29 design ideas for combined kitchen-dining rooms
Nothing defines modern living more than an open plan kitchen-dining room. Combining cooking and dining spaces started as a trend in the 1970s, when spacious, multi-fuctional rooms began to epitomise a more laid-back and intimate mode of being, eating and entertaining. Doesn't the thought of keeping a dining table for special occasions feel a little Victorian? A dining room certainly isn't a space that everyone has at their disposal, and regardless, if you're going to invest in a good dining table, then why save it for best?
Yet despite the prevalence of combined kitchen-dining rooms, it doesn't mean they're easy to get right. Without thought, bigger expanses of space can feel a little formless or museum-like, and it's important to find ways to make day-to-day spaces work for occasions, and vice versa, by creating distinction between different areas and their uses. One classic approach is to break up a large open plan space with an island. This serves as a dividing line between kitchen and dining area, and can also be used as a breakfast bar. If you have a small kitchen and you're looking to add a dining space, then bistro sets and small round tables can be a helpful way to go.
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Mark Fox1/29Behind the ordinary façade of Katie Glaister's 1930s house in south-west London lies an interior rich with unexpected color and personality, showcasing the work of talented artists and craftspeople. Timber windows, spray-painted in Argile’s “Celadon,” offer a gentler aesthetic than steel. The dining area features a portrait by Chica Seal, a refectory table with hand-painted decoration by Rosie Tatham, and rattan chairs from Birdie Fortescue. The bespoke oak and bronze kitchen island by K&H Design has a Pyrolave worktop made from Volvic lava. Handmade pendant lights by Michael Ruh illuminate the space. The terrazzo worktop by Huguet Mallorca incorporates pieces of Pyrolave, with a sink molded into the worktop. Units are painted in Argile's ‘Bleu Cendre,’ and clever storage solutions include a reeded crockery cupboard and pantry doors with antique brass trim. A sweet blind in Zimmer & Rhode's ‘Saint-Tropez’ pattern adds a charming touch.
Simon Brown2/29Looking for a country retreat as an antidote to city life, Penelope Chilvers found this charming house in the Cotswolds, and set about making it the perfect place for working and entertaining. This pretty open-plan kitchen has some lovely details, from the crockery and glass cupboard interior painted in Farrow & Ball's Picture Gallery Red to the three shallow baskets on the wall picked up in Buenos Aires. The table, dressers and chair were left by the original owners and are the perfect size for this traditional parlour kitchen. The walls are painted in Setting Plaster from Farrow & Ball. The dresser is painted in Farrow & Ball Middleton Pink.
Owen Gale3/29When Tobias Vernon, the gallerist and dealer behind 8 Holland Street, opened a new space in Bath, he decided to create a superlatively sophisticated guesthouse where visitors can immerse themselves in the gallery's unique aesthetic. The kitchen was designed in collaboration with Plain English. The cabinets are painted in the brand's ‘Pretty Pickle’ paint colour and the island is in their ‘Nicotine’. The splashback is painted in a gloss paint of the same shade. At the back of the room, Vitsoe shelving plays off the more traditional design of the island.
Chris Horwood4/29Interior designer Tamsin Saunders transformed the neutral 'greige' interiors of Rosie Copeland's Victorian vicarage in South London into vibrant, inspiring spaces. Known for her colorful landscapes, Rosie had initially opted for safe, neutral tones. Twenty years later, needing change, she sought Tamsin's help. Their shared love for artisanal textiles, antiques, ceramics, and books influenced the redesign. In the kitchen, grey joinery was repainted in earthy tones to soften granite worktops, and exposed plasterwork behind the range served as the perfect backdrop for 18th-century Delft tiles. Leaf-green woodwork in the conservatory brought the garden inside.
