Refresh Your Split Level Kitchen With A Contemporary Open Concept Remodel

If your split level home's kitchen is dated and closed-off, an open concept remodel can entirely transform the space. Removing walls and barriers to connect your kitchen with adjacent living areas creates a brighter, more functional room perfect for modern lifestyles focused on casual dining and entertaining family and friends.

Combining an open concept layout with a contemporary style also allows you to embrace the latest trends for sleek, uncluttered designs that truly shine. The clean lines and airy feel of a contemporary open kitchen contrasts beautifully against a split level home's uniquely staggered floors.

Dated Split Level Kitchen Drawbacks

Outdated split level kitchens often share similar pitfalls in both form and function. Walls, corners nooks, and awkward layouts carve up the natural flow into a cramped series of disparate spaces. Choppy traffic patterns make navigating even basic food preparation an obstacle course. Cabinets and finishes well past their prime exacerbate the dreary and tired vibe.

The compartmentalized floorplan seals off sunlight, leaving you dependent on artificial lighting that leaves shadows in every crevice. With guests relegated to dining at a too-small table or perched around your outdated kitchen's edges, hosting family gatherings becomes a lost cause. Tackling a remodel may feel intimidating, but opening up and modernizing this integral hub can completely transform how you cook, dine, and spend time with loved ones.

Key Drawbacks of a Closed-Off Split Level Kitchen Include:

• Dark, cramped atmosphere
• Choppy, inefficient traffic flow
• Minimal natural light exposure
• Poor accommodations for entertaining
• Outdated appliances and finishes

Open Concept Split Level Kitchen Benefits

Embracing open concept design philosophy for your split level remodel eliminates previous pitfalls. Knocking down walls channels natural light throughout the newly connected kitchen, dining, and living zones. Clean sightlines banish closed-off gloom. You'll enjoy effortless mobility utilizing functional spaces tailored precisely to your family's needs.

This boundless room now adeptly navigates cooking, casual meals, homework time, and entertaining friends without breaking stride. The open plan especially shines by allowing you to meaningfully interact with loved ones as you tackle dinner prep or relax after an exhausting workweek. The opportunities to forge deeper connections feel as limitless as the space itself.

Top Reasons To Open Up Your Split Level Kitchen Include:

• Spacious, free-flowing feel
• Abundant natural light brightens space
• Flexible traffic patterns improve flow
• Accommodates cooking, dining, entertaining
• Suits modern open concept preferences

Contemporary Design Fits Open Concept Well

What exactly constitutes a contemporary kitchen? The style emphasizes clean lines, a minimalist aesthetic, and a neutral color palette. You'll find Quartz and solid surface countertops sleeker than ornate granite. Shaker-style cabinets anchor the space, accented by glass fronts to prevent a sterile vibe. Stainless appliances and industrial metal finishes inject modern sensibilities.

This pared-back approach prevents detracting from an open concept kitchen's cavernous appeal. Yet clever incorporation of warmth through wood shelving and eye-catching tile backsplashes ensure the room doesn't resemble an airport lounge. Contemporary design highlights evolution in lifestyle, perfectly suiting a family's pivot toward casual community over formalities.

Elements That Define a Contemporary Kitchen Include:

• Straight lines with minimal ornamentation
• Crisp white and neutral color schemes
• Sleek metal and glass finishes
• High-tech appliance innovations
• Statement backsplashes or lighting accents

Getting Started With Your Remodel

Even an exciting contemporary kitchen remodel merits some vital groundwork. Establish your budget based on the project's scope. Simple resurfacing may run just a few thousand dollars. Integrating contemporary elements through new cabinetry, appliances and finishes might land from $15,000-$30,000. And a full custom gut job can surpass six figures.

Vet at least three to five well-reviewed local contractors with experience realizing open concept visions and adeptness incorporating contemporary motifs. Meet to share your wish list and hear their recommendations as you narrow stylistic and functional priorities. Be ready to make tough choices balancing must-haves and nice-to extras.

Tackling Pre-Construction Planning Involves:

• Evaluating budget and timeframe
• Researching experienced contractors
• Finalizing desired contemporary style finishes
• Prioritizing essential features

Design Considerations for Layout

A successful contemporary kitchen redesign requires rethinking how relocated walls impact traffic patterns between the staggered split levels. Work closely with contractors to mock up the new floorplan accounting for an efficient kitchen work triangle spacing appliances, the sink and range in the most logical sequence of food preparation steps.

Keep supplies and small appliances easily accessible without cluttering key kitchen zones. Designate spaces for large and small gadget storage.deliminate zoning between the kitchen and living/dining areas for seamless entertaining, using a peninsula or island to softly divide the new expansive area. And don't neglect planning for a new breakfast bar nook or banquette ideal for casual family meals.

