Opening Walls in Kitchens

When planning a kitchen remodel, it's difficult to come up with a new design when you don't have much space to work with or the layout of your home doesn't lend itself to an efficient arrangement. But that doesn't mean you're stuck with a kitchen that doesn't get the job done -- by opening up a wall, you can transform your the entire space. Whether it's creating a small opening, adding a half-wall or removing a wall entirely, that one change can increase the design possibilities for the space so you wind up with the ideal kitchen.

Expand Kitchen

If you prefer casual entertaining to formal parties, your kitchen is likely the center of social gatherings in your home, and your formal dining room goes unused except for one or two holiday dinners a year. Opening up a nonstructural wall between the kitchen and dining room allows you to expand the kitchen by taking over the little-used dining room, so there's plenty of space for guests. You can add a center island where you can place bar stools, but you'll also have enough space to add a dining table and chairs for casual sit-down meals.

Make Kitchen Feel Larger

If you have a small kitchen but don't have the luxury of taking over another room to expand it, opening up the wall can still make it feel larger. You can remove the wall entirely if your kitchen is located next to your living room or family room to create an open layout that makes even a galley kitchen feel more spacious. If you don't want to remove the entire wall, create a pass-through or opt for a half-wall so that you can see the adjacent room from the kitchen and the space doesn't feel quite so cramped. Opening the entire wall is possible only if it is not load-bearing.

Create Serving Area

Opening up a kitchen wall isn't always about expanding or widening the space. You can also augment a wall to make the space more functional. If your kitchen is next to a room where you do a great deal of entertaining -- like the dining room, family room or living room -- adding a simple pass-through and counter to the connecting wall can make serving your guests easier. You can easily pass food and beverages through to the other room while you remain in the kitchen or use the countertop to set up a casual buffet so guests can help themselves. Adding a pass-through instead of removing the wall entirely or creating a half-wall also allows you to keep most of the kitchen concealed, which means your guests won't get an eyeful of dirty dishes piled up in the sink from the other room.

Build Breakfast Bar

If you've got a large, busy family, chances are your kitchen is a little crowded in the morning when everyone tries to get breakfast in before dashing off to work or school. Opening up your kitchen wall to create a peninsula-style counter allows you to add a simple breakfast bar where your family can eat quick, casual meals. Place the stools for the bar on the side of the counter outside of the kitchen, and you won't have to worry about your kids getting in the way while you make your coffee either. If your kitchen doesn't need a dining area, you can use the peninsula counter as an extra work space – and since you can use both sides of it, two people can work at it at once without crowding the kitchen.


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