Open Kitchen Design for 2BHK Flats: Chimneys, Glass Partitions and Layouts

An open kitchen works in a 2BHK flat when three things are planned before the wall comes down: a ducted chimney sized for tadka and placed on the wall farthest from the dining area, storage that keeps the counter clear when seen from the sofa, and proof from a structural engineer that the wall can go. For most Indian families the better answer is a semi-open kitchen: a glass sliding partition or a breakfast counter with glass above it, which shares light with the dining area and still shuts when the oil is hot.

About the numbers below: chimney figures come from Kaff's and Bosch's own pages and spec sheets, clearances from the US National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), glass limits from Häfele's catalogue, and rules from India's Model Building Bye-Laws 2016 and Maharashtra's model bye-laws for housing societies, all opened on 29 Oct 2026. Glass prices are a market range from InfraLens and IndiaMART seller listings read the same day: not quotes, and GST is extra unless stated. The plans are illustrative layouts, not a standard flat. "Our guidance" marks MOA's own design judgement.

For layouts and the clear width each needs, see modular kitchen layouts: L-shaped, U-shaped, parallel or straight. Our guides to small modular kitchens, cabinets for the oven and chimney, platform height and living room partitions are coming soon. If you follow vastu for the hob and sink, see vastu for kitchen.

Open kitchen 2BHK design: closed, semi-open or fully open

Most 2BHK flats hand over a closed kitchen of 6 to 8 sq m next to a living-dining room. Our example is 2.4 x 3.0 m, or 7.2 sq m, beside a dining area 3.6 m wide. India's Model Building Bye-Laws 2016 ask for at least 5.0 sq m and 1.8 m of width for a kitchen with a separate dining area, and 7.5 sq m and 2.1 m for a kitchen also used for dining (MoHUA, section 4.4.2). Opening the wall does not make a small kitchen bigger; it makes the dining area part of the kitchen.

To-scale plan of a 2BHK kitchen and dining area: a 2.4 by 3.0 m kitchen with an L-shaped counter, the hob and chimney on the outside wall, the sink under the window, a fridge, a utility balcony behind, and a 115 mm wall with a 900 mm door separating it from a 3.6 m wide dining area with a four-seat table. — The closed starting point: a 7.2 sq m kitchen behind a 115 mm wall, with every plate carried through a 900 mm door. Diagram: MOA

In the semi-open version, the wall becomes a breakfast counter with glass above it and an 850 mm sliding glass door. Every size is checked against the NKBA's planning guidelines (NKBA):

Aisle: 1,350 mm between the hob run and the counter, above the NKBA's 1,067 mm for one cook.
Stools: 610 mm of counter per seat, with a knee space 381 mm deep at a 914 mm high counter (guideline 9). Two stools need 1,220 mm, so the counter is 1,300 mm long and overhangs the dining side by 400 mm.
Behind the stools: the NKBA asks for 914 mm to edge past a seated diner and 1,118 mm to walk past (guideline 8). The plan leaves 1,200 mm to the dining table.

The same 2BHK kitchen redrawn as semi-open: the 115 mm wall replaced by a 1,300 mm breakfast counter with fixed glass above it and an 850 mm sliding glass door, two stools on the dining side, a 1,350 mm aisle in the kitchen and 1,200 mm between the counter and the dining table. — Semi-open: glass where the wall was, a counter for two, and the hob kept about 2 m from the opening. Check the wall is non-structural first. Diagram: MOA

A fully open kitchen suits homes that cook lightly. For daily tadka, semi-open is the safer default (our guidance).

Smell, smoke and tadka: kitchen design with chimney

Cooking smoke does travel. An IIT Goa and IIT Delhi study of an institute kitchen and dining hall, cooking on LPG, found that long, high-heat cooking such as stir-frying and deep-frying raised fine particles, that particles travelled through the doorways into the dining hall, and that air exchange varied with the chimney and was higher with the doors open (Dhiman et al., Indoor Environments, 2024). In 58 Bengaluru homes, only 15% of cooking events used a range hood, and opening windows or running the hood more than doubled how fast PM2.5 cleared; the first hour after cooking mattered most (Global NEST Journal, Dec 2025).

