We've used our custom home building blog to discuss the increase in demand for an open floor plan. Homes with open floor plans foster togetherness by turning the kitchen, living room, and dining room into one large entertaining space. With the elimination of doorways and the use of wider passageways, an open floor plan can make a home feel larger than the square footage suggests.
While there certainly are a number of advantages to having an open floor plan, one of the more challenging aspects is to keep the space clean and orderly. This is especially true in the kitchen where there is the potential for a clutter of dirty dishes to be out in the open for all eyes to see.
In most custom homes that feature an open floor plan, the kitchen is a showstopper. It's the place where company congregates, making it the entertaining hub of the home. For the reason, the last thing that you want is a messy kitchen as that would be a reflection of the rest of your home as well.
If your home features an open floor plan, here are 3 useful tips to minimize the clutter and dirty dishes in your kitchen:
1. Install an oversized sink.
One of the best kept secrets to maintaining the appearance of a clean, open kitchen is to tuck dishes away in an oversized sink. By being able to sweep these dirty dishes off of your countertops and into your sink, you can create the illusion of a spotless kitchen.
One trend that we're seeing in the custom home building industry is the demand for single-bowl kitchen sinks. They tend to be larger and deeper than the double-bowl sinks that many homes featured 20 years ago, which make them perfect for hiding dirty dishes.
2. Take advantage of lighting.
If you cook an especially large meal and use several pots and pans in the process, a good tip is to stack these dirty pans on the stove and turn off the lights in that area of the kitchen. You can then turn on the lights in the dining area to draw eyes to the clean part of your kitchen.
3. Maintain clean countertops.
While your open kitchen may be in a complete state of chaos when preparing a meal, you can easily restore some order to this space by wiping down your countertops and neatly stacking the dishes and bowls that you used.
If you take a look at our online portfolio, you'll see that we've completed a number of projects on homes that feature open kitchens. When you choose to go the custom home building route, we can incorporate features into your open kitchen to make it easier for you to maintain order in the space while also appreciating the beauty that an open kitchen offers.
Please contact us at Empire Custom Builders to learn more about open floor plan living.
If your home features an open floor plan, here are 3 useful tips to minimize the clutter and dirty dishes in your kitchen:
1. Install an oversized sink.
One of the best kept secrets to maintaining the appearance of a clean, open kitchen is to tuck dishes away in an oversized sink. By being able to sweep these dirty dishes off of your countertops and into your sink, you can create the illusion of a spotless kitchen.
One trend that we're seeing in the custom home building industry is the demand for single-bowl kitchen sinks. They tend to be larger and deeper than the double-bowl sinks that many homes featured 20 years ago, which make them perfect for hiding dirty dishes.
2. Take advantage of lighting.
If you cook an especially large meal and use several pots and pans in the process, a good tip is to stack these dirty pans on the stove and turn off the lights in that area of the kitchen. You can then turn on the lights in the dining area to draw eyes to the clean part of your kitchen.
3. Maintain clean countertops.
While your open kitchen may be in a complete state of chaos when preparing a meal, you can easily restore some order to this space by wiping down your countertops and neatly stacking the dishes and bowls that you used.
If you take a look at our online portfolio, you'll see that we've completed a number of projects on homes that feature open kitchens. When you choose to go the custom home building route, we can incorporate features into your open kitchen to make it easier for you to maintain order in the space while also appreciating the beauty that an open kitchen offers.
Please contact us at Empire Custom Builders to learn more about open floor plan living.