Andrew Montgomery5/29Designer Patrick Williams, of Berdoulat in Bath, advocates for kitchens that feel more like living rooms, emphasising organic, eclectic furnishings over uniform sets. He suggests using antiques and pieces that reflect the architectural setting, incorporating items like oak tables, plate racks, and rugs to create a cozy, down-to-earth atmosphere. Williams draws on his parents' restoration of an 18th-century house in France and likens furniture to folk songs, evolving over time. His own kitchen, inspired by the functional beauty of great houses like Lutyens’s Castle Drogo, features an electric range, a sink with an open pot shelf, and a traditional plate rack. Less aesthetic paraphernalia – the mixer, bowls or Tupperware – are concealed by a ‘hard-working’ glazed screen, blending utility and aesthetics while avoiding clutter.
Christopher Horwood6/29Though relatively new to interior design, John Tanner has long had an eye for the beautiful and eye-catching. In this Provençal house, he has mixed carefully chosen vernacular antiques with a neutral colour palette and natural materials for a quiet, considered look. The kitchen was crafted by a third-generation local carpenter from the suitably named nearby town of Carpentras. Vast kitchen lights were replaced with smaller porcelain shades by DeVol, which John says, ‘has made the room feel bigger and friendlier’, alongisde the natrual light pouring from the Crittall windows enhancing the bright, airy feel. The lights hang above cabinetry in a bespoke tinted oak, teamed with Perla Venata quartzite worktops and Brutalist bar stools from Caroline de Marco.
Christopher Horwood7/29Behind the door of an unassuming Edwardian house in London, artist Natasha Mann has created a richly patterned world of her own design. The large family kitchen is an airy and modern extension, with nods to historical patterns found in the curtains made from a Lewis & Wood fabric collaboration with muralist Melissa White, based on an Elizabethan design. Farrow & Ball's ‘Palm Green’ complements tiles from Milagros. The kitchen features a copper sink from The French House and Mullan pendant lights. Skylights and sliding doors bring brightness to the room, enhancing reflections on the rich green tiles. The kitchen is by Pluck Kitchens.
Davide Lovatti8/29‘I wanted a classic look – utilitarian, but not too kitchen-ish,’ says Tara Craig of her own London flat, where a corner of the sitting room is taken up by the kitchen designed by Tara with Marcus Ayshford Sanford of Archidrum. A small round Victorian pedestal table helps this space not to feel overly kitchen-y, and provides space to manoeuvre arouns the chairs. The cabinets are painted in a bespoke apricot paint by Papers and Paints and feature worktops in Bianco Carrara marble. Rose Uniacke’s ‘Small Clear Lantern’ adds a contemporary touch.
Simon Brown9/29A U-shaped kitchen was the solution Beata Heuman proposed for this tiny London flat with its open plan living area. This immediately created an additional surface on which to serve food or use as a bar. ‘It also provided a wall against which to place a banquette, which was something the owners really wanted,’ says Beata.
Paul Massey10/29With her lampshade-making business starting to take over her west London family home, Rosi de Ruig moved operations to a nearby studio and took the chance to give the Victorian house a vibrant new look. Rosi bought the kitchen cabinets from Ikea and had new fronts made for them, adding brass handles from Peter Jones. Vibrant ‘Parrots Plume’ gloss from Dulux on the cupboards and island, and the door to the newly created larder, sets off the crocheted ‘Simple Shade 03’ pendant in lava from Naomi Paul above the island. The ‘Flora’ metal wall lamps are from Maisons du Monde.
Paul Massey11/29In Rita Konig's farmhouse in Durham the interior designer didn't want her kitchen and dining space to be too kitchen-y, so she has moved the appliances into a scullery and installed a dresser by Plain English, painted in the company’s ‘Army Camp’ green to provide storage and preparation space in the main area. Rita’s collection of antique glassware is displayed on the top shelf and the dining table sits right by it, creating a cosy country kitchen. A mix of Arts and Crafts dining chairs from AvW Antiques (with cushions in ‘Persian Flower’ in jewel by Soane) and antique ladderback chairs surround the large antique Italian dining table from Tallboy Interiors. Lighting is provided by a ‘Stella’ glass pendant from Pooky and antique opaline-glass coolie lights from Howe.
