On the fence with my wife about our kitchen design and layout. I personally feel that a minimum of 2 entrances/exits/paths should be required in any kitchen. She feels that our kitchen should just have the one entrance and that’s it. We currently have added space to the kitchen, wiped out the back door entrance and relocated the stairs going down into the basement. The plans called for a 30" entrance from the hallway along with the existing entrance from the dining room. She wants just the entrance from the dining room, but I’m worried the room will feel enclosed once there’s cabinets up. We are making a half wall right next to the dining room entrance and towards the living room for an open concept but I still think the additional entrance from the hallway should be done.
Any ideas?
Without seeing your kitchen this is a difficult question to answer. The layout of your home will generally dictate the number and size of entryways/exits that would be appropriate. That being said having only one entrance will increase the amount of space you have for cabinets, appliances, etc. making for a more functional and user friendly space. The drawback as you mentioned is it may give the room the feeling of being smaller than it actually is. This can be countered by adding skylights (if possible), additional/larger windows, adding accent and task lighting and/or using light colored materials and white appliances to brighten up the space. All of these help to trick the senses and make a room feel larger. The other concern is, will one entrance serve your lifestyle? Do you find yourself entertaining outdoors or in other areas of your home on a regular basis? Will one entrance make this difficult or inconvenient? If so, then go with a second entrance, you’ll be happy you did.
