itchens should bring families and friends together. Since the kitchen is where people would usually gather to enjoy each other’s company, there is no doubt that kitchens must be inviting spaces. Here are some tips on how you can create a family-friendly kitchen space for your home.
1. Go with an open floor plan.
Open floor plans do not only allow better traffic flow and greater layout flexibility but also improve the socialization between family and friends. Ironically, although it gives the illusion of larger space, it seems to bring family members closer by allowing them to interact with one another despite being in different “rooms”.
2. Consider an eat-in kitchen.
With an eat-in kitchen, family members can be together even while the food is being prepared. It also encourages kids to learn about cooking as it will be easier for them to see how their meals are made.
3. Choose a low-maintenance countertop.
The countertop is one of the most used parts of the kitchen. If you have kids, it is best to choose a countertop that is both durable and easy to clean. Quartz, for example, would be a great choice as it is tough and less porous. Stainless steel is also a good option as it does not harbor germs, is very easy to clean, and not sensitive to scrubbing or cleaning agents.
4. Curate a healthy and accessible pantry.
Keep healthy snacks like fruits and whole-grain cookies in easy-to-access cabinets while storing other food supplies like those that are for cooking in higher cabinets. This will encourage everyone in the family, especially the children and elderly, to build healthier eating habits by placing snacks where they can easily reach them. Organizing your pantry this way also prevents some accidents such as toddlers playing with flour and making a mess in the kitchen.
5. Child-proof your kitchen.
This tip is not only for protecting your kids from potential harm in the kitchen but also for preventing your kids and even pets from making a mess in the kitchen. There are more or less a hundred ways to child-proof your kitchen depending on your kitchen layout and design. Some of the popular ones are installing safety locks to your drawers and cabinets and removing easy-to-break and sharp objects from the lower shelves.
6. Build a versatile family-centered kitchen.
It is always good to remodel a kitchen that is adapted to the needs of the entire family while also taking versatility and longevity into account. This means that even if you renovated your kitchen while your kids are still small, you should still look at the bigger picture and consider how your kitchen will be used when the kids grow up or when you have become empty nesters.
7. Opt for easy-to-clean surfaces.
To be honest, this is something that should be considered by any homeowner. We all get either too tired or too lazy to clean sometimes and installing easy-to-clean surfaces in the kitchen makes this chore less laborious and time-consuming. Consult with your designer or builder and test the materials for yourself to make sure that they both fit your design and function goals.
8. Put up a memo board.
Your memo board can be as simple as hanging a whiteboard or corkboard on an empty wall or building a special dedicated space for recipes, reminders, bills, or your child’s artworks.
The kitchen must be a space where the entire family feels at home. Everyone passes through it every day so it is important that it can accommodate the needs and activities of everyone, regardless of age. We hope these eight tips will help you get started in building a family-friendly kitchen.
