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Open vs Closed Kitchen
February 06, 2023
Soumadip Dey
Designers share their views on what works best and the reasons behind the increasing popularity of the open kitchen format, with Soumadip Dey
While there are many different kitchen designs, the two most basic categories of kitchen design are the open and closed types of kitchen. A closed kitchen is isolated from the rest of the house i.e. closed off. The walls separating the kitchen from the other parts of the house make the kitchen a room of its own. On the contrary, an open kitchen is integrated with the adjacent rooms in the house which is usually the living room and the dining room. This type of kitchen design is commonly ‘open’ from more than one side or doesn’t have walls on more than one side. The concept of the open kitchen started becoming popular in the 1990s and is still a favoured choice of many.
When the kitchen is operational for most of the day then there is a lot of mess no matter how much cleaning takes place, so it is better to keep the kitchen design closed.
Ritu Goregaoker
Design Director
GA Design
Sunil Patil, Principal Architect, Sunil Patil & Associates
These days, young couples normally have parties at home. Due to the party culture of the modern generation, an open kitchen has become a necessity. Whenever the client is hosting some people, they get to host the guests and at the same time work in the kitchen. There is a constant requirement for the interaction of the kitchen with the living areas. An open kitchen allows the host to have a drink with the guests and at the same time work in the kitchen. Open kitchens are now becoming popular mainly because of this very reason. Another reason people are opting for open kitchens is because of the way kitchens operate now.
Earlier people wanted a closed kitchen mainly because there were not enough gadgets. Since there was no concept of including chimneys in kitchen design, people opted for a closed kitchen. But in high-end residences where there are servants to prepare meals, there the closed kitchen concept works. However, we have designed high-end residences where the owners also like to cook. There, we have designed two kitchens, i.e. one open show kitchen where the owners can prepare light meals and one regular closed kitchen where the main meals are prepared. This concept of two kitchens is also gaining some popularity these days.
The trend right now is having two kitchens and that is what most people ask for – one show kitchen and one functional kitchen.
Supriya Lolayekar
Principal Architect
Crafted Spaces
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Bandna Singh, Principal Architect, Positive Axis
In my opinion, an open kitchen does not work very well in the Indian context. This is mainly because of all the spices and frying in oil that are used in Indian-style cooking. Though we have worked on a few projects where we had to design an open kitchen, most of the time we have to make two kitchens; one open and fancy kitchen and another service kitchen where the main cooking takes place. This is one way we incorporate an open kitchen in the design.
What started happening is that nowadays a lot of housewives take interest in cooking and younger couples these days like to cook together. For them, the open kitchen is an extension of the living area. With the comforts of the living room like air conditioning, they can do light cooking or baking together. Open kitchen design works well in certain cases like these but when there are servants and cooks to prepare the meal then the closed kitchen design or a service kitchen at the back is the best. In most of the larger houses that we have designed lately, we have incorporated two kitchens, one open and one closed.
A very small percentage of our clients opt for two kitchens. Usually in a city the space is very limited, so it is not possible to incorporate two different types of kitchen designs.
Anand Tatu
Principal Architect
Anand Tatu Architects
Anand Tatu, Principal Architect, Anand Tatu Architects
I would choose an open kitchen design because whoever cooks at home can participate in the activities in the living room. This way they can interact with the rest of the family and that helps create a bond between the family members. In some households there are servants and chefs who prepare the meal and a closed kitchen may work in that setup but otherwise, an open kitchen is always the best option because it offers a better social environment.
A very small percentage of our clients opt for two kitchens. Usually, in a city, the space is very limited, so it is not possible to incorporate two different types of kitchen designs. It also depends on the lifestyle of the client and the cooking style. I personally feel that an open kitchen offers a better environment. However, in mass housings, people have to adjust to the standardised version of the kitchen.
In most of the larger houses that we have designed lately, we have incorporated two kitchens, one open and one closed.
Bandna Singh
Principal Architect
Positive Axis
Supriya Lolayekar, Principal Architect, Crafted Spaces
For the kind of cooking done in an Indian kitchen, it is better to go for a closed design. Preparing Indian cuisine involves a lot of smells, noise and splutter. An open kitchen would become very difficult to maintain due to these factors and it is always better to have a closed kitchen and segregate that area. We can have some parts of the kitchen as an open design like adding a breakfast counter or for pre-heating meals but the primary Indian kitchen is best kept closed.
The trend right now is having two kitchens and that is what most people ask for – one show kitchen and one functional kitchen. While the show kitchen will mainly be used by the owner, the functional kitchen will be used by the cook and maids. The lifestyle also affects the choice of kitchen design. People who are into exercise and fitness would mostly follow healthy diet plans, many people nowadays get their food delivered. For them having a minimal show kitchen will work.
Earlier people wanted closed kitchen mainly because there were not enough gadgets. Since there was no concept of including chimney in kitchen design, people opted for closed kitchen.
Sunil Patil
Principal Architect
Sunil Patil & Associates
Ritu Goregaoker, Design Director, GA Design
Whether there will be an open or closed kitchen in a home depends on a lot of factors. When designing a house for a client, it depends on the preference of the client, the size of the family, if there are children or not. For example, if there is a newlywed couple with both of them working in a metro city and they get a lot of guests, for them I would suggest an open kitchen design. This would work for them because usually they are just starting out and may not always have a large house; with an open kitchen, they will have one large space. During parties, the guests can move around and because of the client’s lifestyle, there would not be any big mess in the kitchen that needs to be kept out of view. Opening up the kitchen tends to make the space appear bigger and this is very helpful when the available space is very small.
But for families living with children with a stay-at-home mom, I would not want to open the kitchen. This is because there is a lot of cooking and you do not want children around that. When the kitchen is operational for most of the day then there is a lot of mess no matter how much cleaning takes place, so it is better to keep the kitchen design closed. Having more than one kitchen is possible for villas or where a lot of space is available but for smaller houses or apartments with limited space that is not really a good option.
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