If you’ve ever found yourself cooking while conversations happen in another room, you’re not alone. Many homeowners describe the same experience: guests gathering somewhere else, kids playing out of sight, and the person preparing meals feeling cut off from everything happening around them.
In other homes, people naturally gravitate toward the kitchen, but the space simply cannot support it. The room feels crowded, there’s no clear place to gather, and trying to cook and serve food at the same time quickly becomes stressful. Everyday routines feel disjointed, and entertaining can feel more frustrating than enjoyable.
For families with young children, the challenge is even more pronounced. You want to keep an eye on what’s happening, but you also don’t want kids underfoot while you’re cooking. The result is a kitchen that feels isolated rather than connected.
Today, kitchens are no longer just places to prepare meals. They’re where homework happens, conversations unfold, and guests linger long after dinner is over. When the kitchen doesn’t connect to the rest of the home, it can feel like the most important space is working against you instead of with you.
That’s why many homeowners begin exploring an open concept kitchen remodel. Not simply to remove walls, but to create better flow, visibility, and connection so the kitchen feels like a true part of everyday life.
Shown in the following images, the homeowners felt their kitchen was too small and closed off, making it difficult for friends and family to gather without disrupting daily use. By expanding both the kitchen and dining area and reconfiguring the layout, the space now allows for easy movement and comfortable gathering without crowding the work zones. (Before image on the left and after image on the right. Slide to view)
Most kitchens that feel cut off share a few familiar traits.
Many are enclosed by full-height walls that separate the kitchen from living or dining areas. Others rely on narrow doorways that limit sightlines and movement. Some layouts were designed decades ago, when formal dining rooms, eat-in nooks, and smaller kitchens were considered functional for how families lived at the time.
These designs often create one-person kitchens that don’t accommodate family activity or guests. Peninsula counters paired with wall cabinets can further block visibility, making the space feel closed in even when it technically opens to another room.
In many homes, the layout includes multiple dining spaces that rarely get used, while the kitchen itself feels undersized. The result is wasted square footage and a kitchen that struggles to support daily routines, family connection, and hosting.
While these layouts may have worked thirty years ago, they often no longer align with how families want to live today.
Shown in the following images, the client came to us needing more space for everyday living, initially envisioning a dining and office addition because their kitchen felt too small. Through the design process, we rethought the layout entirely, relocating the kitchen into the new addition and transforming the original kitchen into a dedicated dining area. The result is an open, well-balanced kitchen that supports how the home is used today while creating a natural connection between cooking, dining, and gathering. (Before image on the left and after image on the right. Slide to view)
An open concept kitchen remodel focuses on how people move, see one another, and interact throughout the home.
Opening or modifying walls improves sightlines between spaces, allowing conversations to continue naturally between the kitchen and adjacent rooms. Wider openings make movement easier, reducing bottlenecks and encouraging people to gather without getting in the way.
In some homes, improving flow means reconfiguring existing rooms. In others, it may involve relocating the kitchen entirely or expanding it into an adjacent space or addition when the current footprint simply cannot support how the kitchen needs to function.
When the layout supports natural movement and visibility, people are drawn into the kitchen during everyday moments. Cooking no longer feels isolating, and the kitchen becomes a shared space rather than a destination apart from the rest of the home.
This kind of flow works just as well for quiet family nights as it does for larger gatherings. The kitchen becomes a place where people want to be, not a space you disappear into.
Shown in the following images, the client’s kitchen originally felt closed off, making it difficult to cook while staying connected to family life. We opened the space by removing walls and the oversized fireplace, reworking the kitchen layout to improve function and storage while easing the tight dining area and unifying the two living spaces. The result is an open, connected environment that better supports everyday living and gathering. (Before image on the left and after image on the right. Slide to view)
Removing walls is often part of creating a more connected kitchen, but it isn’t always as simple as knocking things down.
Structural considerations matter, especially when a wall is load-bearing. That said, these challenges can usually be addressed with proper structural solutions, allowing openness without compromising the home’s integrity.
