What To Consider When Choosing Between an Open Kitchen and a Closed Kitchen

Because the kitchen is such an important part of any home, designing one requires careful consideration. When remodeling or building a new home, you’ll need to choose between an open kitchen and a closed kitchen. Count on a trusted local contractor to help you understand the design options, how to handle ventilation control, and the challenges of each design.

Learn more about this process and whether a closed or open kitchen layout will better fit your needs for this important space.

What Is an Open Kitchen Design?

An open kitchen design lacks walls or doors that separate it from a dining room or the rest of the home. It can be seen from many other rooms, bringing greater visibility to your decor and color preferences.

The open kitchen option lets you keep an eye on your children or converse with other people while preparing food. However, if you’re concerned about odors in the kitchen wafting through the rest of the house, an open kitchen design will make this potential problem worse.

What Is a Closed Kitchen Design?

A closed kitchen design has a compartmental look and feel. It uses walls and doors to clearly define and separate the space. This traditional design has enjoyed renewed popularity in recent years. Some people even choose to blend closed and open design features.

Differences Between Open and Closed Kitchens

Creating an open kitchen vs. a closed design requires careful planning. Although some people believe switching from one to the other is as simple as knocking out or adding a wall or two, this isn’t exactly the case. When redesigning your kitchen, it’s important to incorporate the right concept from the beginning of the process.

Which Design Is Better in a Small Home?

If you have a smaller house, the open design can make your home feel larger. When this area is closed off from the other rooms, it can feel cramped in a home with less square footage.

What If a Lot of People Cook Together?

An open design for your kitchen is a good idea when you have a lot of people who want to work together to prepare meals. This option gives everyone plenty of room to spread out. 

What If You Don’t Like To Do the Dishes Immediately?

When considering an open kitchen vs. a closed design, you’ll need to keep the kitchen cleaner. A stack of dirty dishes in the sink will be visible from other areas of the house. You can’t close the door and do the dishes later like you can with a closed design.

What About Storage Capacity?

Open design kitchens have fewer walls, which gives you limited options for cabinets and closets. A closed kitchen may feel smaller, but it will offer more storage opportunities.

Trust Vatter Construction for the Perfect Kitchen Design 

When you want to design the ideal kitchen for your needs, count on Vatter Construction. Our team will listen to your ideas and help you incorporate them in a cost-effective manner. We can obtain any permit for kitchen remodeling that’s required to do the work while managing the inspection process.

Contact us today at (717) 748-4957 for a free quote for your kitchen design project. Whether you prefer an open or closed kitchen design, we are the local experts you can trust.

Frequently Asked Questions

Don’t let the stress of a kitchen remodel leave you unsure about what to do. Our team is available to answer all your questions.

• Is an Open Kitchen Layout Going Out of Style?

  The idea of an open kitchen layout is not going out of style, but it is evolving. Trusting local design experts can give you the benefits of open designs that remain stylistically pleasing.

• Will a Closed Kitchen Design Add Value to My Home?

  A closed kitchen concept could add value to your home when it includes modern amenities. In this instance, it’s important to focus on space utilization in the overall design.

• What Does an Open Kitchen Look Like?

  An open kitchen looks like the rest of the house because of the open flow. It has no barriers, increasing the opportunities for social interaction while preparing food.

• How Do I Know Whether an Open or Closed Kitchen Is Best?

  To decide whether an open kitchen vs. a closed design is best for your needs, talk to our design experts. We’ll take the time to understand your needs and create the perfect kitchen design for your home.