Have you ever noticed how much “family life” takes place in your kitchen? That’s because the kitchen is about a lot more than just the place where you keep the food. It is where a lot of conversations take place, where mom helps the children with their schoolwork and where much of the life of the family happens every day. When you think about it, it is strange that a room dedicated to the preparation of food has such an importance to family life. But clearly, everyone gravitates to the kitchen, which makes it a very busy room.
The same thing happens when guests come over. Even if you have a beautiful entertainment room or living room where guests are encouraged to gather and socialize, they naturally gravitate to the kitchen, especially, if that is where the hostess is preparing the evening meal or snacks. But even after the food or drinks are ready, people tend to mill around in the kitchen and much of the social activity will happen in that room.
Since it is clear that people love to be with each other in the kitchen, you might as well take that into consideration when you make your plans to remodel. Step back and look at the kitchen as more than just a place to cook food. It dosent’ take much to change the orientation and flow of a kitchen.
The installation of an island, for example, is a way to centralize the cooking process. In other words, since the one preparing the food can stand at the island and face the entryways to the kitchen, he or she can continue to be social as the food preparation is underway. In fact, an island invites the guests or family members to come to the counter and either help out or sample as the food is prepared (hopefully they help first). It is the ultimate social center and this one step can vastly improve your new kitchen.
Other improvements you plan for your new kitchen should facilitate movement and congregation in the kitchen without interfering with the food preparation or causing congestion.. Make the entryways between the living room or the dining room wide and welcoming so people can flow from room to room easily. Provide openings in the walls so the cook or others in the kitchen can converse with those in the other rooms. Lastly, provide lots of light to make the room look happy and large which encourages conversation.
These steps will take what is already a natural instinct of people to socialize in the kitchen and go it one better by turning the kitchen into a social center. When you do that, you will find that the conversation comes easier and everyone feels welcome (not in the way). Get ready to make your home an even better place.
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