Why Kitchen & Dining Rooms marry well
It’s a fact; kitchens and dining rooms connect functionally, though It wasn’t always that way. Houses built before the 80s were built with separate kitchens and dining rooms. We spend a lot of time working with clients to open up the kitchen/dining spaces. In new construction projects, we design these two spaces to work seamlessly together.
As cooking is now apart of entertaining, the cook no longer wants to be sent to the kitchen alone while the party continues. So having the spaces relate complementary is highly recommended for most houses, but consider a few things as you design.
- Sink Location – Most of your time is spent at the kitchen sink, so the placement should be heavily considered. For example, what are you looking at when standing at the sink? In this house featured, the sink is on the island because it faces the ocean view and living room. The only reason to hesitate to put the sink on the island is if you are a messy cook and want to hide a mess from your guests. Note: We don’t love putting the cooktop on the island and avoid it if we can as it’s typically the messiest area, and difficult to vent well.
- Lighting – light fixtures over a table create a beautiful vignette. Make sure that the placement of this fixture is spot on by buying the fixture and dining table before the electrical plan is finalized. I always draw these pieces into the plan and evaluate them in 3D. Make sure that if you expand the table or move it to accommodate more guests or a party, the fixture still works. Sometimes we will use recessed lighting in the dining area to allow for flexibility.
- Layout – Remember that the refrigerator and wall ovens are full height and need a solid wall to accommodate them. I typically look at which wall has the least favorable view out the window and see if I can create a functional wall with the refrigerator, wall ovens, and cooktop with a hood venting directly out. Venting the hood is tricky; the contractor will appreciate it if you think about this functionally.
We enjoy having the space between the kitchen and dining area open because we can do preliminary cleaning up during a dinner party and still be part of the conversation. If you are ready for a Kitchen/Dining Room renovation, let’s discuss your budget, timeline, and scope to ensure the project is a good fit for everyone!
