How To Make The Kitchen The Heart Of The Home

The kitchen always used to be the heart of the home but there was a period of time where we would direct guests to a more comfortable area such as the living room. Now that people are once again getting into home-cooked food, great company and good conversation, everyone is gravitating back to the kitchen.

Warm Environment

If you are lucky enough to have a heat storage cooker then this instantly warms up your kitchen making it particularly inviting when it’s chilly outside. If you are more into contemporary appliances then perhaps invest in something such as underfloor heating.

Plenty of Seating

If you want your guests to relax in the kitchen while you cook or prepare drinks, give them somewhere to sit as this means they won’t get under your feet while you work.

A separate lounge area as part of your kitchen is the best bet but failing that, a dining table and a few chairs will suffice.

Light

A bright, airy room with a lot of natural light will instantly cause guests to congregate. If there’s no way of allowing more natural light into your kitchen (with a roof lantern or skylight, for example) then you’ll need to make the most of what you’ve got.

Keep the colour scheme pale and simple to reflect the natural light. You should also have adequate artificial lighting for when it gets dark outside.

Food and Drink

At a party, the guests will congregate in the area where there’s food and drink. Get some little bowls you can fill with nibbles and set up a bar area in the kitchen. This means that even when you’re not having a party, guests will still head to the kitchen as that’s where the good stuff usually is.

Great Décor

If your kitchen looks nice and is a pleasure to be in then people will want to spend time there. A simple colour scheme is best for this, as are natural materials. If you have a tiled floor, make sure there’s underfloor heating or you should go for good quality stone that doesn’t get too cold underfoot.

The layout will also determine how comfortable your kitchen is to spend time in. If you have a long, narrow galley kitchen then it’s not going to be the best place for socialising. However, if you have a wide, open kitchen with a breakfast bar and lots of seating, it’ll be much easier for people to socialise.

This is definitely something to take into account if you’re buying a new house and love throwing parties.

Music

In every day life, there should be something going on in the kitchen. Even if you’re not hosting a party, if there’s music in the kitchen, that’s where people will go. This is true even if you just have a friend or two over for coffee.