Tips for your family kitchen
make it everyone's favorite gathering place
Who says that the kitchen is only a place for cooking and eating? Today the boundaries between the dining room, living room and kitchen are becoming blurred. People assemble in the modern family kitchen to eat together, chat and play. Follow our tips to make your kitchen an even better gathering place for children and to welcome guests.
1. Create spots where you can be together
Gone are the days when Mother used to work away in the kitchen, quite alone. The modern family kitchen sees children or friends sitting alongside the worktop, chatting with the person cooking and sometimes even getting involved. The eating area is the heart of a cosy kitchen. Chairs with cushions or a padded bench make an inviting place to linger and create a cosy kitchen – even kids will be happy to stay sitting at the table for longer. Having some sort of storage space is ideal, so that colouring books and homework can be quickly cleared away when food is ready. If the space is big enough, you could have a counter with bar stools connecting the kitchen and living area.
2. Are you thinking about left-handers in your Family
Are you or your partner left-handed? Then you’ll usually rinse things with your left hand while holding crockery in your right. In that case, for ergonomic reasons it’s best to opt for a sink with the bowl on the left and the drainer on the right. It’s also possible to compromise: choose a kitchen mixer tap with the control lever mounted in the middle, instead of on the left or right. Find out more in our post about leftie-friendly kitchens.
3. Relax while cooking thanks to child-safety features
Children always want to be where things are happening – and that means in the kitchen. Of course, you can only really relax while cooking if you’re not constantly having to keep an eye on your little ones. A cooker guard and safety devices for doors and drawers ensure that your child can’t get at hot pans or hobs. Dangerous objects like knives, scissors and cleaning products can also be kept out of their reach. Covers for cooker windows and plug sockets are also important if these are within your child’s reach.
4. Mix colours and styles
A family kitchen should be homely and full of life. Why not introduce a bit of colour with cushions or curtains? A coloured ceramic designer sink provides beautiful accents and makes the place where you prepare meals a real stand-out feature. Dare to mix colours and styles! Decorative tiles give any kitchen wall a charm of its own. Alternatively, you could arrange some favourite pieces on an open kitchen shelf. Having a mix of chairs around a wooden table also looks especially inviting.
5. Ensure ergonomic comfort
Having a feel-good kitchen for the whole family is all about ergonomic comfort. This doesn’t just mean that it’s easy on your back and joints. A sensible layout for the working areas and an ergonomic working and installation height for the sink, cabinets and electric appliances will save you lots of time, create more room and cut down on the amount of traipsing across the kitchen. As such, it’s worth paying attention to optimal working comfort when it comes to planning your kitchen. In doing so, you’ll also be making sure that you enjoy cooking in it for a long time to come.
Ideas for family-friendly kitchens
Teamwork made easy: if you prefer to have company as you potter about in the kitchen, it’s best to plan the route that needs to be taken to set the table so that it intersects as little as possible with the workstations for cooking. This ensures that the cook and his or her helpers won’t be getting in each other’s way.
Bring on the water: even though they’re only little, children want to be as independent as possible. Allowing them this freedom can be achieved with the greatest degree of safety at the kitchen sink, so you should make it easily accessible for children. Ideally, plan your kitchen sink so that little ones can reach it conveniently and safely using a sturdy stool. Now put a few cups in a low drawer, so that children can get something to drink all by themselves.
Touching allowed: don’t be too perfectionist when it comes to your interior design. A rigidly styled kitchen will soon look sterile. You should also exercise caution when it comes to your choice of surfaces, as especially smooth and glossy surfaces can be rather unforgiving of fingerprints.
