If you’re looking to open the space between your kitchen and an adjoining room but reluctant (or unable) to remove a wall, take a different tack: a good old kitchen pass-through. These peekaboo openings, originally designed to provide a way to serve food from the kitchen while concealing any cooking mess, are as important for decorative appeal as they are for functional purposes.

This pictured project is a kitchen remodel and a conservatory addition in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The remodeling was completed by Total Renovations.

Here are eight ways to open up.