Open-Concept Kitchen: Trends, Costs, and What to Know

The Rise of Open-Concept Kitchens in Spain

Open-concept kitchens have transformed from a luxury feature into the most requested renovation in Spanish homes. According to industry surveys, over 60 per cent of Spanish kitchen renovations in 2025 and 2026 involve some form of wall removal to create an open or semi-open layout connecting the kitchen to the living and dining areas. This trend reflects changing lifestyles: Spanish families want kitchens that are social spaces, not isolated work rooms.

The concept aligns naturally with the Spanish way of life, where cooking and eating are deeply social activities. An open kitchen allows the cook to participate in conversation and keep an eye on children while preparing meals. It also creates a sense of spaciousness in smaller flats, which is particularly valuable in urban centres like Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia where average flat sizes hover around 80 to 90 square metres.

However, creating an open-concept kitchen in Spain involves more than simply knocking down a wall. Structural considerations, extraction ventilation requirements, community approval in apartment buildings, and careful design planning are all essential. This guide covers everything you need to make an informed decision and achieve a successful result.

Costs of Creating an Open-Concept Kitchen

The cost of opening up a kitchen varies enormously depending on whether the wall is load-bearing, the extent of the opening, and the finishes chosen. For a non-load-bearing partition wall, removal costs between 500 and 1,200 euros, including demolition, debris removal, floor repair where the wall stood, and plastering of the adjacent walls and ceiling.

If the wall is load-bearing (muro de carga), you will need a structural engineer's report and a steel or reinforced concrete beam (viga) to transfer the loads. This adds significant cost: a structural assessment runs 300 to 800 euros, the beam itself costs 1,500 to 4,000 euros depending on the span and load requirements, and the installation labour adds another 1,000 to 2,500 euros. A licencia de obra mayor is required, adding 500 to 2,000 euros in permit and architect fees.

Beyond the wall removal, expect to budget for flooring continuity (matching or replacing flooring across the new open space at 30 to 60 euros per square metre), electrical relocations (300 to 800 euros), lighting updates (500 to 2,000 euros for integrated LED systems), and potentially new kitchen cabinetry to suit the open layout (5,000 to 15,000 euros). All in, a complete open-concept kitchen renovation typically costs between 8,000 and 25,000 euros.

A popular cost-saving alternative is a partial opening, where a section of wall is removed to create a pass-through or breakfast bar while leaving the upper portion intact. This reduces structural concerns, maintains some visual separation for cooking mess, and costs 40 to 60 per cent less than a full wall removal.

Open-Concept Kitchen FAQ