James McDonald12/29Designer Martin Brudnizki's compact west London flat perfectly demonstrates the cleverly layered look of which he is a master. The small kitchen is given an aura of calm by the soft colour scheme, enlivened by house plants. It is a loosely open space that compliments the flow of the flat. A tiered island in the middle of the room also serves as a casual dining table with stools set around it.
Chris Horwood13/29At Laura Stephen's London house, an extension made extra room for kitchen living. The reeded glass in the cabinetry is repeated in the pantry. Laura loves the brown leather seats from Nkuku, as they were perfect for the industrial brief.
Kitchen design was by Boffe Design. Cabinets are painted in Muga by Paint and Paper Library, the kitchen island is painted in Georgetown by Paint and Paper Library. The brass wall lights are from Mullan, as are these ceramic kitchen island pendants. Splash-back tiles are from Mandarin Stone, the ceramic butler sink is from Shaws, and the bar stools are the Narwana Leather Round Stools from Nkuku.
Lucas Allen14/29Architect William Smalley has transformed this Edwardian villa into a modern family house that delights its owner by opening up spaces and working with a palette of natural colours and materials. A banquette allows more to be squeezed into this relatively small space, and a glazed cabinet provides convenient storage for plates and dishes.
Paul Massey15/29At Sarah Corbett-Winder's house in London, a large marble-topped island accommodates the oven as well as plenty of storage and is also used for informal meals. Two classically inspired dressers mirror each other across the room, flanking aubergine-coloured Crittall doors that lead into the garden. Designed by Sarah and Ned, the cabinetry is by Cotswolds-based Parlour Farm. A pink polished-concrete floor brings warmth to the scheme
Paul Massey16/29From the other angle: the raw plaster wall above the informal-feeling table area displays prints and paintings, some of which are by Ned’s mother, the artist Kate Corbett-Winder.
Paul Massey17/29The English owners of this picture perfect beach house on Cap Ferret enlisted the combined efforts of local builder Guy Allamand and London architect Jonathan Tuckey. As a nod to the owners' love of seafood (and famous seafood-tower parties), Jonathan designed the long kitchen island to be more a seafood bar than kitchen work surface, enabling everyone to gather round. The original intention was that the island would be zinc, but it proved difficult to have made, so stainless steel was used instead. Handmade by Devon based furniture maker James Verner, it was designed to be robust and forgiving of holiday life and sandy feet, with open shelving on the walls on which to display pieces found on their travels.
Lucas Allen18/29On a plot of farmland on the Atlantic coast of Long Island, a firm of Manhattan architects and a London-based interior designer have created a barn-style holiday house for their clients that is appropriate to its rural setting, yet has all the accoutrements of stylish modern living. In the open-plan living space, the ultra-modern kitchen spills out into a seating area, allowing for an uninterrupted flow of elegant design.
Rachel Whiting19/29Pandora Sykes' house in London was decorated on a tight schedule before the birth of her daughter. But her optimism, bold vision and love of a vintage bargain helped her achieve the distinctive look she wanted in record time. The kitchen is combined with the dining room – an ideal, modern design for frequent dinner party hosts (and families). The existing units, repainted in Fired Earth’s ‘Carbon Blue’, provide a foil for ‘Percy’ glass pendant lights from Pooky.
Michael Sinclair20/29Having previously been divided into flats, this 19th-century house in Hampstead has had a sense of harmony restored by Maria Speake of Retrouvius, with creative use of reclaimed materials and eclectic vintage pieces. Here, as throughout the house, the original features have been preserved, including the plaster cornices and limed-pine floorboards. Part of the kitchen island has been used for a small breakfast bar, while the main dining table sits in the foreground of the image.
