Design tips for a busy family kitchen
The kitchen tends to be one of the busiest rooms of a family home. Whether you're packing the kids' lunches, making a roast for your extended family, or baking cupcakes with your little ones at the weekend, there's always plenty going on. So, if you're looking to design and decorate the heart of your home, you might want to take this into account.
Jane Rylands is from the kitchen appliance manufacture Belling, and she knows a thing or two about designing the perfect kitchen to suit your needs. Here, she's going to share her top tips for ensuring that yours suits your busy family life.
Put plenty of thought into the layout
If you're completely refurbishing your kitchen and are able to play with the layout, it's vital that you put plenty of thought into getting this right. You'll want to strike the right balance between having enough space for preparing and cooking food, but also for having fun with friends and family.
You'll also want to consider how you currently use your kitchen space. For example, do you like to be able to watch over your kids as they do their homework while you're cooking their tea? If so, an island or breakfast bar could be very helpful.
Make sure there's plenty of storage
Before you had kids, having all of your spices, utensils, and cookbooks out on the worktops mightn't have been a problem. But, when you have curious little ones who want to touch, see, and play with everything, this isn't the best idea.
Family lifestyles can also be quite hectic, which means unnecessary clutter can just get in the way of you getting everything done in the quickest and most efficient way possible. As a result, it's a good idea to install plenty of smart storage solutions in your kitchen. Not only will this keep everything out of the way so you have as much free worktop space as possible, but it will also help to ensure that you can always find whatever you're looking for at a moment's notice.
Choose high-quality appliances that make cooking quick and easy
When you have a busy family household, you'll want to be able to rely on your kitchen appliances so you can make tasty but nutritious meals as easily as possible. Range cookers are perfect for this, as they come with a variety of different compartments, including ones that can grill, defrost, and even slow cook your food. This means you can cook multiple components of your family meals at once, reducing how long everything takes, and making the process much simpler.
Opt for durable and easy-clean surfaces
Spills happen in any kitchen, but it's likely they'll happen more often when you're running a busy family household. So, I would always recommend installing worktops that are going to be durable and easy to clean, as well as stylish.
Solid wood and quartz are great, because they're hard-wearing and stain-resistant. Bacteriostatic quartz is also a popular choice among parents, thanks to the fact that it can help to reduce your family's contact with germs and food bacteria.
Think carefully about the flooring you go for, too. You'll want something that's going to be able to stand up to heavy footfall, and that can be wiped clean. Tiles and laminate flooring are especially good for this.
In a busy family home, it's important that your kitchen works for you. And, if you take the tips I've outlined here on board, I'm sure you'll be able to design a space that suits your needs perfectly.
- 26th February 2019
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