Upstairs, downstairs
Well, just downstairs, really. Kitchens are so often part of open and connected living spaces these days. In older homes, this often means walls have to be removed, and new connections created between areas that were previously separate. Removing the traditional hallway and allowing the staircase to become part of the kitchen makes great use of available space, and creates some surprising and interesting volumes:
Tucked under - via Colour Me Happy
Traditional style, non-traditional layout - via Marie Claire Maison (I think)
A rustic loft? - via Skona Hem
Open spaces - Tim Bjorn via Desire to Inspire
Using every inch in this Cape Town Loft - via Desire to Inspire
Is the traditional enclosed staircase a thing of the past? Without modern heating and insulation, these open layouts could be horribly drafty – the separated, smaller spaces would have been much easier to keep warm. We have become used to the luxury of keeping the whole house at a comfortable temperature all year round. It’s interesting, isn’t it, how much building technology has changed the way we live our lives?
