We know nowadays that a house with integrated environments can seem more significant and cozier. That’s why we value the American kitchen countertop that presents a more open design solution for the living room and dining room.
The kitchen was named inspiration in traditional kitchens of modern American architecture.
Brazilians took a little longer to adopt kitchen countertops in interior design. However, the influence of foreign films and series made people rethink the architecture of their homes.
So, it can be said that now no one does not want an American kitchen counter inside their property. And the detail that draws the most attention in these kitchens is, of course, the dividing countertop or extra dining counter.
Next, let’s look at some kitchen countertop ideas together. Here, with the help of image examples, you will see the possibilities of visual integration between the environments. And what is the role of this decorative element in all this? Check out.
Masonry half wall
American kitchens began to appear in the projects of Brazilian enterprises in a very subtle way.
In the beginning, there was excellent resistance to adapting the family routine in a more shared space with less privacy.
Especially in properties with more compact environments, it was understood that the best solution would be to keep a non-structural half wall on the border between the kitchen and living room.
Even today, we can see examples of residential architecture projects that make use of this half wall. The good thing, in this case, is that we gain one more area to place certain pieces of furniture, such as a rack.
Besides, such a situation would rule out the need to build unique joinery to create boundaries between the two areas.
However, it is still necessary to create superior finishing protection for this element.
We are talking about installing a workbench on the half wall. And this countertop, being away from the kitchen sink, doesn’t necessarily have to be made of stone – although this is always the best countertop option for wet areas.
A very acceptable alternative for your kitchen countertops is varnished wood tops. And this differentiated piece could even become the main focal point of these integrated kitchen and living rooms.
Joinery bench
As we have already highlighted in the previous topic, Alternative number two would be not to have the wall structure limiting the integrated kitchen and living room environments.
The union of these two sectors of the property would be much more significant, and the freedom to create a layout for all this space. We could, for example, think of a joinery solution with height and edge lines in a different shape than the standard. You can even create a counter structure that opens on both sides.
There are wood options for kitchen countertop joinery:
1) For the structural part of the furniture: MDF, which is wood fragments pressed evenly, which offers more resistance to the furniture; and MDP: as a woodchip sandwich;
2) For the structural part and tops: solid wood, such as mahogany, pine, demolition wood, cumaru, oak, cherry, peroba, and more; plywood, composed of several battens glued side by side; and laminated plywood, formed by gluing several sheets of the same thickness to form a thicker sheet.
Stone bench
Back to talking about the use of stone in the kitchen countertops. Currently, there are great options for covering materials for kitchen counters.
In addition to natural stones – marble, granite, and quartz – we must consider the options for synthetic stones, such as Silestone.
Plate-passing bench
Remember that we highlighted the fear that some people still have about the integration of residential environments?
A solution that would be halfway between having a closed kitchen with four walls or an integrated kitchen would be the plate.
The following example shows a kitchen with a large opening into the living room, but which still has a structural design that marks the limit of its architecture. It’s more like an open window to another room in the house.
L-shaped bench
Another solution on the rise is the kitchen countertops that feature a design that “folds” towards the floor.
The designer’s idea is to make it look like kitchen countertops are more intense than they look. And in the same measure, it is possible to protect the sides of counters off the walls – like the kitchen island.
Two pieces of furniture in one
If we don’t have a masonry half wall but a joinery structure between the kitchen and the living room, we can innovate even more in decoration.
This piece could be the key to better integrate the two environments. Your lines can start with one function and end on the other side with another part.
For example, an auxiliary counter in the kitchen ends up as a TV stand in the living room. In this case, much more attention is needed with the choice of material used to support the activities carried out on both sides.
Island Kitchen
We do not necessarily need a half-wall or counter structure simulating a half-wall integrated kitchen and living room. But a rule always defended by decorators is that the central area of the environment is not left unused.
That’s how another kitchen model, popular in current projects, emerged: the gourmet kitchen with an island. And at this point in the environment, we can have a sink, cooktop, and much more.
Corner exit
Finally, we must comment on another kitchen countertop that may appear in your home, depending on the plant model.
It would be the American kitchen with integration with the living room in a smaller proportion. The exit from the first room is directed to a corner between the dining counter and the property’s entrance hall, as in the image below.
We highlight this case to understand the importance of planning the union of elements between the two sectors.
In this project, three different materials were used in place for floor covering, three wall shades, two bench shades, and a floor wheel. There is so much visual information that compromises the harmony of the decoration. So this is an example of inspiration in reverse for you.
So, are you going to make an American kitchen countertop in your house? Sometimes it’s enough to break a wall. Consult an architect and get to work!
