Living in the Kitchen
Lifestyle choices can make an enormous difference to the way you arrange and order your home.
Busy single executives run their lives on a cell phone and tend to be visitors in their own kitchens, calling in once a week to make sure the juicer and coffee maker still work! For families who spend a lot of time at home and eat every meal within the family circle, however, a functional kitchen is imperative.
In the waking hours that a child is home, an average of 12 hours per day, at least half of those hours are spent at the kitchen table eating, doing homework or watching TV with the rest of the family.
A kitchen that is poorly fitted and arranged will not accommodate a large family or induce anyone to spend time there.
Paying attention to the appeal of the family kitchen can contribute to the general tidiness of the rest of the house.
If the children are happy to spend their time in the kitchen, it stands to reason that they will not be spreading disorder through the sitting area and dining room, which means that any mess is contained and supervision of younger kids is made easier.
For families with a number of younger children and toddlers, a play area is worth considering, which should be made safe from areas where hot food might be prepared.
Kitchen ergonomics have been studied for years and so many space saving devices are on the market now; a design concept is available to suit every lifestyle.
People with more sophisticated requirements might only need to use their kitchen cooking facilities twice in a month but then they cook five courses for fifteen guests.
Modern styles tend to favor open plan living, so entertaining in and around the kitchen would suggest efficient storage and clear spaces are in order to avoid a messy, cluttered look that will be less than impressive for guests.
Innovative kitchen designs now offer customized storage for appliances and in built options for things like eye level grills, microwave ovens, coffee makers and ice machines in addition to the conventional wall mounted ovens.
Better space economies are being made by packing cans into sliding larders and pull-outs and less attractive facilities such as ironing stations and utensils are more discreetly shrouded within walls, in spring-loaded pop-out vertical drawers: all flush, very chic and nothing like the utility and agricultural storage ideas of the past.
Surfaces have come a very long way since the days when a roll of contact paper was stuck to the counter to offer a wipe clean alternative to the wooden bench.
Granite and stone slabs stretch along great lengths, sparkling with coral flecking.
Seamless joins and beautifully finished edges complete the effect of contemporary style and often a beautiful granite or marble slab is utilized in lieu of a dining table to further integrate a kitchen dining area.
Kitchen living has become an art form that inspires innovative and functional design concepts.
Busy single executives run their lives on a cell phone and tend to be visitors in their own kitchens, calling in once a week to make sure the juicer and coffee maker still work! For families who spend a lot of time at home and eat every meal within the family circle, however, a functional kitchen is imperative.
In the waking hours that a child is home, an average of 12 hours per day, at least half of those hours are spent at the kitchen table eating, doing homework or watching TV with the rest of the family.
A kitchen that is poorly fitted and arranged will not accommodate a large family or induce anyone to spend time there.
Paying attention to the appeal of the family kitchen can contribute to the general tidiness of the rest of the house.
If the children are happy to spend their time in the kitchen, it stands to reason that they will not be spreading disorder through the sitting area and dining room, which means that any mess is contained and supervision of younger kids is made easier.
For families with a number of younger children and toddlers, a play area is worth considering, which should be made safe from areas where hot food might be prepared.
Kitchen ergonomics have been studied for years and so many space saving devices are on the market now; a design concept is available to suit every lifestyle.
People with more sophisticated requirements might only need to use their kitchen cooking facilities twice in a month but then they cook five courses for fifteen guests.
Modern styles tend to favor open plan living, so entertaining in and around the kitchen would suggest efficient storage and clear spaces are in order to avoid a messy, cluttered look that will be less than impressive for guests.
Innovative kitchen designs now offer customized storage for appliances and in built options for things like eye level grills, microwave ovens, coffee makers and ice machines in addition to the conventional wall mounted ovens.
Better space economies are being made by packing cans into sliding larders and pull-outs and less attractive facilities such as ironing stations and utensils are more discreetly shrouded within walls, in spring-loaded pop-out vertical drawers: all flush, very chic and nothing like the utility and agricultural storage ideas of the past.
Surfaces have come a very long way since the days when a roll of contact paper was stuck to the counter to offer a wipe clean alternative to the wooden bench.
Granite and stone slabs stretch along great lengths, sparkling with coral flecking.
Seamless joins and beautifully finished edges complete the effect of contemporary style and often a beautiful granite or marble slab is utilized in lieu of a dining table to further integrate a kitchen dining area.
Kitchen living has become an art form that inspires innovative and functional design concepts.