Designing a kitchen is far from easy; designing a kitchen supposed to also serve as a socialising space is quite a challenging task because there are countless factors to consider. You don’t want a kitchen that serves the cooking purpose solely. You need a social space to spend quality time with your family, entertain guests, host dinners, and maybe even work from home. So how can you design such a functional space?
There are countless things to consider for social cooking space, but don’t let yourself feel overburdened because we got your back. We’ll guide you through creating a kitchen that invites people to spend more time indoors.
General info
Before ordering kitchen furniture or appliances, go through the room’s layout, select the colour scheme, and establish the budget. The layout is a vital factor in deciding the vibe and function of the different areas in the room. Suppose you have a small kitchen; you must pay extra attention when establishing the layout. You can use countless strategies to make a small kitchen feel inviting. A social cooking space accommodates both your needs to cook and entertain people, so it would be best if you opted for an open plan that encourages socialising. Depending on the room size, you can also add a kitchen island that can serve as both a cooking area and socialising hub.
The ideal social kitchen has the following features:
- – A kitchen island
- – A prep space (if there is no room for a kitchen island)
- – Plenty of counter space
- – A functional room layout
- – Enough seating
- – An open-space plan
- – Adequate storage
- – High-quality countertops
Additional features that make it more inviting:
- – A bar
- – Open shelving
- – An accent wall
- – Double ovens
Place the kitchen island in the centre of the room to transform it into a focal point
A social kitchen should have a focal point that encourages people to gather together, and if yours incorporates an island, you can easily transform it into the element that captures the attention. An island is an ideal solution to add extra counter space, as it can also be used as a dining area where you can serve meals. Most apartments don’t have a separate dining room, so you must dine in the kitchen. Instead of installing a dining table, opt for an island that can also provide storage space.
When picking the island, remember that its main purpose is to make it easy for you to cook, and only secondly should serve as an entertainment hub. When your friends visit, they can stay on one side of the island while you cook on the other, so they won’t stay in your path when you take supplies from the cupboards or put the food into the oven.
Choose adequate furniture that makes the space look more welcoming and offers adequate storage
In a social kitchen, the furniture plays a major role because it can make or break the mood. Cream kitchens are the ideal choice because warm colours have always made rooms look inviting and could add depth even to small spaces. If you want to transform a small kitchen into a social hub, opt for kitchen units in nude tones, with glossy finishes, and skip the handle ware. However, regardless of the size of the room, ensuring the furniture offers enough storage space is crucial because you want to take everything out of the way to prevent the space from looking crowded. The storage will make it easy to keep the food and cooking supplies in one place. When you have guests over you want the place to look neat, so it’s essential to put the meal preparation tools and even food away. If you leave the things spread around the room, it’ll look cluttered and your guests might not feel comfortable staying there.
Create a bar to serve as a dedicated social area
Adding a bar to the kitchen will immediately transform it into a socialising space. Have a look online, maybe on Pinterest to check some ideas for kitchen bars and decide which one suits your interior the best. Make sure your bar comes with all the necessary accessories like ice buckets, slots for wine bottles, beer bottles, glasses, and a cocktail kit. The bar will add extra counter space and make entertaining your guests between meals easier. The room’s size will determine whether you can add a drink cart. You might have to custom-make the furniture to fit your kitchen flawlessly.
After you install the bar, it’s the moment to explore the seating options. Kitchen stools are ideal for socialising because they encourage people to sit comfortably while serving food and drinking. You can buy them in a set or as single items and mix and match multiple models to create a modern look. Adjustable stools are great options because they allow you to maximise the space in the kitchen and increase your guests’ comfort.
The appliances make a cooking space functional
Your kitchen might be the main room for entertaining people, but you also need appliances in there to store supplies and prepare food. When placing them around the room, make sure they are located in key areas, so you won’t have your back to the guests when you have people over. You can incorporate the oven and sink into the kitchen island so you can easily prepare and cook food while entertaining people. You can also integrate a wine cooler in the bar to be near the seating area, so you can easily serve your clients with a cool glass of wine.
Final words
The kitchen can serve as a great entertainment area, but it depends on how you design its layout and the furniture and appliances you bring inside. Make sure that the seating area is oriented towards the most alluring part of the room and enables your guests to engage with you in the cooking zone.
