Knocking down kitchen, dining and living room partitions is now a common aspiration. Advice from Enrica Magnalardo, head of inspiration and layout at Ikea France, to make your living room a 100% harmonious space.
Opening the kitchen to the living room is no longer an eccentricity or a form of modernity. It is now part of the way of life. And for those who still have partitioned rooms, tearing down the walls is often a dream. “Studies carried out by Ikea show that there is a general desire to have a real living room with a kitchen, a dining room, a living room. It rhymes with space, or rather the feeling of space. The obstacle is often storage, the fear of not being able to have harmony between the technical part, the kitchen, and another more comfortable one, the living room, explains Enrica Magnalardo, head of inspiration and layout at Ikea France. But there are plenty of tips and ideas that provide fluidity but also make room for everything to be perfectly ordered. We can list 10 that are easy to create so that your living room becomes a harmonious place where you do different activities in harmony.
1. Sail to the island
“We see more and more islands. In terms of interior architecture, they create a symbolic bridge between the kitchen and the living room. Unlike a counter, an island “doesn’t block space,” allowing for easier movement. And it is increasingly being used as a multi-functional piece of furniture. Because of course we’ll cook on it, but we’ll also eat or work on it. Therefore, the chosen island must be flexible, equipped with practical solutions. At Ikea, we offer islands with rods on top that allow you to hang all kinds of things. Some are also designed for routing cables, making it easier to connect your computer. There are also islands on wheels, mobile, which can be moved according to their needs.
2. Organize the kitchen
“When you’re creating or customizing a living room, you need to think about storage first. This is a crucial question. Otherwise, there is a risk of invading the kitchen market in particular. Storage also means saving square meters, as the height under the ceiling is optimized. Currently, we see an appetite for sleek kitchens, where the refrigerator is hidden, but also all the robots, the microwave oven… You have to know that every household has an average of 6 to 8 small appliances. They don’t always display beautifully, and we don’t use them every day. Therefore, there is a provision for overhead storage to keep this equipment out of sight. The kitchen also has beautiful tools, shiny pans that can be stored on open shelves or hung from the bars hanging on the wall. The important thing is to organize your storage in an aesthetic but also practical spirit, so that you have a clean workspace, free of everything that is bulky. »
3. Move the furniture
“Furniture flexibility is now an advantage, especially in the living room, where needs vary depending on the number of guests, time of day and occupation. Strollers and pushchairs on wheels are thus enjoying increasing success. You can have breakfast, aperitif, coffee… Some trolleys are even integrated into kitchens. they are easy to store after use. They then turn into casual furniture. »
4. Plank
“We are seeing more and more accessories that hide technical elements while saving space. Which is ideal in a kitchen in the living room. I am thinking, for example, of the boards that fit into the sink and thus cover the trash cans. This allows the desktop surface to have continuity, but also achieve a sense of cleanliness and cleanliness. »
5. Prepare your traditional plates
“Warning, this is a real phenomenon. Stoves, not always aesthetic, become portable. We prefer them over a traditional stove because they can be stored in a closet or hung on the wall and only pulled out when needed. This is another way to hide the technical side of the kitchen to better integrate this area into the living room. The advantage of these stoves is that they can be used outside. they are placed on the balcony when you are roasting something and want to avoid the smell inside. »
6. Disconnect the wires
“You have to dare to personalize your living room. It is true that arranging the space in such a way that it is airy and functional is important, but it is the textile details that will make it unique, turn it into a welcoming cocoon. To create a common thread between different areas, the same fabrics can be used for cushion covers or curtains. We also do not forget to treat ourselves to a rug that always brings comfort and style and can symbolize the transition between a space where we “do”, the kitchen, and another where we rather go to “ask”, the living room. »
7. Play harmony
“In order for the living room to be a whole, it should not be considered as a combination of different areas, but as one and the same room. Therefore, it is necessary to breathe in harmony. This especially includes the choice of colors. one of the walls in the living room, for example, can have the same color as the kitchen cabinets. The wood of the worktop can also be the same as the top of the coffee table. If you choose brass fittings, you can find this metal in some decorative elements. You don’t have to mix everything. These are the details, the touches that wink between different spaces that will create a form of coherence. »
8. Bring good vibes
“The living room is where we meet with family and friends. The important thing is to cultivate good vibrations there. There is nothing better for this than displaying or placing framed, souvenir photos there. It’s a way to promote positive conversations. We also don’t hesitate to display objects of interest to us, add plants if we’re a green thumb. »
9. Underline
“Illuminating the living room is not easy. Indeed, different zones of activity require more or less power. So, the lighting in the kitchen should be stronger than in the living room. But don’t panic, because it’s the temperature of the light that matters. It should be 2700K, i.e. warm white. Then we create different points of light, providing lamps that should rather be placed in the living room, with intensity modulators that allow us to play with the intensity according to time and activity. »
10. “break” the dining table
“We are not breaking his table, but his image. We all have a standard table for six people surrounded by six identical chairs, even if there are two of us in an apartment. It looks like we were expecting guests who don’t arrive… So it’s time to crack this code. You can simply choose different and mismatched chairs. We also choose benches that slide under the table and make room for other activities. You can also forget about the rectangular table and give preference to the round or oval format, which is softer and more organic. We also need to think differently about the table. It’s not just made for eating. You can work there, organize craft workshops with children or friends, make it an exhibition space where you can place beautiful books, flowers, plants, candles. It is decorated like a coffee table. You have to see it as a space that can evolve by the days and hours.”
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Source: Le Figaro
