Kitchen and living room divider solutions
The new trends in residential architecture aim to promote conviviality and the sharing of spaces, therefore it is no coincidence that, regardless of the size of the property, the living room and kitchen are often placed in the same area. However, in order to enjoy all the advantages of an open space but with the feeling of having two separate rooms, you need to find solutions to visually separate the kitchen from the living room: here are 10 ideas to make the most of the porcelain stoneware’s potential whilst creating integrated and independent spaces.
1. A partition wall between the kitchen and living room
Practical and functional, a partition is often the easiest solution to delineate two different spaces within the same room. If in the 2000s it was mainly used in bathrooms to hide toiletries, today the idea of a kitchen and living room partition conquers even the most sophisticated designers thanks to the possibility of transforming it into a real piece of decor, with refined colors, precious wallpapers or the addition of industrial stained glass.
2. A stoneware partition wall
Especially if you have large spaces, the choice to build a partition in the center of the room to separate kitchen from living room can be interesting: in such case, we recommend creating an opening that connects the two environments while still maintaining a visual separation. Choosing porcelain stoneware cladding in harmony with the furnishings of both rooms guarantees an elegant result and great visual harmony.
3. An opening without a door
If you find yourself designing an open space environment that originally had two separate rooms, you can choose to remove the door and keep the opening, expanding it. This is a clever idea for a dining room and living room combo giving the illusion of a much larger, especially if you choose the same cladding as the common thread: the elegant anthracite gray background of Soapstone Dark, in stone-effect tile, is ideal for adding character and personality to a modern kitchen overlooking the living room.
4. Smart furniture arrangement
When dealing with small spaces, building a true kitchen and living room divider may not be the best solution. This is why, before thinking about walls and dividers, it’s important to think about the floor plan and the placement of the furnishings: a designer sofa placed sideways or a large carpet under the dining table can “help the eye” to outline and identify the various sections.
5. The kitchen island as a room divider
A typical element of American design, in the last decade the island has become popular in kitchens across Europe thanks to its extreme versatility. If made with fine finishes such as Calacatta marble-effect porcelain stoneware, the island is one of the most effective ideas for a kitchen and living room divider with refined elegance. In smaller spaces, we recommend choosing the same cladding for the island as the floor, in order to preserve visual harmony.
6. The island-counter with double finish
Although the island is already a functional element, its original design can make it a very valid alternative to a kitchen and the living room divider. Porcelain tile, in addition to being a durable material designed to come into contact with food, also offers a wide choice of effects and finishes that, when combined, can create unusual atmospheres. An example? Grey marble-effect tiles for the kitchen side, wood-effect tiles for the side facing the living room.
7. The divider that is there but invisible
Among those ideas to separate living room and kitchen, one of the most functional and interesting involves the creation of a glass wall: this way, the light can filter unhindered between areas, but every space will be well defined. For those who love audacious solutions, you can separate the kitchen and living room with smoked glass, to add a sophisticated vintage touch.
8. The open bookcase
Another solution to separate the living room and kitchen without building a wall is to use open bookcases to outline the two areas, thus providing the right shielding while allowing the light to filter through. The important thing in this case is to choose light and airy structures, with shelves far enough apart from each other and to avoid overfilling them.
9. The floor as a kitchen and living room divider
If you are facing a complete renovation, the ideas for separating the kitchen and living room in an original and innovative way increase exponentially. Changing the floor is undoubtedly a radical choice, but the result is surprising: dark wood-effect stoneware, compact and decisive, makes a kitchen elegant and creates a sophisticated contrast with stone-effect stoneware elements such as a faux stone modern kitchen countertop. Those who feel daring can use the same finishes to create dialogue between the areas, referencing similar effects, for example, by cladding the living room table top or the bookcase shelves.
10. Separate the kitchen from the living room... without dividing.
You don’t necessarily have to separate the kitchen and living room, on the contrary: porcelain stoneware allows these two areas to be decorated in harmony by choosing specially-made colors and finishes. One of the most versatile cladding from this point of view is Crystal White marble-effect stoneware: its bright white background reproduces a crystal effect and creates intense reflections of light, an aspect rendering it very elegant and sophisticated both as a kitchen countertop and as cladding for the TV cabinet or the living room sideboard.
