Keep Your Kitchen’s ‘Backside’ in Good Shape
Within open floor plans, the view to the kitchen can be tricky. Make it work hard for you
One of the tricky things about an open floor plan is the view from room to room. When you’re throwing a nice dinner party or hanging out in your living room, you don’t want to feel as if you’re in the middle of the kitchen. So you need to think about the kind of view you want when looking into your kitchen, and make your kitchen’s “backside” work hard for the room it faces.
Have it serve the dining room. This kitchen has clever built-ins on the back of the peninsula that serve the dining room. A tall built-in displays that wedding crystal and other glassware, and drawers provide room for linens. Easy-to-grab cookbooks bring color into the room, while a rack stores wine right beneath. The peninsula can serve as a bar, buffet or sideboard during parties. Also worth noting is the lamp, which adds cozy ambience on the counter.
From the dining room, this kitchen island looks like a large buffet that fits right in. That’s because the island stove’s downdraft vent pops up when needed, then disappears out of view when not in use. And because the designer found walnut for the sides of the island that coordinated with her clients’ existing walnut dining table.
Create a home bar. A beverage refrigerator makes it easy to grab drinks without getting in the chef’s way. It also helps turn this area into a bar during parties.
Make it multifunctional. The other side of this Craftsman kitchen’s peninsula forms a versatile little area. The homeowners say they can completely rearrange the house in two hours and tend to do so with the change of the seasons.
When the area is set up as an office, the table faces away from the kitchen so that dirty dishes or things left out on the counter won’t distract from desk work.
But when the owners transform the area into a cozy breakfast nook for two, the table feels like part of an eat-in kitchen.
The shelves along the window wall hold books or pottery.
The shelves along the window wall hold books or pottery.
Free up outdoor views. With the kitchen cabinets and appliances tucked to the sides, the only thing between the other rooms and the view out the wall of glass is this streamlined island. The pronounced wood grain and the interesting wooden silhouettes on the pendant lights complement the view.
Here’s another thing to think about: When you have a dinner party, you won’t want to look at a stack of dirty dishes as the night moves along. A deep sink tucked out of sight is a good way to keep the views clear.
Here’s another thing to think about: When you have a dinner party, you won’t want to look at a stack of dirty dishes as the night moves along. A deep sink tucked out of sight is a good way to keep the views clear.
Keep it neat. When an island is all that stands between another room and a full view of the kitchen, plan the side that faces away from the kitchen accordingly. Shelves on the backside of this island provide space for books and items corralled in boxes for a less kitcheny look.
Let stools serve two rooms. Using backless counter stools means that it’s easier to sit on them to face the living room. Here they are flanked by cabinets that can also serve the adjacent space.
Make room for technology. Interior designer Sandy Brock devised this idea for studio apartments but has been testing it in her own home. Her kitchen faces the living room and dining banquette, and she wanted the backside of her island to serve as her work station.
The drawers on the left side have a sophisticated look that resembles a chest, and Brock customized them to contain a charging station complete with USB ports. They also house a bluetooth keyboard, a printer and other work necessities. A hidden screen pops up from the island to serve as a computer monitor and TV when needed, then tucks down below when it’s time to cook.
Use a partial wall to anchor furniture. In this compact cottage, a family of four makes every inch count. This kitchen peninsula left enough room behind it to fit a sofa comfortably.
Here’s a wider look at the rest of the cozy modern living room.
Make the kitchen fade into the background. The glossy minimalist cabinetry and island surround make this kitchen practically disappear into the background when you’re sitting in the living and dining areas. A lack of pendant lights over the island helps with this effect.
This floor plan is wide open. A cleverly wrapped and illuminated shelf in the island provides display for the living room. The dark cabinets in the back serve as an accent wall from a distance, thanks to the unadorned doors and the way they are lit.
Here’s the view from the living room.
Tell us: Does your home have an open floor plan? If so, what’s on your kitchen’s backside?
More
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Open Plan Not Your Thing? Try ‘Broken Plan’
Tell us: Does your home have an open floor plan? If so, what’s on your kitchen’s backside?
More
9 Ways to Define Spaces in an Open Floor Plan
Open Plan Not Your Thing? Try ‘Broken Plan’