How much suction an open kitchen needs

Kaff, an Indian chimney maker, starts with room volume multiplied by 12, since the air should change 10 to 12 times an hour. It calls that a minimum, because the formula ignores duct resistance and bends, and recommends above 1,000 m³/hr for anyone who cooks regularly and 1,200 m³/hr or more for heavy frying (Kaff chimney size guide). On that formula:

Closed kitchen, 2.4 x 3.0 x 2.7 m: 19.4 m³, so about 230 m³/hr.
Kitchen and dining opened into one, about 6.0 x 3.0 x 2.7 m: 48.6 m³, so about 580 m³/hr.

Both sit below Kaff's 1,000 m³/hr for regular cooking, which is the figure to plan for. Two cautions. First, check how the rating was measured: Bosch's 60 cm DWB068D50I spec sheet gives 705 m³/h under the EN 61591 test and 745 m³/h "freeblowing" (Bosch India). Second, Kaff warns that cross-breezes in an island kitchen scatter smoke, and suggests a hood wider than the hob there, such as 90 cm over a 60 cm hob. That is why both our plans keep the hob on the far, outside wall, about 2 m from the opening.

Ducting and auto-clean

Kaff's size guide says most high-performance chimneys need a 6 inch duct, and that pushing a big volume through a small hole causes noise and back pressure. Its 60 cm vs 90 cm guide finds ductless chimneys less effective for heavy Indian cooking (Kaff, 60 cm vs 90 cm). Our coming cabinet guide covers duct sizes, bends and hood height.

Auto-clean, in Kaff's description, is a heater around the blower that melts grease for 10 to 15 minutes so it drains into a removable collector. Kaff suggests a cycle every 10 to 15 days of cooking, weekly with daily deep frying, emptying the collector every time; baffle filters still need washing (Kaff, how auto-clean works).

Grease on sofas and curtains

We found no study that measures cooking grease on furnishings, so this is our guidance: no curtains beside the opening, wipeable fabric on the dining chairs, washable paint on the wall facing the kitchen, and the glass shut during tadka.

Open kitchen with partition: four semi-open kitchen ideas

Glass sliding partition

Glass is the only option that both closes and keeps the view. Häfele's HAWA-Junior 80/GL sliding fitting, for example, takes 8 to 10 mm glass, doors up to 80 kg and 1,200 mm wide, and only toughened safety glass (Häfele catalogue). Fluted or frosted glass low down hides the counter. Our partition guide (in review) covers glass types and fixing.

Grey fabric sofa with a red cushion in front of a full-height black-framed glass partition with a sliding door, through which a kitchen with grey wall units, a patterned tile backsplash, a sink and a kettle is visible. — A black-framed glass slider keeps the kitchen in view from the sofa and closes when the cooking starts. Image: Max Vakhtbovych on Pexels, Pexels License

Kitchen design with breakfast counter

A counter in the wall line gives the family a place for chai. Keep the hob off it (our guidance). For the overhang, IKEA asks for an extra support once a worktop sticks out more than 250 mm past the cabinet (IKEA planning guide), so our 400 mm overhang needs legs or steel brackets. Glass above the counter, fixed or sliding, closes the gap when you fry.

Small kitchen in a high-rise flat with a peninsula counter in wood-finish laminate holding a sink and a glass induction hob, two black bar stools on the room side, a metal pendant lamp above and a full-height window looking out at apartment towers. — A peninsula with stools on the room side works as both kitchen counter and breakfast table in a small flat. Image: Max Vakhtbovych on Pexels, Pexels License

Half wall and jaali

A half wall to about 1,050 mm hides a 900 mm platform and its clutter, but lets smoke drift (our guidance). A jaali filters the view but does nothing for smell; near a kitchen, pick one that tolerates moisture and oil.

Can you remove a kitchen wall in a flat?

Sometimes, and never on looks alone.

