Why Closed Kitchens Are Better Than Open Plan

We’ve had a closed kitchen for years and have recently moved to a home with a larger open-plan kitchen space. There are pros and cons to both kitchen layouts and this post explores the option that closed kitchens are better than open plan.

“This post is a partnered post and may contain affiliate links. These thoughts and opinions are in line with my own personal beliefs.”

Open-plan living (and working) has been popular for a while now, but it might be that the trend is starting to fade away, and there are some good reasons for that when you consider your kitchen. In many cases, it’s actually better to have a closed kitchen as opposed to an open-plan one. Here are some of the reasons why this is the case. 

Photo by Charlotte May

More Privacy 

Sometimes it’s nice to get away from people, even if you love them dearly and live with them. Having a little time to yourself is good for you and can help you relax and destress. Having an open-plan kitchen means that the only rooms in the house where you can do this are the bathroom or your bedroom, but going to those rooms isn’t always practical. 

However, if you have a closed kitchen, you can shut yourself away in there while you’re washing up, making dinner, working, or doing anything else you need to do. This will help give you the time you need without making you stress even more because you’re not getting on with the things you need to get on with around the house. It’s a great compromise. 

More Choice

One of the biggest problems, when you have an open plan kitchen and living room, is that the rooms have to match – they’re one big space, and making one look one way and having an entirely different style in the other part just won’t work. This means you won’t have as much choice when it comes to your kitchen design as you would normally have. 

When the rooms are separate and closed off, you can choose from a range of stunning kitchens in whatever style you want. It doesn’t have to match any other room in the house, and it can be the one space that is truly exactly how you want it because of that. 

You Can Leave It Messy 

We’re not saying you should never clean and tidy your kitchen, but there are sure to be some times when you’re too tired, or you just don’t feel well, and you can’t do it. Or perhaps you are having a dinner party, and you’re busy entertaining guests, so tidying the kitchen isn’t really something you have time to do. 

In an open-plan kitchen space, this would be obvious. Your kitchen will always be on display, and if it needs to be tidied or cleaned, everyone will know about it. Even if you’re the only one in the house, seeing that your kitchen needs cleaning will make you uneasy, no matter whether you can do it right now or not. 

This is the beauty of being able to close a door in your kitchen. If it’s messy and you don’t have the time or the inclination to fix it right now, close the door, and your guests will never know. If it’s just you, closing the door can help you relax more. Of course, you’ll still need to clean up, but it won’t make you feel so guilty if you don’t do it immediately.