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For many homeowners, the “open” floor plan concept is all the rage these days. People want more space in their most commonly-used rooms, including the kitchen, which many are recognizing as the hub of the home rather than just a cooking space.
At Swirl Woodcraft, our custom kitchen cabinets come in traditional, modern and rustic styles, each of which can be used to help with storage and space concerns if you’re looking to keep an open kitchen concept. But what if you’re looking to create this open format to begin with? Here are a few options for opening up the kitchen and creating a more spacious feel.
A design theme that’s been growing in popularity over recent years is the pass-through wall, which can help “open” up a given area without the kind of hassle and time you might expect. Pass-throughs refer to interior windows or glass spaces that allow you to see into and interact with the adjacent room – they’re perfect for kitchens that connect to dining rooms, for instance.
The pass-through is great because it only requires renovation on the upper parts of the wall. Things like base cabinetry and sinks can usually be left completely alone during this renovation, which decreases your expenses significantly. In addition, even some of the biggest pass-throughs are simple to install, even if they’re on load-bearing walls.
Another simple and relatively inexpensive way to open up a given room is to widen the doorway leading to and from it. This is perfect for a kitchen that may feel a bit too isolated or closed off from the rest of the home.
As long as you have space on both sides of the door, widening a doorway is no problem at all. It involves removing the previous frame and widening it, which takes any good contractor very little time and won’t be too expensive at all. You may have to move an electrical switch or outlet, but this is easily done. Many handy homeowners are even able to do this project completely on their own, saving plenty of money while helping open up the kitchen.
On the more involved end of things, removing an entire wall or two from the kitchen is one of the largest opening projects you could consider. This is a job you can’t do yourself – it will require professional contractors and planning. You should work with a designer to help you create a plan for how the kitchen and adjoining rooms will look, plus an engineer who can make sure everything is in order from the mechanical end of things.
For more on great ideas to achieve an open kitchen design, or to learn about any of our custom cabinetry and kitchen remodel options, speak to the pros at Swirl Woodcraft today.
