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How To Plan A Kitchen For A Family
For families, the kitchen is certainly the hub of the home; it’s where we all come to eat and hang out, and it’s about the only place where you can prize the kids away from whatever they’re doing. So creating a space that not only works but enhances your family life is really important. Our guide will tell you the things to consider when planning that dream family kitchen.
Think about your space
Space is really important for a family kitchen. Think about incorporating a breakfast bar if you have the room. These can add a nice divide between your kitchen and dining area, plus it’s a space for your family to be in and around while dinner’s cooking, without being on top of one another.
Keep it open
An open plan kitchen means everyone can be in the same room, enjoying each other’s company while that ragù cooks away. But keeping it open doesn’t just refer to the space. Why not have open shelves instead of cupboards? This way your family aren’t opening cupboard doors left right and centre every time they’re thirsty. Plus, there’s something nice about have everything out on show, it adds a bit of effortless colour and decoration.
Be functional
Any kitchen should be functional, and even more so when your family are in and out of the fridge. You’re going to want a set-up that’ll let you seamlessly work between your cooker, fridge freezer and sink. This is commonly known as the working triangle, and the idea revolves around having your oven & hob, fridge freezer and sink formed in a triangle for the most practical layout.
A clean kitchen is a happy kitchen
If you’re a particularly messy cook you need lots of clean worktop surfaces. Consider incorporating an ‘appliance garage’, where all small appliances such as toasters, microwaves, blenders, food processors etc, can be stored and easily plugged in – without needing to take them out of a cupboard.
Plan with appliances in mind
You can’t cook for a hungry family without appliances, it’s as simple as that. So appliances should be one of the first things on your mind when planning that renovation.
What about the after-dinner clean-up?
Trying to clean all those plates and cutlery as well as your pots and pans can be a nightmare. So do yourself a favour and get a dishwasher with 15 place settings or more. This way, one load should do the job.
Planning the makeover
Introducing Meera
Hi! I'm Meera and I am an interior designer at First Sense Interiors. I live in Nottingham with my husband and our two children. We moved to our house 5 years ago and have spent the last 1.5 years extending and fully renovating it to transform it into our dream family home. Paint splattered trousers have become my out-of-hours uniform, but when I do have some time away from interior projects, I may be found acting as a climbing frame for my kids or pottering about with my house plants.
Doing the work
Things to be aware of...
I experienced all kinds of emotions during the renovation but the overriding feeling for me throughout it all was excitement. I had waited years for the opportunity to renovate the kitchen and create a beautiful family space, so to finally make it happen was incredibly exciting for me. I designed the kitchen well before the building work had even started so had made many of the key decisions beforehand. This helped a lot as I can’t imagine how difficult it would have been to make big decisions in the midst of all the chaos.
Although not exactly fun, I didn’t much mind the dust, mess, holes in the floors and ceilings, and lack of kitchen during the demolition stages. The hard part was the parent-guilt as my kids found it difficult to process how broken, dusty and unfamiliar their home had become. I kept talking to them about how amazing it would be, and in a way, these pep talks actually helped me to keep the end goal in mind, which went a long way in getting me through the particularly stressful days. I’m very glad I shared my renovation journey on instagram as the interiors community on there, many of whom have at least some experience of renovating, cheered me on and kept me buoyed through it all.
The reveal
And finally...
I am absolutely delighted with the finished kitchen and wouldn’t change a thing! The old kitchen was narrow, dark and full of frustrations. In comparison, the renovated kitchen feels like a dream and has become the hub of the home. It is bright, beautiful and practical with plenty of storage plus amazing appliances that we use and enjoy every day and that make our life so much easier. The gorgeous range cooker is the star of the kitchen and has revolutionised our cooking and baking habits. With the old kitchen, if my husband and I tried to cook together, it would feel very squeezed for two people which was off-putting. Now there is lots of space to prep and move around each other so we love to cook together and steal a little dance now and again to a song on the radio. Even the kids enjoy hopping up on a stool and getting involved with the food. It’s great to see their interest in cooking already piquing!
