For centuries the kitchen was strictly a work space. An open-plan kitchen suits today’s informal lifestyles, providing a natural hub for the home and greater sociability during cooking and prepping. Glass doors on the ground level slide all the way into the walls, opening the family/dining room and living room to an expansive deck area. Open space gives opportunity to be in both rooms – kitchen and living room. In the kitchen area, the paint matches the golden glow of the cat's paw burr-oak table by the owner's son, the designer Jake Phipps . A connected kitchen and dining area make for easy serving. It can also be used across an entire floor. When working with an open floor plan layout, visualize where you’ll place the most important zones of your space. But a peek at many new kitchens today reveals a very different approach: the open concept kitchen at the heart of the home. Homes built between 1920 and 1970 were typically constructed with a traditional, separate dining room adjacent to a small kitchen. The fireplace tiles introduce a rustic, tactile edge, while a large wall-hung mirror helps to open out what is a very busy, multifunctional space. Getty Images/Luxy. Hard flooring is sought after for open-plan living areas for good reason – it adds a sense of spaciousness and is a snap to clean. The timber dining table set sits between the lounges and the kitchen, creating further separation of spaces in this Palm Springs-style home in Coorparoo. Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest Nowadays, open plan kitchen living room layouts becoming more and more popular and designed for a reason. If your dining area is on the narrower side, swap a few dining chairs for a dining bench that can easily be tucked under the table. Open-plan flooring can connect different rooms, like your hallway and living space, or your kitchen and dining room. Visually separate the areas with rugs, but keep an open flow to make the rooms easy to navigate. The solid wood dining table is complemented by modern white chairs, which tie in with the white of the large sideboard. In this open floor plan kitchen, the tables can be easily moved depending on the flow of traffic and the number of people dining. In this kind of planning is really pleasant feeling to cook, especially when you are among family or friends. In this open floor plan kitchen, the tables can be easily moved depending on the flow of traffic and the number of people dining.