Kitchens
How to create an open-plan kitchen
What's involved in opening up a kitchen, structurally and practically.
Creating an open-plan kitchen usually means removing or altering internal walls, which often requires structural support such as a steel beam. It also means planning services, ventilation and layout together, since the kitchen becomes part of a larger, more visible living space.
Last updated 23 June 2026
·By Richard Anslow
Key points
- Opening up a kitchen almost always means removing a load-bearing wall, which needs a structural engineer and a steel beam signed off under Building Regulations.
- Ventilation and extraction need planning into the layout from the start - there's no longer a door to contain cooking odours and steam.
- Establish which walls are structural early - it affects both the design and the cost significantly.
The structural side
Opening up a kitchen almost always involves removing at least one internal wall, which is likely to be load-bearing. This typically means a structural engineer specifying a steel beam or similar support, which needs to be properly designed and signed off under Building Regulations.
It's worth establishing which walls are structural early, since this affects both the design and the cost of the project significantly.
Services and ventilation
An open-plan kitchen needs proper ventilation, particularly for cooking odours and steam, since there's no longer a door to contain them. Extraction needs to be planned as part of the layout, not added as an afterthought.
Electrics, plumbing and heating often need extending or reconfiguring too, especially if the new layout moves the position of appliances or adds an island.
Planning the layout
With the kitchen now visible from a wider living space, layout, sightlines and storage all carry more weight than in a closed kitchen. It's worth thinking about how the space will be used day to day, not just how it will look, before finalising the design.
FAQs
Do I need planning permission to open up my kitchen?
Internal work that doesn't alter the external appearance of the house usually doesn't need planning permission. Removing a structural wall is a Building Regulations matter regardless, and needs a structural engineer's input whether or not planning permission is required.
Take this further
Have a question about your own project?