Thinking of Closing Off the Kitchen?
Posted on: 23 August 2021
Open-concept kitchens have been around for decades, replacing the closed kitchens you often found in older homes. However, a trend back toward closed kitchens has quietly gained steam as people become fed up with issues caused by open kitchens. If you've decided you want to remodel your kitchen and create a closed-off space, you need to think about a few details as you formulate your plans. The remodelling contractors you work with can help you bring these details to life.
Controlling Kitchen Odours
Many people like closed kitchens as the doors allow anyone in the kitchen to prevent odours from getting into the rest of the house. But the smaller, confined space of a closed-concept kitchen means those odours may be much more noticeable and pungent in that kitchen. Even if you like the smell of what you cook, the odour could seep into walls and fixtures if ventilation isn't adequate. You'll need to ensure that the ventilation in the kitchen accounts for that. This could mean replacing ventilation fans with super-efficient versions, adding more fans or even adding windows to walls.
Adding Walls
If you're going from an open to closed kitchen, you'll need to add walls. How will that affect the air conditioning and heating in your home? You'll now have a smaller living room area and need to add air conditioning and heating to the kitchen area. The construction of the walls could also make much of your house off-limits due to dust. Will you and your family be OK with this, or will you need to rent another place to live for the duration of the construction?
The Doors
A closed-concept kitchen relies not only on walls but also on doors. Will you have swinging doors that you can simply push open with your shoulder when carrying food out to the dining area? Or do you prefer actual doors with a door handle? Pocket doors are a possibility, but the risk of getting food on the doors that then sit inside the wall while open makes these less desirable for kitchen areas. You'll also want to think about whether the doors should be solid (wood, metal, etc.) or have windows so that you can see out of the kitchen. These windows could be helpful for spotting people near the door before you open it, but they'd also let people peer into the kitchen while you were cooking in it. If you're getting a closed-concept kitchen because you want privacy while cooking, that could be a problem.
Speak with remodelling contractors about how long it would take to build the closed kitchen and what issues they've noticed with various options, such as adding windows for ventilation or what type of doors to have. By finding out what other customers' experiences have been with these options, you can settle on features that make your new kitchen a wonderful place to be. Reach out to a professional to discuss your kitchen.
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