The Best Kitchen Living Room Ideas for Open Plan

Looking to bring your kitchen and living room together into one beautiful, functional space? Open plan living is a modern must-have, and finding smart interior design kitchen living room ideas can make all the difference in how your home feels and flows. Whether you’re dealing with a compact condo or a large family home, a well-designed open layout can boost natural light, improve functionality, and just make life feel easier.

Let’s look at how you can create a layout that works for your lifestyle, fits your space, and looks absolutely stunning.

Kitchen Living Room Ideas That Actually Work

One of the biggest goals in open concept interior design is creating a natural flow between the kitchen and living room. You want the two areas to feel connected, but still function separately. The trick is to use subtle zoning with things like area rugs, different lighting, or even a small island or peninsula can help divide the space without putting up any actual walls.

An open concept kitchen living room works best when there’s a balance between cozy and clean. Too much clutter and it loses the open feel. Too sparse, and it feels cold. Add texture with soft furnishings, keep your colour palette cohesive, and be intentional with furniture placement. If you're working with a small space, think about a small house open concept kitchen and living room layouts that make the most of every inch. Even a very small open plan kitchen living room can feel spacious with the right interior design approach.

You also want to make sure your layout keeps socializing in mind. Whether you’re cooking, relaxing, or entertaining, a good open concept living room and kitchen should let people chat and connect easily without feeling crowded.

How to Style Your Kitchen and Living Room Open Concept

Once your layout is nailed down, the fun part begins: styling it. The key to pulling off an open concept kitchen and living room design is visual harmony. That means using similar tones, complementary textures, and matching or coordinating furniture styles in both spaces.

A few quick wins: match your kitchen cabinetry finish to your media unit or bookshelf. Use the same metal finishes on kitchen hardware and living room light fixtures. Tie the spaces together with a rug in the living room that echoes your backsplash or counter material. This consistency helps the entire room feel cohesive, even if the kitchen and living areas serve different purposes.

Want your open layout to feel light and airy? Go for an open kitchen design with open shelving, floating cabinets, or glass elements. It keeps things from looking too heavy, especially if your living area already has a large sofa or entertainment center. If you're more about comfort, lean into a soft, neutral palette to give your space that warm open open-concept living vibe.

Working with a narrow floor plan? You might want to explore open concept kitchen and living room floor plans that run lengthwise, allowing for one continuous space that still has clear “zones.” On the flip side, wider layouts give you more freedom for L-shaped kitchens or multiple seating areas.

Interior Design Tips for Open Concept Spaces

At Tailored Interior, we’ve helped lots of clients design gorgeous open layouts that make cooking, relaxing, and hosting easier than ever. We often get asked for the best tips for open-concept kitchens and living rooms. Here’s what we tell everyone: don’t forget about function. That means good lighting, plenty of storage, and space to move.

Keep your open concept kitchen practical with a solid prep triangle (sink, stove, fridge). Your open concept living room should feel comfy and calm, not like an afterthought next to the kitchen. And if your home is compact, we recommend small open concept kitchen and living room solutions that build in extra storage. Think hidden cabinets, built-in benches, or furniture that doubles as storage.

Our award-winning design team can help you pick the right open concept kitchen and living room floor plans that work for your home’s layout and your lifestyle. Whether you want sleek and modern or warm and rustic, we’ve got the creativity and experience to bring it to life. 
If you’re looking for a trusted Edmonton interior designer to help guide your renovation, we’re here for that too. When your living room kitchen open concept design feels natural, welcoming, and uniquely you. That’s when you know you nailed it.