The benefits of kitchen integration

The kitchen has always been referred to as the heart of the home, but it’s never been more central to our living environment than it is now. With modern kitchen design including trends such as the integrated kitchen, many families are now opting for this look. We want a space in which we can cook, eat, socialise, and watch over the kids – which is only possible with an open plan kitchen design.

Why integrate?

Long gone are the days where kitchens were purely seen as a place to cook and clean. These days, a key aspect of kitchen design is creating a space to live, love and laugh in.

With much of our time revolving around food and entertaining, and serving up wholesome, nutritious recipes, it makes sense to offer multiple functionalities in just one space. The kitchen should be a place for socialising with friends, entertaining guests and simply catching up with the family – rather than a place of work, set away from family and guests in the lounge.

One particular way in which kitchens can become a ‘social hub’ is through integration with another room. Knocking down walls and opening up the space can create a natural flow and the feeling of freedom.

What are the benefits?

There are many benefits to having an integrated kitchen-living room, including:

• A space to entertain, socialise and host parties
• A more, open, homely space that feels less constrained
• A lighter, brighter, and consequently happier environment
• More space to get creative with kitchen design, with fun features like kitchen islands, breakfast bars, and separate social hubs.

Kitchen integration in practice 

At Kitchen Design Centre we’ve helped transform a number of kitchens by adopting an integrated design. One of our favourites was this high tech, high spec kitchen for the Dyke family. Here, the old kitchen space was combined with the old conservatory for a light, bright, and spacious result. Features such as a lounge area and bar meant the couple could relax and chill out in the extended room with family and friends. There was also room for a TV – ideal for watching post-dinner or while cooking.

Another popular design of ours is this iconic kitchen for the Williams family. The couple were daring enough to extend and remodel their whole house to create the kitchen of their dreams. The new kitchen had space for a sofa and lounging area, and also offered stunning views out to the garden and rolling hills beyond.

Another example, which you can find on our website, is this modern, open plan kitchen design. In this project, the Millingtons decided to knock down two walls to combine three rooms – the kitchen, dining room and utility room – while also introducing a conservatory.

If you’re inspired by our integrated designs why not pop in to see us today? Our expert kitchen designers will be more than happy to talk you through past examples and our showroom kitchens to help determine the best design for you.

Do you have an integrated kitchen space? If so, why not share the benefits of its design with us in the comments below? Alternatively, you can tweet us @ModernKitchens