Calgary Home Renovations: Pros and Cons of an Open-Concept Kitchen?

The open-concept kitchen first became popular during the 1990s. What might once have been seen as a fad is now a design concept that has endured for three decades. Since polls indicated that an open floor plan is the preference of a majority of homeowners worldwide, it is a trend that is likely to continue for many more years. If you would like an open-concept kitchen but your older home doesn’t have one, remodelling services in Calgary may be able to help.

What Does Open Concept Mean?

In traditional home design, the kitchen is closed off from the living room and dining room, if applicable, by walls. In the days when wealthy homeowners hired staff to cook and serve their food, it made sense to have these areas separate. With the rise of the middle class, it became more common for cooking to be done by a member of the family. It no longer made sense for the person preparing food to be cut off from the rest of the house. The open concept was designed to remove barriers between the kitchen and the dining area or living room. With an open concept, the combination of these areas plus the kitchen is sometimes referred to as the great room.

What Are the Pros of an Open-Concept Kitchen?

An open concept makes the family feel closer and helps guests to feel more like family when they are entertaining. Rather than being isolated from what is going on, the person who is cooking gets to interact with others and stay connected while preparing the meal.

With an open concept, it is easier for people to move around from room to room. This helps to improve the flow of traffic throughout the house. If you have a large family or frequently entertain guests, this is an important consideration.

If you have a small house, a great room helps to make it feel bigger by allowing you to use space more efficiently. While smaller rooms sometimes feel dark because of walls blocking the windows, an open concept can let in much more natural light.

What Are the Cons of an Open-Concept Kitchen?

Despite all the benefits, open-concept kitchens also have their downsides. One of the biggest is a lack of storage space. Removing walls to create a great room means less space for cabinets to hang. Many homeowners resolve this issue with under-counter storage in a kitchen island.

Kitchens are areas where clutter tends to accumulate. Without walls to divide the various living spaces of the home, this clutter can be on full display. This can be embarrassing to some people, while others don’t mind. Regardless, if you keep the kitchen tidy, it shouldn’t be an issue either way.

Another major disadvantage of a great room is that it tends to be noisy. Often, several activities are happening in different parts of the room all at the same time, so a little noise is to be expected. In a traditional design, walls interfere with sound waves, but in an open concept, the waves are free to bounce around and amplify themselves. It may be possible to incorporate decorations that help to absorb the sound, such as curtains on the windows and overstuffed furniture. While you may not want carpet in the kitchen or dining areas, laying it down in the living area helps absorb sound waves and also helps delineate the area without setting up any barriers.

Why Should You Hire Handyman Connection for Remodelling Services in Calgary?

We are equipped to meet all your home improvement needs, with carpentry services being only one example. We know how to identify load-bearing walls and perform the remodelling while maintaining the structural integrity of your home. Find out more about all the services we offer in Calgary.