Maree Homer21/29A 19th-century former whaler’s cottage in North Sydney has been transformed by Australian interior designer Lisa Burdus into a vibrant, comfortable home with a nod to classic English country style. The pink paint from the sitting room continues on the panelling and wall cupboards in the kitchen, part of the same open-plan space, while an island painted in Dulux’s ‘Green Gables’ offers a striking contrast. Emac and Lawton’s ‘Chelsea’ table lamp is paired with a pleated green silk shade from Samarkand Design.
Mark Fox22/29Cobbie Yates gave his childhood flat a warm, contemporary makeover. Part of its fun informality is in the artful mismatching of the kitchen, living and entertaining spaces. The kitchen cabinets are by the Danish company &SHUFL. The rug is by Nordic Knots.
Joachim Wichmann23/29At Pernille Lind's Stoke Newington terrace, the shared kitchen and dining area offers a chance to play with new and old.
Vintage 18th-century extendable English table is paired with vintage English spindle back chairs and vintage German bentwood chairs. The kitchen is by DeVol and painted in Farrow & Ball ‘Cord’. A pair of vintage French flower wall lights in gold and brass are mounted either side of the cooker, which Pernille purchased from vinterior.com . The natural woven window blind was made by Color & Co, on the left a brass swan-neck wall lamp by the English Lamp Company. The lollipop ceiling pendant is by Hector Finch.
Helen Cathcart24/29Open plan doesn't have to mean spacious. At her compact mews house, Isabella Worsley has sandwiched her bright pink kitchen next to a smart banquette. The kitchen is painted in Paint and Paper Library's ‘Elizabethan Red’.
Michael Sinclair25/29In this Bath house by Patrick Williams, the dining room and kitchen are linked by an exposed wooden archway. Furniture from different periods sits in harmony, including pendant lights from a French brocante and a table that belonged to Patrick's great-grandfather. An island made by Marcus Jacka serves as the hub of the room.
Benjamin Edwards26/29Bespoke cabinets blend elements of the ‘Suffolk’ and ‘Henley’ ranges by Neptune in Emma Sims-Hilditch's London kitchen-dining room. The ‘Kimmeridge Limestone’ floor tiles are by Artisans of Devizes. Irregularly sized wood panelling is painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Purbeck Stone’ throughout the room to tie it together, and Emma designed the oak table and bench, with cushions in pretty prints by Fermoie.
Rachel Whiting27/29Another Maria Speake design, this kitchen is made entirely from reclaimed pieces, and demonstrates that salvage and comfort can be happy bedfellows. The owner is a keen cook, so the kitchen had to function well and house all his equipment. The main drawers came from a Victorian shop and were in a dire condition, so Maria's joiner rebuilt the frame and put the drawers on to modern runners so that they close softly and easily. The island was made from scratch using reclaimed iroko laboratory worktops and the marble for the splashback came from an old shop fitting, while she found the eighteenth-century, carved-stone roundels in a stonemason's yard. Elsewhere, the table is made from a school laboratory worktop.
Davide Lovatti28/29This kitchen in Lamb's House in Leith is the ultimate rustic, cosy country kitchen. While the house features formal dining spaces too, this multi-use room is the most charming with original beams, a Welsh dresser displaying blue and white crockery and kitchen units painted in pastel blue. The Aga keeps it warm while the wood running throughout the room brings it together.
Lucas Allen29/29As kitchen, dining and sitting room are all in one, this is the hub of the house in this mews house by Caroline Riddell - a place where furniture old and new sits happily side by side. In the kitchen area, Carrara-marble-topped units are painted in 'Hague Blue' by Farrow & Ball. A mustard blind from Susan Deliss brings warmth to the space. A white kitchen sink is inlaid into the counter. Jelly molds twinkle on the wall beneath a shelf used for white tableware. The marble worktop is paired with blue cabinets. a mix-and-match of chairs around the dining table create an informal look.