Where wall removal doesn’t always make sense is when essential storage is lost. Kitchens still need enough wall space to support cabinetry, wall ovens, refrigerators, and other fixed elements that cannot be placed in islands. Without thoughtful planning, too much openness can create new frustrations.
The goal is balance. When you can maintain the storage and organization the kitchen needs, removing or modifying walls often enhances connection, improves light flow, and makes the home feel more cohesive.
In some homes, the biggest obstacle to connection is simply a lack of space.
When the existing kitchen footprint limits movement or gathering, homeowners may explore modest expansions into adjacent rooms. This can include borrowing space from underused dining rooms, combining kitchen nooks with nearby areas, or reworking how rooms relate to one another.
In other cases, an addition makes the most sense. When the kitchen cannot grow within the existing structure, relocating it into a new space can dramatically improve storage, functionality, and flow. The original kitchen area may then take on a new role that better supports the overall layout of the home.
Creating space for islands, seating, and shared activity allows multiple people to use the kitchen at once without crowding. Guests have a place to gather nearby, and everyday cooking becomes more comfortable and efficient.
Shown in the following images, the client’s kitchen was originally tucked between a playroom and a small eat-in area, limiting both space and flow. We shifted the kitchen into the former playroom to create a more open, functional layout and expanded the eat-in area to better support everyday meals and family gatherings. (Before image on the left and after image on the right. Slide to view)
One concern homeowners often have with open layouts is noise, clutter, or a loss of comfort.
Kitchens do make noise. Appliances, blenders, and dishwashers can carry sound into adjacent spaces. Cooking aromas travel more freely without walls. These realities don’t mean openness isn’t possible, but they do need to be considered.
Good ventilation helps manage smells, while soft materials such as rugs, window treatments, and furnishings can reduce sound reverberation. Some activities may shift into pantries or secondary prep spaces, allowing the main kitchen to stay calm and functional.
Organization and layout are just as important. Some kitchens already feel open but remain frustrating to use because the work zones were poorly designed. Examples include dishwashers that cannot be opened while standing at the sink or storage that doesn’t align with how the kitchen is actually used.
An open kitchen still needs a thoughtful layout. When work zones are efficient and storage is well planned, openness feels comfortable rather than chaotic.
Shown in the following images, the client’s kitchen was small, poorly lit, and difficult to use, while the adjacent dining spaces lacked clear purpose. We expanded the kitchen into the underutilized dining area to improve light, space, and functionality, while still preserving a generous, well-defined area for dining. (Before image on the left and after image on the right. Slide to view)
Planning is the most important step in any kitchen remodel, especially when creating an open layout.
Slowing down to plan properly prevents future frustration. Layout decisions should always come before finishes. If the layout doesn’t work, no amount of beautiful materials will make the kitchen feel right.
Understanding how the home is used day to day is essential. Cooking habits, family routines, entertaining styles, and long-term needs all influence layout and material choices. Thoughtful planning ensures the kitchen works not just today, but for years to come.
When clarity is established early, homeowners gain confidence in the decisions they’re making and avoid costly revisions later.
At its best, an open concept kitchen remodel helps you feel present, connected, and involved in daily life at home.
The goal isn’t simply an open space. It’s a kitchen that functions well, supports how your family lives, and feels naturally connected to the rest of the home. When flow, layout, and daily rhythm are thoughtfully considered, the kitchen becomes a space that truly brings people together.
If you’re still exploring how to create a kitchen that feels more connected and functional, our Designing Your Ideal Kitchen eBook is a helpful next step. It walks through layout considerations, design decisions, and planning insights to help you think clearly about what will work best for your home and lifestyle.
If you’re further along and ready to talk through how an open concept kitchen remodel could work in your home, a Home Remodeling Discovery Session offers a thoughtful, no-pressure conversation about your goals, your space, and what’s possible. 👉 Request a Home Remodel Discovery Session