Here at HKS, we’ve been designing and installing wonderful bespoke kitchens for 40 years next year, and during this time, we’ve seen a big change in how people use their space. Kitchens are no longer just a place for cooking and washing up; they are the heart of the home and the hub of family life. From catching up on the day’s events over a cup of tea to serving celebratory drinks and nibbles, the kitchen often provides a backdrop to a variety of social activities. And if you’re considering updating your interior, creating a design that’s perfect for cooking and socialising is a great way to maximise your space. We’ve outlined a few features you may want to think about when planning your design.
Include Seating
Adding a seating area to your kitchen is a great way to make your space more sociable. If you’re planning on including an island in your design, you may want to make room for some casual bar stools. Alternatively, a dining table can provide a more versatile seating solution while offering an additional area to prepare food. Allowing you to chat while you cook and enjoy socialising in a laidback setting, introducing seating to your kitchen can enhance your hosting skills as well as complementing family life.
Make The Most Of The View
Kitchens are usually located at the back of most properties, which means they often have a good view of the garden. Planning your layout to make the most of this view is a clever and subtle way to enhance your interior. Consider positioning your dining or seating area so that you and your guests can enjoy soaking up the sunshine while admiring your garden. You may even want to expand the view by investing in large patio or bi-fold doors. Allowing plenty of natural light into your room will establish a bright, airy and inviting atmosphere.
Enhance Your Layout With An Island
As well as offering an ideal place to position informal seating, a kitchen island can help you achieve a practical layout that’s ideal for cooking and socialising. A central kitchen island creates a focal point to your room which guests will naturally gather around. This can prevent visitors from mingling in front of cupboards and getting in your way. Kitchen islands also offer many other benefits that can enhance your cooking experience. You can read more by clicking here.
Choose The Right Appliances
If you love spending time in your kitchen with family and friends, there are plenty of appliances available to help you make the most of your space. A state-of-the-art extractor should remove unpleasant cooking odours and steam from your kitchen without causing too much noise disruption. You might even consider positioning a fantastic downdraft venting hob at your island so you can socialise while you cook. A dedicated wine cooler is sure to impress your guests as well as freeing up space in your fridge, while a boiling water tap allows you to prepare hot drinks on demand. You can find more information about the latest kitchen appliances by clicking here.
Keep Your Kitchen Clutter-Free
A cluttered and messy kitchen isn’t exactly a welcoming sight, and, what’s more, when you have to fight for worktop space and struggle to find ingredients, cooking can feel like quite a chore. Ensuring you have plenty of effective storage is essential when it comes to keeping your kitchen neat and organised. However, you don’t have to hide every last thing out of sight to create an effective design. A few stylishly arranged ornaments and cookbooks will make your kitchen feel homely and inviting. For more great kitchen storage ideas, click here to read our dedicated blog.
Add Warm & Inviting Lighting
Just like any other room in your home, lighting can have a dramatic impact on the atmosphere of your space. Adding warm accent lighting such as pendant lights, plinth lights and under-cabinet lights is a great way to bring a cosy feel to your kitchen, making it a wonderful place to relax and spend time in. Make sure you install your main overhead lights on a dimmer to create a beautiful layered effect.
The kitchen is often so much more than a place to cook, and it’s important to take this into account when planning your new design. From investing in a clever collection of appliances to finding an effective layout, there are plenty of ways to maximise your space in terms of cooking as well as socialising. If you’d like more advice on designing your perfect kitchen, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our expert team. You can call us on 01435 866166 or email sales@hks-uk.com.