10 Open Kitchen Ideas That Maximize Flow and Function
Start planning your next dinner party, stat.

Whether you live in a sprawling ranch, a center-hall colonial, or a petite city apartment, one thing rings true: Your kitchen is probably the center of your home. Life naturally orbits around this do-it-all room, and modern kitchens have to live way beyond their original intentions. They're cook spaces and craft spaces, drop zones and WFH zones, entertaining hangouts and homework hubs. And when your kitchen flows freely into other "rooms" of your house? Well, that multifaceted space needs to work extra hard. Luckily, there are tons of smart open kitchen ideas you can tap into to make the most of your main floor—whether you're designing a kitchen from scratch, considering a renovation, or just looking for inspiration.
The best open kitchen designs share a few key characteristics. They allow plenty of room for circulation—designer speak for the space allowance between built-in elements like cabinets and islands and furniture. They light every zone well, using pendant fixtures to illuminate an island or a dining table and sconces or task lighting around the sink and storage areas. And they carry the same colors or material finish from one area to the next to create a cohesive feeling throughout.
We've found 10 designer-approved examples of great open kitchen concepts. From small layout tweaks that maximize flow to palettes that unite each space visually, these kitchen layout and design ideas will ensure your open-concept space feels dynamic, unified, and—perhaps most important—livable. Check out some of our favorite open kitchen ideas below.
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