation. Moreover, even changing the direction of the dining table can make a difference in the space. 

Distinguish the Two Zones

Although they will be part of the same space, your decor should represent them as two distinct zones. As mentioned above, there are easy ways to accentuate the two zones’ differences. Slightly different colored walls, well-contrasted rugs, and light fixtures; all these tips can separate the two zones visually. 

Choosing different types of ceiling lights also allows you to divide the different zones. For example, you can go for one or more pendant lights hanging over your dining table. And adorn the kitchen ceiling with LED or recessed lights. Choose warm or cool light tones based on how dark or light you want the space to look. 

Don’t Interrupt the Visual Flow

It is important to keep a few things in mind while shopping. Remember that your furniture should not hinder the visual flow of the place. For example, the chairs of your dining table should not tower above you. Other tall items like the refrigerator should be positioned along the kitchen walls. Avoiding this step has the following disadvantages: 

• The spaces might look cluttered.
• Tall furniture and accessories can block the natural flow of light. 
• The place can appear dark and crowded. 
• It reduces the interactivity between the two spaces. As a result, the purpose of merging the two zones is lost altogether. 
• Do not paint the walls too dark. Lighter colors, like beige or white walls, make the space appear neater. 

Let the Decoration be in Agreement with Each Other

The décor of your kitchen dining room combo determines how lively the space looks. Shopping for decor is the most exciting part of the kitchen, and dining room remodel. Although this step sounds fun, it can also be the most difficult. Removing the walls and remodeling the spaces requires a skilled set of hands. But home décor needs a creative mind with a good aesthetic sense. So, this step brings the final touch to your kitchen and dining area. 

However, the décor must be well-thought and harmonious. Whatever decorative accessories you add to the two spaces should be compatible. Remember, the two zones are part of a single area. So, the decoration of both spaces should interact with each other. This helps establish a relation between the two spaces.  

You can achieve this balanced composition by following similar themes in both spaces. For example, match the rugs or curtains in the dining area with the theme of the kitchen. Another way to achieve this is by buying the same style of furniture. Buy a contemporary dining table if your kitchen looks casual and stylish. So, maintain the association between the spaces by paying attention to details. 

Careful Placement of Window

This is another factor that has great importance in the kitchen and dining room remodel. The size and location of your window control the course of natural light in your house. So, it would be best if you focused on the placement of your windows. 

Disadvantages of an Open-Plan Kitchen

As mentioned above, the kitchen dining room combo has great benefits. However, there might also be some disadvantages of this open layout. 

Little to No Privacy

Lack of privacy is one of the disadvantages of this combo. As many people prefer to value their privacy, this design might not be suitable for them. As a result, although it makes the space more interactive, it may reduce any desired privacy. 

Space Might Seem Cluttered

Another downside of merging the kitchen and dining room is that the place might seem messy.

However, this depends on how you organize the entire space. Countless minor elements affect the overall neatness of the place. For example, the size of your dining table and chairs, the number of decor items, and the color scheme of the zones; all these factors need to be in perfect balance. 

Organizing the space is important to reduce clutter. Here are a few tips to achieve this goal: 

Create a store room or bump-out wall near the kitchen. This allows you to store the extra utensils and items. 

Install more cabinets for storage. Cabinets and wall-mounted shelves provide you with extra storage to organize your things. 

Buy a rectangular table. A rectangular table occupies less space than a circular table. So, they leave you with more space. 

Noise Distribution in Dining Space

Nobody likes a noisy environment. Unfortunately, the two connected spaces can carry noise from one space to another. Let’s be honest, working in the kitchen can be extremely noisy. Nobody would want to have their ears filled with the beeping of a microwave while eating their food. So, all the sounds from the kitchen can also carry on to the dining area. 

Heating Problems

As we know, kitchens can get extremely hot. So, without a proper cooling plan, the heat can spread to other areas. You need to spend extra money on an effective cooling plan to combine the kitchen and dining room. This is a major disadvantage if you have a strict budget for your dining and kitchen remodel. 

Moreover, if you have white walls or beige walls, the soot from the kitchen can darken them. Although the residue will not be a problem with dark walls, it can still cause grease to rest on them. 

Are Formal Dining Rooms Out of Fashion?

The dining room and kitchen remodel have dominated for years. Considering the benefits of this remodeling, it is one of the best ideas. However, times have changed. And now a question arises: are formal dining rooms going to return?

The current pandemic has given a clear answer to this question. People are becoming restricted from staying in their homes. They like to stay in their private spaces instead of family rooms. And as a result, their privacy seems like a luxury to them. So, they no longer like the idea of two rooms combined as one. 

Therefore, the pandemic is marking the comeback of formal dining rooms. And a separate dining room seems more important to privacy-lovers.

What’s Better: Open-Plan or Formal Dining?

Both the layout ideas have their benefits and drawbacks as well. So, which plan is the best option? 

The choice of remodeling depends on your personal preferences. A separate dining room provides you with better privacy and protects you from the noise and heat emanating from the kitchen. On the other hand, merging the kitchen and dining room promotes better light. 

It also helps you utilize the floor for a multifunctional space. With better storage and heat management system, an open plan gives you dominant benefits. So, let your preferences and needs decide on the best layout for you. 

Conclusion

Modern architecture can transform the smallest spaces into multifunctional areas. This is possible by removing a load-bearing wall and allowing two functional spaces to merge. This kitchen and dining room remodel can revolutionize your lifestyle with well-thought organizing ideas, decor, and storage management.