Open concept kitchens are highly popular these days, as homeowners prefer to have fluid spaces that are conducive to interacting. But what are the cons of having an open concept kitchen? Could a closed kitchen be more suitable for you? In this article, we discuss all these, and more!

Open Concept Kitchen: Pros & Cons

If you’re thinking of having an open concept kitchen, here are the pros and cons to consider:

Advantages of an open concept kitchen

There are several advantages that an open concept kitchen has to offer.

Visually, your space will seem larger and brighter when you have an open concept kitchen. This is one of the key elements that nudges homeowners into being #TeamOpenKitchen – it’s always nice to have a bigger space, especially if you’re staying in a new BTO that’s smaller than an old resale flat.

On top of that, it’s also easier to interact between spaces. When you’re hosting, you can be pouring drinks in the kitchen and still carrying on a conversation with your friends who are in the living room. And if you have kids, having an open concept kitchen means that you’ll be able to cook while keeping an eye on the kids.

Disadvantages of an open concept kitchen

On the other hand, one disadvantage of an open concept kitchen is that you’ll have to spend extra cash to hack your walls. This typically costs $500 – $1000 for a single wall. On top of that, because you have one or two fewer walls to work with, this translates into less cabinet space.

Other disadvantages of an open concept kitchen include the fact that it’s easier for noise and fumes to travel. If you’re using a noisy blender in an open concept kitchen, chances are that anyone in the living room will be able to hear it. If you’re doing heavy frying or cooking curry in an open concept kitchen, the smells will probably linger in your living room as well.

Closed Kitchen: Pros & Cons

If you’re thinking of having a closed kitchen, here are the pros and cons to consider:

Advantages of a closed kitchen

If you have a closed kitchen, the pros are that noise and fumes will largely be contained within your kitchen – they won’t travel to your living room. There’s also more potential for storage space in a closed kitchen, since you have more walls to mount your cabinets on.

Disadvantages of a closed kitchen

Obviously, with a closed kitchen, your home feels smaller. There’s also less interaction when cooking – it’ll be difficult for you to make cooking a group affair and have friends/family join in, if your kitchen is small.

Closed kitchens might also get warm when cooking or baking. This might be a problem for folks who love to bake and make pastries – it’s not easy or fun working with cold butter in a warm kitchen!

Choosing Between An Open And Closed Kitchen

When choosing between an open concept vs closed kitchen, consider your lifestyle and your needs. For example, if one person works from home and has their desk in the living room, then having an open kitchen might be out of the question – it’ll get too noisy and/or distracting.

At the same time, remember that there are other things you can do to achieve some sort of middle ground between an open vs closed kitchen. For example, you can remove your walls and install glass doors – this mimics the look of an open kitchen, but still keeps odours and noise contained. For those who have enough space, you can even consider having two kitchens – a wet kitchen that’s “closed” or contained, and a dry kitchen that’s connected to the rest of your living space.

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