When you’re hosting a party, your guests are always going to gather in the kitchen, no matter how inviting your living room is, which is why you should design a kitchen that’s ideal for entertaining. That way, you can cook and serve your guests with ease. These design tips can work to make your kitchen more inviting, no matter how big (or small) your space is.
Look at Your Layout
Sure, you might spend a lot of time there, but have you ever given much thought to how your kitchen flows? Observe the area to see where you might have some dead space that can be utilized to offer guests some seating. Or, if you have a rolling island that is stuck straight up against the wall, you might consider centering it in the room so that your guests can gather around it.
Make It Match
Ideally, your kitchen should be an extension of the rest of your home, and in particular, the rooms surrounding it. If you already have an open floor plan, make sure that your design flows with the entire space. Having a cohesive look will allow for greater flow and continuity between the spaces. And if your kitchen becomes too crowded, guests will naturally overflow into adjacent areas of your home without feeling like they’re not a part of the party.
Maximize Your Island
Yes, your kitchen island might be used to prep food, but it can serve other purposes, too. Once you’ve finished cooking, you can use it to serve your food or even turn it into a wet bar to serve drinks. Simply set out some bar stools and you’ll have guests gathering there in no time.
Be Strategic About Storage
Kitchens contain lots of items. But the last thing you want is for your kitchen to feel cluttered, especially during a party. So, once you’ve cleared some of the clutter from your kitchen (i.e. those 20 mismatched coffee cups that are clogging your cabinets), you should start thinking about how you want to store the rest of your kitchen items.
Think About the Everyday
While you want a kitchen that can comfortably (and stylishly) host a party, you also need to focus on how your space needs to function on an everyday basis, too. Determine how food needs to be stored, and the ease of access that you want your children to be able to have for things like snacks, plates, and cutlery. That way, your kitchen won’t feel so chaotic and will meet the needs of your family and friends.
Making your kitchen ideal for entertaining means that your space will work, whether you’re hosting a dinner party for 20 or simply making dinner for your family. The features that you choose to include in your space should function for everyday use as well as your entertaining needs, too.
