Create a Family Friendly Kitchen

We have heard many times before that the kitchen is the heart of the home, and for most families it is. This must be kept in mind when designing your new kitchen. You need to account for children, pets, family gatherings and varying daily schedules. Here’s how to make sure you are creating a family friendly kitchen.

The first thing to do is to ask yourself a few questions. How do you use your kitchen? Who cooks and how many cooks use the kitchen at one time? Do you have children and/or pets? Do you have children who prepare or reheat their own meals? Does your family sit down and eat dinner together, or are there nights when you all eat at different times due to various activities? These are all important questions and need to be considered before you can start the design of your kitchen.

Create a space you will use. If you have children, you will likely have kids doing homework, watching TV or playing games while you are in the kitchen preparing their lunchboxes or dinner. A good idea is to create a space that your whole family can use 24/7. If you incorporate your kitchen and family room, the whole family can be doing their separate activities while in the same room and spending time together. This can be achieved through an open plan kitchen/dining/living area. You should also think about having an island bench with seating or a breakfast bar. This is great for all members of the family to eat their breakfast or a quick meal.

Plan your appliances carefully. Spend some time carefully planning your appliances, which you will choose and where they will go. If you have a family who take part in different activities every day and have dinner at different times, you may want to include a warming draw in your kitchen so that everyone can enjoy a hot meal no matter what time they eat it. You can also think about the height of your microwave, if your kids reheat meals themselves, you may want to put it under the benchtop at a height they can easily reach. If you entertain regularly and cook for your guests, two ovens may be a great option for you. You should also consider your cooktop when planning a kitchen for the family. If you have small children an induction cooktop could be a good choice for you because when it is on, only the part that is being used heats up, reducing the chance of small hands getting burnt.

Organise your cabinets. Think about how people use the kitchen. If you have children, store their cups and snacks at an appropriate height for them. Keep healthy snacks down low and treats up high so that they have to ask you before eating it so you can better monitor their food intake. You could also include shallow base cabinets so that it is easier for the kids to reach to the back of the cabinet to get what they need. You could also place things like cups and bowls, or even a small refrigerator draw in a certain area of the kitchen so that you can have the whole family in the kitchen while you’re cooking, without them getting underfoot and in the way.

There are many ways to make your kitchen perfect for the whole family. Our designers here at Harrington Kitchens consider your whole family and lifestyle while designing your dream kitchen to ensure that all bases are covered and to make sure you get the most out of your kitchen.