An open plan lounge and kitchen succeeds when the layout separates zones by function (cooking, dining, relaxation) without walls, materials are chosen to handle noise and steam, and storage is planned to keep both areas uncluttered. The studio’s residential projects show that the design process begins in Discovery with a clear brief on how the household actually lives—not a generic layout assumption—and moves through Concept, Design & Specification, Commission, and Reveal with acoustic and material choices verified at each stage.
Why does an open plan lounge and kitchen need zoning without walls?
Open plan spaces work best when they feel intentional, not undifferentiated. A kitchen generates heat, steam, cooking smells, and visible clutter; a lounge is a place for relaxation and conversation. Without physical separation, the two compete for the same space and air. The studio’s approach in the Discovery stage is to map how a household uses each zone: who cooks, when, and for how long; where the family gathers; whether the kitchen is a destination or a passageway. This informs every choice downstream.
Zoning happens through finishes, lighting, and arrangement rather than walls. In the London Embankment Apartment, the studio used a shift in flooring material, a change in ceiling height suggested by the architectural shell, and strategic placement of the kitchen island to create two distinct atmospheres within one room. The kitchen zone stays contained; the lounge remains a retreat. This separation is visual and experiential, not structural.
What materials and finishes stop cooking noise and steam from affecting the lounge?
Hard materials in the kitchen zone (stone, tile, stainless steel) reflect sound and resist moisture; soft materials in the lounge (upholstery, carpeting, plasterboard with acoustic properties) absorb it. A kitchen exhaust hood matters less than its ducting and placement—noise travels backward through open space, so the hood must be powerful enough to contain steam at source and ducted to the exterior, not recirculated. In the Witham Project, the studio specified an extractor hood sized for the cooking area’s volume and positioned it to pull vapor away from the lounge seating without creating a draft across the space.
Ceiling and wall treatment in the lounge zone can absorb airborne noise from the kitchen. This does not require acoustic tiles or obvious sound-dampening panels. At Tone at Canary Wharf, the studio used a plasterboard ceiling with a subtle textured finish in the dining and lounge areas, paired with substantial upholstered furniture, to reduce reverberation without visual disruption. The kitchen zone itself has a hard ceiling to allow easy cleaning and prevent oil vapor from settling into absorptive materials. The boundary between zones is where the acoustic strategy lives.
How should the kitchen island or counter anchor the layout?
The kitchen island or peninsula is the fulcrum of an open plan lounge and kitchen. It provides work surface, storage, and a visual and functional barrier that signals the end of the kitchen and the beginning of the lounge. The island should never block sightlines entirely—the lounge occupant wants to see out, and the cook wants awareness of the room. In the London Embankment Apartment, the island was positioned to face the seating area, allowing the cook to engage with family or guests while working, and the island’s depth and surface materials were specified to absorb some kitchen sound and define the boundary without a wall.
Placement and height matter. A standard kitchen counter is 900mm high; a breakfast bar or overhang at 1050–1100mm signals a transition to dining and lounge space. The island should allow passage on at least two sides so the kitchen zone does not become a dead end. Storage in and under the island keeps cooking equipment, small appliances, and food prep out of sight, preventing the lounge from feeling cluttered by kitchen clutter. This requires planning during Concept, Design & Specification, not after build. The studio works with the kitchen supplier and contractor to verify that storage capacity matches the household’s actual inventory of pots, pans, and dry goods.
What happens to smells, steam, and cooking mess in an open plan?
A kitchen exhaust hood that works properly is non-negotiable. It must be sized for the cooking area (typically 600 mm wide minimum for a domestic range), ducted to the exterior (not recirculated into the room), and installed with a damper so that outside air cannot flow back through the duct when the hood is off. In the Witham Project, the studio specified a ducted extractor and ensured the kitchen layout positioned the range so that rising steam and vapor are captured before they spread into the lounge. The hood noise is another matter—a whisper-quiet hood rated below 60 dB is essential in an open plan, or the sound becomes intrusive during relaxation.
Visible cooking mess is harder to hide. Open shelving in a kitchen zone can look intentional and curated, but only if the household maintains it. Closed cabinetry below counter height, with open shelving above (or vice versa), is a compromise that works for most homes. Deep drawers instead of cupboard doors reduce the visual impact of opening and closing. Lighting is critical: under-counter task lighting at the cooking zone should not spill into the lounge. Ambient lighting for the whole space should be dimmable so the lounge can feel calm while the kitchen is active. The studio’s Concept, Design & Specification stage includes a detailed lighting plan that separates task, ambient, and accent light by zone.
How does storage planning prevent an open plan from looking chaotic?
In an open plan lounge and kitchen, every object left on a counter or shelf is visible from the sofa. Storage discipline is not optional. During Discovery, the studio asks: what appliances live on the counter (kettle, toaster, coffee maker)? What does not fit in the wall cupboards? What needs daily access versus occasional access? The answers determine whether the kitchen zone feels calm or cluttered. In commercial projects like Fruittii Hair Salon and Keystones Estate Agent, the studio used a similar principle—every item on display serves a purpose; everything else is stored behind closed doors or in consistent, organized groupings.
Closed cabinetry should extend to the height where the cook works (at least to 1800 mm on the walls behind the counter), leaving open space above for visual lightness. Tall larder units and pantries, if the space allows, move bulky items out of the main visual field. The breakfast bar overhang should not become a dumping ground for mail, phones, and daily clutter—this requires a small credenza, sideboard, or shallow wall-mounted storage in the transition zone between kitchen and lounge. At the London Embankment Apartment, the studio designed a bespoke credenza that housed the household’s daily items and anchored the boundary between zones. This was specified in Concept, Design & Specification and built during Commission, so it was ready for Reveal.
What does the design process look like for an open plan lounge and kitchen?
The studio’s five-stage process—Discovery, Concept, Design & Specification, Commission, and Reveal—ensures that an open plan lounge and kitchen is tailored to how the household actually lives, not a template layout. In Discovery, the studio meets the clients, understands the home’s architecture, and asks detailed questions about cooking habits, entertaining, noise tolerance, and storage needs. Concept develops options for zoning, material palettes, and lighting strategies. Concept, Design & Specification locks down every finish, fixture, and piece of custom cabinetry with precise drawings and samples.
Commission is where the design is built or installed; Reveal is the handover. This structure prevents surprises and allows the studio to verify that acoustic choices, material durability, and spatial flow work as intended. In residential projects like the Witham Project and London Embankment Apartment, the studio applied this process from concept through completion. In commercial spaces like Tone at Canary Wharf, the same rigor applied to much larger open plan areas, proving that the method scales. The studio does not offer a generic open plan solution; every design is specific to the project and the people who will use it.