Nairobi, June 22 -- A substantial number of Kenyan homes priced above Sh45 million now feature open-plan kitchens. The design concept was borrowed from Western interiors and increasingly used by developers targeting discerning, well-travelled buyers while maximising space.

By removing the walls between the kitchen, dining, and living rooms, even townhouses sitting on as little as 0.07 acres are made to feel significantly bigger and less boxed in.

"It wasn't necessarily a request from buyers at the beginning," says Kingmax Mbarire, the CEO of Kingsville Real Estate. "It was what developers had seen in Western countries, and they were trying to replicate it in the Kenyan market."

Because the concept was new, it quickly gained popularity ...