Over the last year with the ongoing restrictions and numerous lockdowns, lots of people have spent more time with their families and many have even added to their families too. This has caused people to look differently at the communal areas in their homes, such as the kitchen, and many homeowners are wanting to refurbish these spaces to make them more family-friendly and in some cases, dog-friendly too.
Thankfully, the kitchen can be a brilliant sociable space and somewhere that the whole family can enjoy spending time together, and with the right know-how, you will easily be able to transform this room into the perfect family area. If you’ve never redesigned your kitchen before and you’re not really sure where to start, below we have put together some useful tips for creating the perfect family-friendly kitchen design.
Add a kitchen island or breakfast bar
As you’re probably aware, kitchen islands are very popular in contemporary kitchens and they are perfect for family-friendly spaces too. A kitchen island or even a breakfast bar will provide children with somewhere to eat breakfast or do their homework and it is a brilliant central hub. Not to mention, an island is perfect for socialising with friends when they’re allowed over again.
Opt for easy to clean surfaces
Of course, if you have children and dogs, then easy to clean surfaces are a must and you can make day-to-day life much easier for yourself by choosing materials for your floors, worktops and kitchen cabinets that can simply be wiped down. Ideally, try to avoid any surfaces that will stain if things get spilt and choose materials with durability and longevity in mind.
Incorporate your back door into the design
If you tend to use your garden a lot in the summer months, then make sure you think about your back door when you’re working on your kitchen design. Letting plenty of natural light flood into your kitchen is always beneficial, but if you have children that will be playing outside or a dog that will be running in and out, you should make sure your doors work well in your new layout.
Pay attention to the smaller details
The smaller details can sometimes take a backseat when it comes to redesigning your kitchen, but they can make a big difference in family-friendly spaces. Things such as having soft corners on worktops and handleless kitchen cabinets can generally make a kitchen more child-friendly and thankfully, they won’t negatively affect the aesthetics of the room either.
Have plenty of storage solutions
Simply put, the bigger your family is, the more storage space you’re going to need in your kitchen and homeowners almost always need more storage solutions than they assume. Try to think outside the box when it comes to storage and incorporate lots of smart solutions into your kitchen design, from draws and pull-out shelving to magnetic strips and racking.
Build your appliances into your cabinets
When your children are young, safety should always be a priority when you’re working on a kitchen design and building your appliances into your cabinets can help to avoid lots of common accidents. Something as simple as raising your oven to eye level will keep it out of reach of small hands, and sniffing noses, and it actually makes it much more convenient to use as well.
Getting some assistance with your kitchen design in Amersham
Hopefully, if you’re redesigning your kitchen with your family and your four-legged friends in mind, the tips above will be beneficial and you can ensure that the new kitchen you install is perfect for everyone under your roof. Of course, if you require any assistance at all with your new kitchen design, our team here at Ashford Kitchens & Interiors will gladly help you and you can trust that we are the perfect people to turn to when you’re wanting a family-friendly and dog-friendly kitchen.
Why not pop into our kitchen showroom in Farnham Common and speak with one of our kitchen specialists about your current ideas and inspiration? We pride ourselves on providing the best customer service to anyone who comes into our showroom and if you choose to work with us for your kitchen project, we can assure you that this service will continue during and after design and installation. Being a local, family-run business we genuinely care about our customers and there really is no one better to turn to for assistance with your kitchen design in Amersham and the surrounding areas.