If the kitchen is the heart of your home and a place where you love to entertain, then there are many things you should consider when building or renovating your home. You want to keep the space inviting, yet functional and stylish, yet efficient. Here are some design ideas to consider when creating a space that’s a pleasure to entertain in.
- Inviting Appeal
Whether you like calm, cool colors with simple details or bold colors and statement finishes, you want to create a space that feels warm and inviting to all your guests. Clearly define spaces and create lots of storage to minimize clutter and workspace and entertaining space.
- Lots of Seating
An island or peninsula is a great way to add additional seating in your kitchen. You can add a bar top or just extend the overhang on your countertop for a place to add stools. A kitchen nook is a great place to add a bench, table, and chairs. Opening up walls so you have easy flow between rooms can also help your guests feel like part of the action.
- Efficient Appliances
As much as you want your guests to be able to hang out in the kitchen, it’s great when you can get things done quickly and enjoy your time with them. Appliances can make your job more efficient. For example, a larger cooktop can add extra burners or add a grill and griddle in the middle. Double ovens can save you on cooking time. Most importantly, get a dishwasher (or two!) to make clean up easier.
- Walk-In or Butler’s Pantry
This is a great place to store all your smaller appliances to keep your countertops free. A butler’s pantry is also a great place for an extra sink and dishwasher to keep the rest of your kitchen looking neat.
- Mood Lighting
You might want the kitchen light and bright while you’re cooking but having dimmers and accent lighting is a good alternative when it comes time to entertain.
- Speakers
Whether you have ceiling speakers installed as part of a whole house system or just have a designated kitchen Alexa/Google Home type device, it is important to have easy access to music. A great dinner party always has some background music to set the mood. Who doesn’t enjoy a little Frank Sinatra with their Italian?
- Indoor/Outdoor Vibe
Depending on the layout of your home, access to outdoor space is very desirable. Hideaway doors or French doors that open to a patio or a large serving window with an outdoor bar top allow you to easily transition the party outside. The fresh air is also a nice touch for everyone inside.
- Beverage Station
When you’re busy cooking dinner, you often don’t have time to keep re-filling guests’ drinks. A small bar or beverage station allows you to set guests up to serve themselves.
- Collection of Servingware
Having matching servingware, plates, and utensils is a beautiful touch to any dinner party. White china is nice and neutral and can easily fit with any theme. Charging plates, napkins, table runners, candles, and flowers are easy elements that can add color to the table.
- An Open Layout
Obviously, the best setup for entertaining, especially for larger parties, is to have an open layout. When you have open site lines, you can see everything going on and be part of multiple conversations. Free flow between rooms can help everyone feel included and facilitates interaction among guests.
A kitchen can truly be the center of a home. If you would like some suggestions about how to maximize your kitchen space for entertaining, please contact us!