Tips on designing a family-friendly kitchen

We’re often told the heart of the home is the kitchen, but for many families, this doesn’t always turn out to be true. Kitchens can either be a source of great joy and togetherness, or they can become associated with stress, mess, and watching your kids take their meals off to their rooms.

Could design change your kitchen’s fortunes? We like to think so. Try incorporating a few of our architectural tricks and you might just find your kitchen is everything you dream it would be.

Here are Resi’s top tips for designing a family-friendly kitchen…

Be honest about what your family needs

It’s very common that when it comes to designing your dream kitchen we put our fantasies over reality. Many people THINK they want a gorgeous, mid-century dining table with vintage art-deco chairs. And if this is you, that’s great, it’s a very sexy dining set-up. However, does this suit your family?

Is a formal set up more or less likely to get your family around the table? Are your kids more comfortable perching on a breakfast bar? Does your table need to act as both a dining area and as a crafts workshop?

Before you commit to a design, we recommend taking note of how your family navigates your home currently and use that as a base. Think about pain points, what activities the family like to enjoy, dining habits. By feeding these details to your architect, they’ll be able to tailor your space and help you get the most out of your project.

Make cleaning easier

Kitchens get messy, there’s no avoiding that. However, there are some simple design tricks for tackling this mess.

• Place your bins near or under your food prep areas, so you can easily dispose of any kitchen waste
• Opt for tiles or paint that can be wiped down and doesn’t suffer from stains
• Intricately designed cabinets look great but are difficult to keep dust-free
• Likewise, displays of pots and pans will gather grime, especially if places above a steamy stove

And if you don’t want to keep on top of the cleaning all the time, you can also use design to help cover up your stains. For instance, dark countertops or flooring won’t show up crumbs and spillages as much as their white counterparts.

Make it easy for everyone to get involved

A lot of children love to get involved when it comes to cooking, so why not make it easier for them?

If you want your children to know some culinary tricks, add in spots for step ladders, so they can step up and see what you’re up. Likewise, a breakfast bar is also a great place for older children to perch and help out.

Open-plan works great for growing families

In our Happy Homes research, we found many parents of young children preferred open-plan layouts - and it’s easy to see why!

Rather than having one parent in one room and another sweating it out in the kitchen, now the whole family can enjoy the evenings together, as you juggle housework with childcare. You might choose to have your kitchen connected to a living area or create a cosy nook for your partner to enjoy while looking after the tots.

See an example of this layout at work.

Storage for the whole family

Parents don’t need to be told about the importance of good storage. However, it is worth remembering that you don’t need to be the only one packing things away.

Make sure you have two kinds of storage: the kind only you can access and areas your kids can enjoy.

Use hard-to-reach areas for dangerous cleaning products or other items you don’t want falling into the wrong hands, while also making space for areas your children will manage. Whether this is a simple shelf or a whole cabinet, mark out an area for their items and try to instil good habits by asking them to make sure it stays organised.

Upgrade your fridge display

If your child has a creative streak, you may find yourself running out of room on the fridge for their latest creation. Therefore, why not create a display area?

You can either use a wall to hang up your child’s accomplishments, or even have it as a canvas. Many people now use chalkboard paint to give their children a wall they can actually draw on, preventing the rest of your house from becoming spoiled with their artistic flair.

*Want more tips and tricks for creating the perfect kitchen for your family? Book a free consultation and get expert advice on unlocking the potential in your home. *