Open-plan kitchens and smells: the problem no one mentions before renovating

It is not an inevitable problem. It is a planning problem, almost always solvable if thought about before construction begins. Once the furniture and flooring are in place, the options are greatly reduced.

Why the problem of odors is different in an open-plan kitchen

Why the problem of odors is different in an open-plan kitchen

In a closed kitchen, odors are contained. There's a door. It closes. The problem disappears.

In a kitchen open to the living room, the air is the same in both spaces. There is no barrier. Whatever is generated while cooking—steam, suspended grease, strong odors—expands into the living room with the same freedom that light travels through space. The more potent what is being cooked and the less efficient the extraction, the further it reaches.

This doesn't mean that an open kitchen is incompatible with real cooking. It means that the extraction needs to be well-resolved, and that decision must be made before designing the furniture, not afterward.

The Bell: The Most Important and Underrated Decision

The Bell: The Most Important and Underrated Decision

In a closed kitchen, a medium-power hood works well. In a kitchen open to the living room, the hood has to manage a much larger volume of air, and do so effectively enough that odors don't reach the sofa before someone captures them.

Two variables matter: extraction power and noise.

Power.For large kitchens or those open to the living room, a minimum extraction capacity of 600 m³/h is recommended. Below that figure, the hood may fall short when cooking with several burners on or with strongly scented preparations.

Noise.Quiet hoods are around 50–60 dB at their medium speed. Above 65 dB, the noise becomes annoying in everyday life, especially in open kitchens where someone might be in the living room while cooking. A difference of 5 dB is very noticeable.

Ducted or Recirculating: Which to Choose

Ducted or Recirculating: Which to Choose

External extraction is always more effective, as the polluted air leaves the apartment. However, it requires a duct that reaches an outlet, which is not always possible in apartments with complex layouts or on intermediate floors.

If there is no external outlet, the appropriate option is a hood compatible with recirculation and active carbon filters. The air is not expelled outside; it is filtered and returns to the room. It is slightly less efficient than direct extraction but works well with a good filter and proper maintenance. Active carbon filters must be replaced periodically, every few months depending on usage, to maintain performance.

What doesn't work: a low-end recirculation hood with an unchanged filter for two years. In that case, the hood is on but not doing anything useful.

Where is the plate and what kind of extraction does it allow

Where is the plate and what kind of extraction does it allow

The hob's position determines what type of hood is possible.

A hob against a back wall supports a conventional wall-mounted hood, integrated into the wall cabinet, or a decorative hood. This is the most common solution and offers the most model options.

An island or peninsula hob requires a ceiling hood or an extractor integrated into the hob itself. Induction hobs with integrated extractors are a growing option for open-plan kitchens with islands or peninsulas, where installing a ceiling hood would be complicated. They are more expensive than a conventional hood and require more precise installation. In return, they are quieter, and extraction occurs from below, directly over the heat source, making them the most efficient solution in kitchens where a conventional hood does not have a natural place.

Ventilation: What the Range Hood Can't Do Alone

Ventilation: What the Range Hood Can't Do Alone

A range hood manages what is generated while cooking. But there are odors that accumulate even if the hood works well, grease residue on surfaces, organic waste, liquids that spill and are not cleaned immediately.

Ventilating the kitchen, opening the windows during and after cooking, is the complement that the hood cannot replace. In open kitchens with a nearby terrace or patio, taking advantage of that exit while cooking makes a clear difference.

Other habits are less important but add up: frequently taking out the trash, cleaning the countertop after finishing, and covering containers with hot oil until they can be washed prevent residual odors from accumulating in the shared space.

What needs to be decided before construction begins

What needs to be decided before construction begins

If the kitchen is going to be open to the living room, these decisions need to be made during the design phase:

Where the hob will be located,because it determines what type of extraction is possible. If the hob is on an island, the installation of the ceiling hood or integrated extractor must be planned before closing the floor and ceiling.

If there will be an outdoor vent,because it dictates whether the hood can extract or only recirculate. If this possibility exists, it is worth taking advantage of it.

What power and noise level are acceptable,because in a kitchen open to the living room, the hood will be running while people are on the sofa. A powerful but noisy hood solves the problem of odors and creates another different one.

Odors in an open kitchen are not inevitable. They are the result of not having thought about extraction early enough.