Elements to Factor Into Your New Floorplan Include:

• Traffic flow between split levels
• Kitchen work triangle spacing
• Peninsula/island as soft living room divider
• Breakfast bar dining nook
• Built-in appliances

Essential Structural Changes

Physically opening up a closed-off split level kitchen requires strategic structural renovations. Eliminate walls blocking natural light from streaming in through adjacent living zones. Carefully remove any load-bearing splits down to the studs, using headers to shore up what remains while allowing for stunning sightlines.

If possible, create new large window openings facing your yard to fuse indoor and outdoor spaces. Skylights flooded with sunlight instantly brighten formerly dreary corners. Consider installing a glass focal point sliding door to welcome the outside ambiance in. Just be sure to align changes with the overall floorplan flow.

Major Structural Improvements Include:

• Removing restrictive walls
• Opening sightlines across zones
• Installing reinforced headers
• Adding skylights and large windows

Incorporating a Contemporary Style

The right contemporary finishes elevate your kitchen remodel from mundane to museum-worthy. Swap dated cabinets for a sleek mix of crisp white Shaker-style finishes paired with glass fronts to prevent a sterile effect. Contrast the pristine palette with natural wood open shelving and metallic hardware.

Quartz countertops make a smart contemporary choice too thanks to durability and stain-resistance. Waterfall edges cascading to the floor provide seamless lines. Or opt for an eco-friendly concrete design custom colored and stained to simulate a rich wood grain. Don't forget the Statement backsplash like an eye-catching glass and metal mosaic.

Critical Contemporary Finishes Include:

• Glass cabinetry and open shelving
• Quartz, concrete, or marble countertops
• Stainless steel appliances
• Vented range hood focal point
• Metallic and glass backsplash

Flooring Design Strategy

Flooring plays a crucial role fostering an open concept kitchen's seamless flow across the staggered split levels. Work with your contractor to devise a strategy maintaining visual continuity as you transition between materials like tile, hardwood and vinyl plank from room to room.

Lighter finishes keep the space feeling fresh and contemporary. Elongated square tile patterns can lead the eye while horizontal hardwood planks emphasize line continuity. Consider installation feasibility for each surface within your home's infrastructural limitations, and don't neglect how easily options hide dirt over time.

Major Flooring Considerations Include:

• Transitioning materials between rooms
• Lighter color palettes widen space
• Consistent directional patterns improve flow
• Radiant heating for comfort

Kitchen Cabinet and Island Plans

Strategic cabinetry design maintains essential storage space despite removing walls. Employ floor-to-ceiling pantries anchored by wide lower cabinets. Increase vertical storage adding tall cabinets. Install shallower uppers if prohibitive ceiling heights shrink overhead clearance.

An expansive kitchen island provides ample additional storage integrated seamlessly. Flank open shelving along the island to prevent a cluttered appearance. Include special functional elements like slide-out trays for spices. And don't neglect touches of warmth like wood shelves and leather pulls to balance contemporary sensibilities.

Important Considerations For Storage Include:

• Tall and open storage solutions
• Integrated appliances
• Spacious kitchen island
• Slide-out organizers
• Warm accents

Lighting and Other Finishes

Proper illumination transforms any kitchen from mundane to extraordinary. Splurge on statement contemporary fixtures as captivating focal points. From sleek pendant lighting anchoring the island to recessed track lighting adding dimension, choices exude modern flair.

Undercabinet lighting ensures essential task illumination without sacrificing ambiance during intimate gatherings. Splash other metallic accents across hardware and fixtures in stainless steel, black iron or matte black. Crisp white or light gray paint colors keep the backdrop neutral to highlight contemporary elements populating your space.

Lighting & Finishing Touches Encompass:

• Statement pendant and track lighting
• Undercabinet lighting
• Crisp paint colors
• Metallic hardware and accents

Adding Finishing Touches

Final details personalize your contemporary vision while ensuring beloved existing accent pieces meld into the new modern kitchen motif. Repurpose a vintage Persian rug anchoring your glass dining table by adding a bold black and white area rug. Green leafy plants interspersed with contemporary ceramic vases generate alluring juxtaposition.

Display favored artistic pieces kept to a minimum against soft gray walls allowing bright colors and sculptural shapes to pop. Add warm barstools with black frames and forest green velvet or leather cushions matching repurposed mid century armchairs nearby. Keep changes simple, as minor tweaks generate maximum impact.

Personalized Accents to Consider Include:

• Black metal and wood finishes
• Vintage rugs and reused furniture
• Leafy plants and decorative ceramic vases
• Bold artwork against neutral walls
• Warm cushions and reused chairs

Implementing a contemporary open concept kitchen remodel may feel intimidating upfront. But reimagining how your split level's footprint accommodates modern living pays dividends for years down the road. With cleaner sightlines between living zones and a lighter, brighter ambiance flooding the entire downstairs space thanks to contemporary accents, your home can finally keep pace with daily demands.

Stay organized when tackling your remodel, and don't shy away from making tough layout decisions balancing form and function. Collaborate closely with experienced contractors steeped in realizing contemporary visions that balance appealing aesthetic minimalism against the innate warmth found in any household kitchen. Soon you'll have a stunning new focal point ready to absorb every occasion life throws your way.