Open Plan Kitchens: 32 Key Design Lessons From Stylish Spaces

white open plan kitchen with vaulted ceiling and seating and dining areas
(Image credit: Dan Duchars)

Open plan kitchens have been a firm favourite among self builders and home improvers for well over a decade now, while ideas and designs are ever-changing.

The perfect blend between a practical kitchen area and a social entertaining space, open plan kitchens are often the hub of the home, offering somewhere for the family to congregate and keep better connected. What's more, they're the perfect space for celebrating summer lunches or Christmas with guests.

Amy Reeves

Amy is an interiors and renovation journalist. She is the former Assistant Editor of Homebuilding & Renovating, where she worked between 2018 and 2023. She has also been an editor for Independent Advisor, where she looked after homes content, including topics such as solar panels. 

She has an interest in sustainable building methods and always has her eye on the latest design ideas. Amy has also interviewed countless self builders, renovators and extenders about their experiences. 

She has renovated a mid-century home, together with her partner, on a DIY basis, undertaking tasks from fitting a kitchen to laying flooring. She is currently embarking on an energy-efficient overhaul of a 1800s cottage in Somerset.