The building rules: the Model Building Bye-Laws list internal partitions among the alterations that need no building permit, provided they do not breach the structural stability and fire safety requirements (section 2.12.1). Your city's own bye-laws decide.
Your society: under Maharashtra's model bye-laws for flat-owner housing societies, no member may make additions or alterations without the committee's prior written permission, applied for through the secretary, and no structural change is allowed without the competent authority's permission (bye-law 45). Other states and societies have their own rules, so ask your society office.
The wall itself: a 115 mm brick wall may be a partition; a concrete wall may be holding the floor above. JK Cement notes that buildings cast in aluminium formwork, often called Mivan, are monolithic, and calls later modification challenging (JK Cement). We cannot tell you which wall is safe to remove: ask a structural engineer to check the drawings and the wall on site, in writing, before anyone picks up a hammer.

Gas pipeline and safety

Do not box in the gas pipe. Central U.P. Gas asks customers to check whether the PNG pipe is concealed under a kitchen cupboard and, if so, to shift it to a well-ventilated place, since leaked gas can collect (CUGL). Keep the appliance valve reachable.
LPG cylinders: Bharatgas asks for the cylinder upright, away from heat and in a ventilated place, the hot plate above the cylinder's level, the rubber tube changed every two years or a Suraksha hose every five, and an inspection every five years (Bharatgas consumer guidance card).
Air in: Kaff's size guide notes that a 1,200 m³/hr chimney can create a vacuum in a tightly sealed home, so leave a window or vent open while it runs.
Distance: keep the hob away from the opening, where children and stools are (our guidance).

Noise from an open kitchen

Makers quote chimney noise differently: Bosch's 90 cm DWB97FM50I runs from 52 to 77 dB across its four speeds, measured as sound power (Bosch India), while Kaff lists its MILL DHC 60 at 58 dBA maximum (Kaff). Compare like with like. A glass slider that shuts also keeps the mixer-grinder out of a TV call (our guidance).

Kitchen cabinet design for open kitchen: keep clutter out of sight

Send heavy washing, buckets and the drying rack to the utility balcony, as in both plans.
Put the mixer-grinder, toaster and kettle in an appliance garage or a tall unit with doors.
Keep the counter facing the dining area clear: the sink or plain prep, not the masala and oil bottles.

All three are our guidance. For finishes and colours, see kitchen trends 2027, and for small-flat ideas, small apartment design trends 2027.

Flooring from kitchen to dining

The bye-laws require a kitchen to have an impermeable floor (section 4.4.3). The simplest open-kitchen floor is the same vitrified tile through kitchen and dining, with no threshold. If the dining area gets laminate or wood, keep it out of the cooking zone and end it on one straight line, under the glass slider or the counter edge. Quick-Step, a laminate maker, asks for an 8 to 10 mm expansion gap at thresholds, heavy fixtures such as kitchen islands, and between rooms, covered with a profile or skirting (Quick-Step).

Open kitchen meeting a living room: a wood-topped bar counter on a steel frame with black stools stands on light stone-look floor tiles, which stop in a straight line where dark wood-look flooring starts under the grey sofa and coffee table. — The floor change runs in one straight line beside the counter, so the kitchen tile and the living-room floor each read as a zone. Photo cropped. Image: Max Vakhtbovych on Pexels, Pexels License

Lighting from kitchen to dining

Light the zones separately but in one colour (our guidance): a strip under the wall units, pendants over the counter and the dining light, all at the same colour temperature and on separate switches, so the kitchen can go dark after dinner. For current fittings, see lighting trends 2027.

Kitchen partition design price

Item	Published figure	What it covers
Frameless toughened glass, 10 to 12 mm, fixed	₹2,299 to ₹3,183 per sq m, about ₹214 to ₹296 per sq ft (Delhi)	Glass, patch fittings, U-channel, labour and contractor's margin; GST not stated (InfraLens)
Sliding-folding glass partitions	₹820 to ₹1,900 per sq ft	Seller asking prices, 10 mm glass where stated (IndiaMART)
60 cm auto-clean filterless chimney, 1,250 m³/hr (Kaff MILL DHC 60)	₹15,490 offer price, MRP ₹26,990	Maker's online offer price, inclusive of all taxes, read 29 Oct 2026 (Kaff)

As arithmetic only: in our plan, the slider line is 1.7 x 2.7 m, about 49 sq ft, or roughly ₹40,500 to ₹93,900 at the listed rates. The fixed glass over the counter is 1.3 x 1.8 m, about 25 sq ft, or roughly ₹5,400 to ₹7,500 at InfraLens's rates. We found no published rate for a structural engineer's visit or for taking down a wall, so we do not quote one. For the whole fit-out, see our interior design cost guide, room by room, or price your flat with MOA's free home cost calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Is an open kitchen good for Indian cooking?

