Most folks dream of a stunning contemporary chic kitchen, or perhaps a teapot-encrusted English country sanctum, or even a stainless steel minimalist statement space. However certain life considerations (that’s another way of saying “the kids”) often mean that fashion goes out the window in favour of function. Nonetheless, the perfect working family kitchen needn’t be an ugly place of momentary respite between errands, board meetings and school runs!
Function
The function of the family kitchen is… to be an all-round place to cook, clean, read, relax, eat, study, clean, eat, chat, do crafts, prepare dinner, bake cookies, eat, clean etc. The kitchen MUST stand up to the barrage of family life.
Everything from kitchen worktops to storage should be planned with function in mind. For example, a long thin kitchen could benefit from an along-one-wall layout. Or perhaps a compact kitchen would best suit floor-to-ceiling cupboards, extendable kitchen worktops and a kitchen island that functions as storage area, preparation spot and dining table.
Accessibility
Storage -the buzz word of family kitchens the world over! The kitchen is a continuously busy room, making it more important than ever to eliminate clutter. Stealthy storage shelves, hooks, hangers and cupboards are brilliant when trying to add a little personality and accessibility to a family kitchen.
Childproofing has come on a long way since the days of taping cupboard doors shut. Many appliances come with optional (and very stylish) locking mechanisms to keep tiny prying hands at bay.
Durability
Hardwearing worktops and units are a must in the modern working family kitchen. When choosing materials, wooden worktops tend to outperform stone and stainless steel in terms of durability, investment and ease to clean. Wooden worktops are perhaps the best long-term investment thanks to their incredible resilience to heat, water and child damage!
Stone or tile floors tend to be more hardwearing than laminate, however the frugal cost of laminate can make it a pretty attractive option.