Creating a People-Friendly Kitchen

Kitchens are popularly known as the heart of a home. This is because it usually is the center of the home; where meals are prepared to nourish family members, thus giving life and energy to the family. It is also the place where the traditional homemaker spends most of the time. It used to be that stay-at-home moms would prepare wonderful and nourishing meals for the family, catering to many special moments like birthdays, and such. It would also be the place where cuts were healed with home remedies and tears were wiped away from growing children and where stories along with juicy gossip were shared with a hot cup of soothing tea at the kitchen table.

In today's home, the kitchen is merely for cooking when family members are able to get together during weekends or holidays. Kitchens are rarely the center of activity these days as family members are all involved in outside work, school or other activities. When the 'cook' of the family does use the kitchen, he or she usually is alone preparing the meals whilst the other family members are watching television or in their own private sanctuaries, i.e. their rooms.

It is therefore much more important for the kitchen to be connected to the other living areas in order to maintain contact with family members. What with the 'cook' also working full-time, making the kitchen a place for interaction will enable family members to connect with each other during the short moments at home, especially during the prepration of meals, which take a considerable amount of time in itself.

An island, a bar counter or an opening from the kitchen will allow the 'cook' to prepare meals and hold conversations with the rest of the family watching television nearby, yet hide the mess behind higher level counters.

Having a bench, or stools at an island table or counter allows family members or guests to chat with you while you cook. It also doubles up as convenient area for speedy meals, where you can have quick early morning breakfast and meet each other before departure to individual destinations. It can also be a place to catch-up with an after-school snack with younger children, or a place for them to do homework whilst still being supervised by the 'cook'.

A peninsular, or island type dining table, accessible to the kitchen makes an excellent area to get together to enjoy coffee or snacks whilst the main meal is being prepared...



An opening to the cooking area serves also as a counter where family members or guests can watch or sit and chat.