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GET THE FAMILY-FRIENDLY SPACE OF YOUR DREAMS WITH OUR EXPERT HELP
MEET THE EXPERTS
F romsocial space to quiet zone, cooking station to home office, a family kitchen has so many demands placed upon it today. So how can you create a space that works for you and your family that’s future-proof, too? We asked three experts…
‘Kitchens have always been the heart of the home, but now many of us are adapting them to reflect new lifestyles,’ says Kamila. ‘When planning a family kitchen, the best starting point is to look at how you and your family use your current kitchen: how do you move around the space? Do you all eat together? Do you all help with the cooking? Is it used for homework or working from home?’ says Lily. ‘Then look at how, ideally, you would use the space and you’ll soon have a list of must-haves, nice-to-haves and not needed.’ Amy adds, ‘Think about key events too – like dinner parties and having the whole family over at Christmas. If they’re important, add them to the list.’
OPEN PLAN VS BROKEN PLAN
‘Open plan has become the new norm and it works brilliantly for families,’ says Lily. ‘Having all spaces together, you can all be involved but also stay in individual areas. It’s not for everyone, though.’
‘There is no privacy in open-plan kitchens,’ says Amy. ‘They can be harder to heat as they are generally larger rooms, and noise can travel. It’s difficult if one child is doing homework, say, and another is watching TV. Broken plan is becoming more popular with distinct zones, such as dining, snug and cooking areas defined by either different paint or flooring choices or by different levels within the one space. You can even use glazing or sliding doors to designate a space.’
‘Try a freestanding unit between areas – abookcase that’s accessible from both sides creates a brilliant boundary,’ says Lily. ‘Using tall plants is another way of sectioning off an area without a solid divide.’
ISLAND LIFE
‘An island can be the hub of the kitchen and the entertaining zone for p
