How to Combine a Kitchen and Living Room: Design Tips

If the kitchen is cramped and inconvenient, then it is worth following different design solutions, for example, combining it with the living room.

This will allow you to gain more space.

The only thing that can get in the way is a load-bearing wall. But if these two rooms are separated by a partition, then the wall can be safely dismantled, says Yulia Tychino .

If you like this combination, there are a few things to consider.

First of all, the smells from cooking will spread throughout the entire space, even if a powerful hood is installed.

Additional sounds will be added - from a working dishwasher, washing machine, etc.

In addition, since it turned out to be one room, it must be kept in order more carefully, because here they will not only cook and eat, but also receive guests. Their unexpected arrival should not embarrass the hosts.

Zoning elements

There are many options for zoning a combined kitchen-living room.

The most popular and productive method is zoning of this space using a partition.

The dividing function can be implemented by a part of the wall that previously divided the rooms. The remaining part of the partition can be equipped with a tabletop and get an additional work surface or a stand for flowers.

Zoning of the territory can also be easily done by means of mobile forms – screens, partitions, shelves. And furniture should be used as an element of zoning, for example, a sofa with a high back.

A large table installed exactly on the border of these zones will divide the space into two zones well.

Lighting is another trick, whether it's linear ceiling lights or table lamps. A kitchen island will also help separate one part of the room from another.

If there is enough space, the following can be used as zoning options.

Multi-level floor. If the ceilings are high, the working part can be raised up to 15 cm. The resulting podium will perfectly divide the territory, in addition, it is easy to hide technical elements in the form of a pipe or electrical wiring under it.

Combination of materials for floor finishing. In the cooking area, a practical solution would be to use tiles as floor finishing. And in the living room, it is worth laying a warmer material, such as parquet, laminate, cork.

The same technique can be used when decorating walls. The contrast of color and texture of wallpaper or decorative plaster will be interesting.

Kitchen aprons are now made to match the color of the walls or kitchen units; bright spots are a thing of the past.