Most of us love to spend our weekends and evenings with our nearest and dearest, and our perfect home would allow all of these special people to gather for special occasions, celebrations or just a relaxed catch-up.
If you enjoy hosting parties, having large family gatherings, or friends over for dinner, you’ll surely be dreaming of the perfect entertaining-ready kitchen.
The ideal space would involve plenty of room for your guests to relax and socialize comfortably, but also plenty of space for you to prepare, cook up and serve a feast.
However, just having a large room and big appliances is not enough; there’s far more to think about. There are lots of details that need to be correct to make any party or gathering go smoothly, and be enjoyable for the cook as well as the guests.
Not only should your kitchen be functional, but to set the right mood for parties and gatherings, it needs to be dazzlingly stylish, too — certainly a tricky balance to get right.
The key is to plan carefully and thoroughly. So, here are 5 fundamental things to consider when designing a kitchen for entertaining.
1. Create distinct zones
Specific working and entertaining zones are absolutely essential.
You’ll need lots of space for your guests to sit comfortably, and be able to move freely, mingle and chat.
Don’t confine your working space to a tiny corner either: there needs to be a balance. Make sure you’ll have room for the appliances you need and plenty of bench space for preparation and serving up.
2. Plan for easy workflow
Every party needs a relaxed, happy host. Make sure the practical areas minimize work, fuss and mess to keep food preparation stress-free.
Areas for storing food, preparation, cooking, serving and cleaning up need to be very carefully thought through, and placed correctly. In the ideal entertainer’s kitchen, you should be able to flow easily from one area to the next during food preparation, without constantly zigzagging across the floor space.
Place your food storage area (pantry and refrigerator) next to the food prep area. Keep all the equipment you need for prep work, such as knives and small utensils, close by or under the working area. Your kitchen should then flow round to the adjacent cooking area with…