Only with a ducted chimney of over 1,000 m³/hr, as Kaff recommends for regular cooking, the hob on the far wall, and glass to close during tadka. Most 2BHK families are better served by a semi-open kitchen.

Which chimney is best for an open kitchen?

A ducted one with a 6 inch duct and a short run outside. Kaff suggests 1,200 m³/hr or more for heavy frying, and a hood wider than the hob where cross-breezes spread smoke.

Can I break the wall between the kitchen and the hall in my flat?

Only after a structural engineer confirms in writing that it is not structural, and after your society's written permission. In Maharashtra's model bye-laws, structural changes also need the competent authority's permission.

What is the price of a glass partition for a kitchen?

About ₹214 to ₹296 per sq ft installed for fixed frameless toughened glass in Delhi (InfraLens), and ₹820 to ₹1,900 per sq ft in IndiaMART listings for sliding-folding glass. Add GST.

Planning an open or semi-open kitchen? Find interior designers on MOA, and filter the directory by your city.

Sources

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, TCPO: Model Building Bye-Laws 2016, sections 2.12.1, 4.4.2 and 4.4.3 (accessed 29 Oct 2026)
National Kitchen and Bath Association: Kitchen Planning Guidelines with Access Standards, guidelines 6, 8 and 9 (accessed 29 Oct 2026)
Dhiman, Sharma, Jain, Ambekar, Thajudeen and Guttikunda: Spatial and temporal variation of cooking-emitted particles in distinct zones, Indoor Environments 1 (2024) (accessed 29 Oct 2026)
Global NEST Journal: Indoor Air Pollution from Residential Cooking: Assessing Ventilation Behaviors, PM2.5 Exposure, and Health Implications in Urban Indian Homes, 2 Dec 2025 (accessed 29 Oct 2026)
Kaff: Chimney Size Guide: How to Measure Your Kitchen for the Perfect Airflow, 10 Mar 2026 (accessed 29 Oct 2026)
Kaff: 60cm vs 90cm Kitchen Chimneys: Which One Should You Choose for India?, 19 Oct 2025 (accessed 29 Oct 2026)
Kaff: How Auto-Clean Technology Works in Modern Kitchen Chimneys, 27 Oct 2025 (accessed 29 Oct 2026)
Kaff: MILL DHC 60 chimney, product page (accessed 29 Oct 2026)
Bosch India: DWB068D50I 60 cm wall hood, spec sheet (accessed 29 Oct 2026)
Bosch India: DWB97FM50I 90 cm wall hood, spec sheet (accessed 29 Oct 2026)
Häfele UK: HAWA-Junior 80/GL sliding glass door system, catalogue page (accessed 29 Oct 2026)
IKEA: IKEA kitchen planning guide (accessed 29 Oct 2026)
Commissioner for Cooperation and Registrar, Maharashtra: Model bye-laws of a co-operative housing society, flat owner type (2014), bye-law 45 (accessed 29 Oct 2026)
JK Cement: What Is Mivan Construction Technology?, 13 Jun 2025 (accessed 29 Oct 2026)
Central U.P. Gas Limited: Safety Information for PNG Customers (accessed 29 Oct 2026)
Bharat Petroleum (Bharatgas): Consumer Guidance Card (accessed 29 Oct 2026)
Quick-Step: What is the maximum floor length I can install without expansion joint? (accessed 29 Oct 2026)
InfraLens: Rate analysis of toughened glass partition (accessed 29 Oct 2026)
IndiaMART: Sliding and folding partitions, seller listings (accessed 29 Oct 2026)
Pexels: photos by Max Vakhtbovych, and the Pexels License (accessed 29 Oct 2026)