The kitchen is probably the most important room in the house. It’s much more than just a workspace for cooking; it’s where we eat, entertain and spend quality time with family and friends. We’ve been taking a look at kitchens in Liverpool, and finding out how to turn your kitchen into the perfect family room, making it the true heart of your home.
Plan your kitchen around your family
Before you start transforming your kitchen into a living and relaxation space as well as a place to eat, it’s important to think about the individual needs of your particular family, as this will have a great influence on the design you should choose.
How many of you are there?
If you have a large family, you’ll want to create as much room as possible for storage. It’s worth investing in taller, deeper cabinets to maximise the available storage space. Larger kitchen worktops are also a good idea, as you’ll be cooking for more people so you’ll need more preparation space.
Do you all eat together?
The ages and circumstances of your family members will have an impact on what you need to achieve with the space. If you all eat together, you’ll need to make room for a larger dining table. If you all have different schedules and time commitments so you don’t all sit down to eat at the same time, an island may be the more practical option.
Open plan kitchen and living space designs
Many modern families are opting for a completely open plan approach, combining the living, dining and kitchen areas. This is a great option for making the most of the space, and also adds a more light and airy feel to your home. It can also be safer for families with small children, as it allows you to keep an eye on your toddlers at all times, even when you’re cooking.
Creating an open plan living space can often involve knocking out walls in your home – before you start it’s vital you consult an architect or structural engineer who can determine which walls are essential to the structure of your home and which are safe to knock through. This will obviously have a large impact on the final design. If some of the walls do have to be retained, it’s still possible to create an open plan design using archways in place of doors.
Creating the right look and feel
How you want your kitchen/ living area to look will depend on the shape and size of the space, its intended uses, and your own tastes. Many people opt to have all their cabinetry along one wall, but there are plenty of other ways to arrange your kitchen if you prefer a cosier design or need more storage space.
If your kitchen area is leading through to a dining space, it’s possible to have a convenient island eating area immediately in front of where you cook, and a larger dining table situated further away, ideal for entertaining friends.
Not everybody likes the idea of the same decor extending right through to the living area, where you’ll have your sofas and television. If you still want to retain some demarcation between the different areas in your space, this can easily be achieved with use of different colour schemes and lighting.
Consult an experienced kitchen designer
A project on this scale can sometimes be overwhelming without seeking professional advice. HB Kitchens have provided fitted kitchens in Liverpool for hundreds of happy customers, and we have extensive experience of creating beautiful and practical open plan spaces ideal for cooking, eating and relaxing. Get in touch to find out how we could put a new heart into your home.