Kitchen Designs that Suit Busy Family Homes
When you're running a busy family home, your kitchen can either feel hectic or like a haven. If the time has come for you to redesign your kitchen, the changes you make will have a significant impact on how it functions. Therefore, it's worth considering kitchen designs that suit busy households.
Expansive worktops featuring granite
Managing a busy home often means dedicating a lot of time to cooking. Whether everyone sits down together to enjoy meals or you prefer to eat separately, having a lot of worktop space is essential.
Although you'll still need to leave room for vital features such as ovens, hobs, and a sink, fitting in as much granite workspace as possible will make your life easier. In addition to being a cost-friendly material, granite is durable and easy to clean. As a result, it can streamline your day-to-day cooking efforts.
If you're worried about whether prioritising worktop space over other features means making too many sacrifices, don't be. Beneath each worktop, you can add storage. If you live in a small house or apartment, under-the-counter devices such as fridges, freezers, and dishwashers will still provide the functionality you need.
Aim for vertical storage that complements your kitchen's activities
Redesigning your kitchen's vertical storage is about much more than filling walls with cupboards. When talking to your kitchen designer, ask them to incorporate features such as the following:
- Herb racks and pot storage that are close to your hob
- Multiple shelves in each pantry so that you can organise food with ease
- Hanging storage that's above head height but still within reach, so you can grab utensils, glasses, and more
The aim of vertical storage isn't to cause clutter. Instead, it makes the most of every available inch and promotes ease of access for the tools you need to use.
Consider whether you can create an eat-in kitchen
While there was once a time when formal dining areas were a necessity, eat-in kitchens are now more common. To many, they involve adding a small table to their kitchen space. However, this can feel uninviting and may not make the most of your available space.
Dedicating a portion of your kitchen in a purposeful manner makes it easier for the entire family to eat together. Some of the ways you can approach this include the following:
- Ask your kitchen designer to create an alcove or nook. Both options generate a relaxed and open feel.
- Request counter space dining. Counter space dining may mean sacrificing some of your below-counter storage, but it's ideal if your kitchen is small.
- Inquire as to whether you can include a table that pulls out from the wall, but remember that you'll need somewhere to store fold-down tables.
With enough discussion and an understanding of how your household runs, you and your designer can create the perfect kitchen for a busy lifestyle.