At the Heart of the Home

Trends come and go but one that seems to be sticking around is the kitchen as the center of the home. Industry experts report that while overall home size is getting smaller, particularly in urban areas, kitchen sizes are staying the same or even getting larger. This is due to the fact that the kitchen has replaced the living room as the central gathering place for the home as well as new layouts that are more open and combine kitchen and living room into one large space. We’ll look at several Kirkland home designs that exemplify this concept.

The prairie style home featured above is an excellent example of this modern trend. The kitchen is situated at one end of the room with the living room at the other and a dining area in between. The space is open and uncluttered but there is still the impression of the three distinct areas.

A traditional style open floor plan in a Kirkland home design. — A Kirkland home design merges traditional style with an open floor plan.

This arrangement offers the same benefits of the completely open floor plan but the space feels more defined. The kitchen, along with a dining area to the left, occupy one area while a partition and steps indicate that you have moved into a different room. However, the low wall does not disrupt the line of sight and there is still a great deal of flow between the two rooms.

Photo by Gelotte Hommas Architecture – traditional family room photos

This final home may be the epitome of the open floor plan trend. Only a short wall acts as a partition between the living room and kitchen. The space also incorporates other trends such as large windows that let it natural light and high ceilings that add to the open and spacious feeling of the home.

If you are thinking about making the kitchen the center of your new home, or need to knock down a few walls in an existing home, then Gelotte Hommas architecture is here to help you design the perfect space for your needs.