Making sure that you make the most out of your kitchen space is crucial. If your kitchen is not currently family-friendly, you can end up finding that it is an inconvenient space to be in. To create a family-friendly kitchen, you must establish your needs and requirements. You can do this by monitoring how your family lives and what activities occur in the kitchen daily. For example, through watching, you may find that only a few cabinets in the kitchen are fully used – meaning the others are simply dead space. Or you may find that the kids are constantly searching for snacks and drinks. This may mean you may need to put in a snack bar on the countertops (to ensure they are not constantly raiding cabinets and cupboards).
Give the Kids Their Own Corner
No matter how young or old your kids are, they will want their own space. If you have room in your kitchen, you should try and carve it out in a suitable place. This may be an area where they can sit and do their homework. Or it may be an area that they can retreat to and have a snack or a drink. When you are creating a corner for your kids, try and get their feedback and input. See what they would like to have in space.
Free up Floorspace
How much stuff is currently taking up valuable floor space in your kitchen? Cleaning accessories, empty boxes, and what else can you see? You can find that a kitchen floor can become a bit of a dumping ground if you are not careful. Clearing and freeing up floor space and moving items to a cabinet, cupboard, or countertop will help you feel like you have more space. If there are items on the floor area, they can be dangerous to younger children, and they can be a trip hazard for older children.
Give Yourself and Area – Have a Coffee Pod
So far, you have thought about a lot of things you can do for your kids, but how much do you have that is yours in the kitchen? Why don’t you take a bit of countertop to create your own coffee pod? Having somewhere you can roast or brew your coffee can be life-changing. An area only for adults, and perhaps even for you, is an indulgence, but this is a necessary indulgence in a family home. When you have set up your coffee pod, you will be able to buy single origin coffee, and you will be able to have the syrups and milk that you want. This, of course, means that you won’t have to dash to the coffee shop for your morning latte.
Boost Storage Space
Storage in a family kitchen is essential. If you do not have ample storage solutions, you will end up with large amounts of clutter and mess. You may want to look at adding freestanding storage solutions that you can have alongside your existing kitchen units. Or you may want to look at having storage solutions that fit within cabinets and cupboards. When you boost the storage space, there is no excuse for mess and clutter in the kitchen. You also give all members of the family home the opportunity to contribute towards keeping the family kitchen clean and orderly.
Have Hardwearing Countertops
Family kitchens have to be hardwearing, and they have to stand up against dirt, grime, and heavy use. One area of the kitchen that can be improved is the countertops. Switching wooden or laminate countertops for granite, marble, or quartz will be something that you wish you had done long ago. Wooden and laminate countertops look OK, to begin with, but they can rarely withstand the pressure of a busy family home (even if they are well looked after).