15 Open-Concept Kitchens and Living Spaces With Flow

In a new home, designer Jodie Cooper took the concept of dramatic lighting to new heights, using a custom-made "bulkhead" suspended from the ceiling by chrome rods to light the kitchen and dining area. "The bulkhead also helps to visually define the kitchen area without losing the loft-style feel," she says. And, she notes, "having a modern kitchen doesn't need to translate to having modern decor. By blending pieces, such as retro dining chairs, Chinese antiques and a rustic dining table combined with Turkish patchwork rugs, we created texture and layers, which add a kind of Bohemian style to the home to create what I call a 'Global Eclectic' interior."

In a contemporary addition, architect Robert Wilson chose materials and fixtures carefully to create a multifunctional space with a unified style. For example, a row of pendant fixtures over the kitchen island not only acts as a visual punctuation mark, dividing the workspace from the adjacent seating area, but also "injects a glow of bright yet polished radiance," he says. Tile flooring throughout the entire room keeps the look simple and pulled-together.

Perfect for casual weekend living, this Hamptons beach-house dining/family room has a close connection to the kitchen, as well as to outdoor living areas. 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. The rooms can be entirely open or protected from mosquitoes with a screen system, allowing for summer breezes, ample entertaining areas and restoring connections to nature. "A consistent — but not overwhelming — thread of blue follows throughout these ground-level spaces: blue kitchen cabinets, blue custom rug and touches of blue walls," note the architects.

In an open-plan concept, designers strive not only to create separate zones within one large space but to make the end result feel cohesive. In this home, the designers at Carlton Architecture + DesignBuild did both with finesse. "We divided individual spaces with furniture groupings and circulation. Common materials such as steel, rift-sawn white oak cabinetry, and dark stained oak floors are used to unify the three areas," they explain.