We’ve all seen those episodes of Grand Designs; you know the ones where a combination of creativity, vision and a large bank-balance combine to result in a beautiful home that seems to have the most cutting-edge in architecture? While not everyone has the means to build a ‘Grand Design’, anyone who is self-building can incorporate elements of those homes into their own designs. There are many ways of doing this. One thing that many of these homes have in common is the fact that they have an open plan kitchen and living area. This creates a sense of scale and.