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Design Dilemma: Making the Most of an Open Kitchen

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If we don’t already have one, so many of us hanker for one — an open kitchen, that is, where we can cook among family and friends, fraternize while the bratwurst is roasting, do homework with the kids while stirring up a hearty stew.

But the open kitchen is a demanding path to happiness. Because open kitchens play a starring role in the home, visible to all who enter your abode, they must also be aesthetically pleasing. They have to look orderly. Colorful. Elegant. Interesting. Not like an afterthought. Not like, for instance, your dusty old basement or the overflowing storage closet off the back porch.

To this end, we have compiled a few guidelines to help your open kitchen rise to its starring role in your house.

1) Make it Interesting. If you’ve got an open kitchen you should make it as visually interesting as possible. One way to do this is by mixing up the materials you use. The mass of cabinets all in one material, finish or color — say cherry or oak, for instance— is a look that has given way to a much more playful and eclectic use of materials. Below, two finishes on cabinets (black painted uppers and a rough unpainted wood on the bottom) give the kitchen an artsy feel, worthy of any open kitchen.

Also in the kitchen below, varying finishes and letting the kitchen island remain wood allows for a nice contrast with the painted cabinets :

Some opt to paint upper and lower cabinets contrasting colors. The effect is modern, fresh and informal:

2.  Use Color. Pops of color in an open kitchen can really pull things together in a wonderful way.

Below, colorful bowls are a simple way to create visual interest and the coral island provides a splash of eye candy.

And who knew coffee mugs could assert themselves this way?

Painting the insides of cabinets is a simple trick for a little snazz:

Here, kitchen stools provide the pop:

Kitchen islands can also be a great way to add color:

3. Go the Extra Distance with Lighting. Open kitchens provide an opportunity to make a real statement in lighting choices. Go for bold pendants that can provide color, as below.

Or opt for styles that make a statement in form, like the industrial pendant lights below:

The chrome crystal spheres in the kitchen below set a tone of elegant sophistication:

And likewise for this beautiful chandelier:

4. Create a feature wall. In an open concept kitchen, a wall wrapped in a striking color, texture or material can provide instant style. Check out this wall painted a bright yellow:

Or this one painted a deeper ochre:

Or this stone wall:

Or this one, out of wood:

5. Keep Things Clutter-Free.
And this may be the most important tip of all. Open kitchens are unforgiving. They do not forgive stacks of dirty dishes in the sink, cereal boxes on the countertops, gadgets and small appliances heaped on countertops. If your kitchen is open and visible to the world, try to keep the clutter under control. This does not necessarily mean you keep things as rigorously spartan as below, although it wouldn’t hurt!