Family-Friendly Kitchen Design Ideas

Family-Friendly Kitchen Design Ideas

Parents and kids in a family-friendly kitchen

The contemporary kitchen is no longer only a place to prepare meals. Today’s kitchens, often located in the center of the house, serve numerous functions besides making meals. Families frequently use the area for dining, socializing, and resting, so selecting a concept that suits your lifestyle is critical. You should make it a comfortable spot for each member of your group – so you can prep meals while doing homework with your kids and keeping an eye out for the little ones while chatting with your teenager. Sounds tricky? Well, not with the list of family-friendly kitchen design ideas we have prepared for you!

Benefits of spending time in the kitchen as a family

There are several advantages to spending time together in the kitchen. According to research, sharing a meal with your family can have a variety of benefits, such as:

  • Improved academic performance and verbal skills in children.
  • Enhanced and deepened family connections as a result of family conversations
  • The capacity to eat better and more nutritious foods.
  • Reduced likelihood of youth participating in high-risk activities.
  • Less emotional stress as a result of a greater support network.

You can use our following family-friendly kitchen design tips to make this room a place your family will spend more time together and enjoy all the benefits that it entails. 

Ideas for creating a family-friendly kitchen design

Consider who will be using the room. How big is your family? Do you have children that are toddlers or teenagers? Is it likely that everyone will eat at the same time? These questions should determine the arrangement and design of your kitchen. To manage a large family, you don’t need a huge kitchen; a smart design can help you maximize space. 

Surfaces suitable for kids

Kids will leave an imprint on your kitchen’s working surfaces, no matter what age they are. Thus, you need to assess endurance and wipeability when selecting a countertop material for a family-friendly kitchen. Because it is less porous, a quartz countertop is an excellent alternative to granite. Laminate has long been the preferred choice of parents because of its durability and affordability. Premium products nowadays ensure that style and quality are not compromised for the sake of cost.

Open the space up

Who doesn’t like the thought of living in an open-concept home? A modern open-plan, which goes further than the kitchen-diner, replaces the traditional dining room and sitting area with a single, versatile space with food at its center. 

The primary purpose of designing an open-plan family kitchen is to increase social interaction. Parents may make meals while conversing with their youngsters, assisting them with homework, and keeping an eye on television or internet usage. When entertaining friends, the homeowners may engage with their guests while serving food and beverages and reducing walls will allow for more visitors and furniture.

Improve the layout

A typical strategy for keeping order in a multi-use family room is dividing the space into various cooking, eating, and lounging zones. To assist in identifying the purpose of each zone, you can use diverse kitchen flooring, ornamental light fixtures, or color combinations. However, don’t lose track of the design concept cohesiveness. Complementary forms, fabrics, or textures throughout the area will aesthetically connect the space.

Practical kitchen islands

Many people dream of having a kitchen island to complete the ideal family area. You want to ensure there’s enough prep room and seating for the whole family, determined by the size of your kitchen. So, when preparing for a kitchen remodel and picking a new island, consider what you want beneath it, too. It’s perfect for storage space under the counter. If you want a sink or stove on top, make sure there’s enough room for electrics and plumbing and that you can walk about easily. If you don’t have much space, try a floating or open island that won’t be as blocky.

A good-sized island can be anywhere from 6.5 to 10ft long and 3.5 to 4.5ft broad. Allow at least 3ft of room around the island, and note that not all stools fold exactly in, so keep the wiggle-room in mind when taking the measures. 

Incorporate storage space

A family-friendly kitchen requires a large storage capacity to fit all kitchenware, pantry items, and cookware. Traditional storage areas, such as walk-in pantries, functional cabinets, drawers, and pot racks, should be incorporated into your design. Ensure you have two types of storage: one that only you have access to and one that your children may use.

Make room for harmful cleaning products or other goods you don’t want to fall into the wrong hands in hard-to-reach spots while also providing space for areas your children can manage. You can mark the places for their items. It can be a shelf or an entire cabinet. Then attempt to instill new habits by encouraging them to keep them organized. 

While your kids are small or when prepping your kitchen for renovation, it’s important to pack up your fragile items for storage and put away the breakables. This will save you from a lot of stress while worrying over your invaluable china or your great-grandma’s fine porcelain. 

Spark up that creativity

If your youngster has an artistic nature, you may discover that there isn’t enough space for their newest masterpiece on the refrigerator. As a result, why not set up a showcase area?

You may either display your child’s triumphs on the wall or use them as a painting. Many parents add a blackboard in the kitchen to provide their kids with a space they may draw on, sparing the rest of the home from being damaged by their creative prowess. 

Create a study nook in your family-friendly kitchen

As we’ve mentioned, one of the main benefits, and at the same time goals of a family-friendly kitchen design, is creating a space where your kids can learn or do homework along your side. So, creating a special study nook in the room will accomplish just that. You don’t need much – the study nook can be constructed to your exact specifications in size and style, and it may be possible to match it to the rest of your cabinetry. 

And now, all that’s left to do is to get in touch with expert interior designers in NYC and let them make your dreams a reality. We hope you and your little ones will enjoy this new space in your loving home!