Is your kitchen the social hub of your home? For many of us the kitchen is the centre of family life. It is where we get together for meals and where children tell us what’s happened at school. It is a place where the ‘serious’ conversations take place, where friends drop in for a glass of wine and in my case, where our muddy four-legged friend can be safely corralled to. Anything and everything happens in the kitchen!
So we know how important it is that this busy, multifunctional room is a sociable, welcoming space. When designed and managed well, it embraces the warmth of a home, and accommodates cooking, eating, home working, school work and entertaining friends; sometimes all at the same time! However, without careful planning, a kitchen can easily morph into a stressful, cluttered environment, and daily chaos follows…
A central hub for family life
How often do you fume “Why does someone always need to be in the kitchen, in the same spot as me, at the same time”? Wellbeing in a kitchen starts by making sure it works for everyone and this is what we do best.
We start by asking our clients to really think about how they use the room. What are the kitchen’s different functions and how do you need it to work and flow together? From experience, we find that requirements often differ and when passionate matrimonial discussions over cupboard space ensue, I take a quick step back!
But should a kitchen look busy and lived-in, or clear and sterile? Yes, some clutter can create a talking point, good or bad, but looking too busy expels the image of calmness and can be tantamount to adding stress. Modern, open shelving concepts can work for both sides here, as they can create a feature and maximise storage possibilities. Open shelving clears worktops and promotes a sense of space, whilst for functionality purposes, it makes it easier to access kitchen essentials and display your individual style too.
A Recipe for Kitchen Wellbeing
Generating the wellness factor for a kitchen differs for each of us. For some, it is having the cutlery drawer located close to the table or near the dishwasher. Or having a specific area for hot drinks to be made, with storage for all necessary accoutrements and space for coffee machines and kettles in one place. And sometimes it is the seating, perhaps space for a comfy sofa, or just a perch to sip a coffee on.
A kitchen that cleverly pulls together the social aspects with basic functional needs, will usually include seating of some form. Comfy relaxed seating in the form of a window seat or squishy sofa is great, but should an ‘on the go’ solution be included too? Many of us and children especially, grab a snack or drink as they pass through the kitchen. Including an informal eating area such as an island with counter stools, can encourage hop-on-a-stool pauses, or a lean-on-elbows quick catch-up, which adds more social interaction.
Creating contentment and space
A kitchen is an ideal canvass to create a social and welcome feeling of wellbeing. Warm and comfortable with enticing aromas and good lighting, just oozes contentment and a sense of secure space. Research proves that natural lighting makes you feel more uplifted and alert (especially in the mornings), and makes prepping and cooking easier too. So large windows and doors that open onto the outdoors can effortlessly achieve this. Additional ambience can then be achieved with cleverly placed lighting features to boost daylight hours, and craft the mood for an energized, or relaxed, social room too.
If you would like further information or more tips on how to infuse your kitchen with wellbeing and social comfort, please visit our website www.holmewoodinteriors.co.uk, call us on 01403 254090 or email info@holmewoodinteriors.co.uk and we will always do what we can to help.
