Kitchens haven’t always been the hub for entertaining that we know and love today. If you were to go back to the fifties and sixties, having guests come into the kitchen during a dinner party would be unthinkable, but with open concept kitchens becoming the standard, hanging out in the kitchen has become the go-to spot for entertaining. Creating a space that is entertainment-friendly, while also being functional for day-to-day use can be a little bit tricky, but if it’s done right, you’ll have a beautiful space that works any hour of the day. Scroll to find out what our expert designers recommend for the perfect entertaining space.
Don’t Underestimate The Power of Adjustable Kitchen Lighting
When it comes to your entertaining space, having bright lighting isn’t the best design decision. Having light fixtures that offer multiple settings (brights for cooking and late-night homework) and softer mood lighting for entertaining does wonders for your space. As you can see in the photo above from one of our recent projects, this kitchen has multiple options for lighting, and a dimmer attached to each so that our clients are able to adjust the lighting as they see fit.
Make Your Kitchen Island The Star of The Show
One of the great things about a kitchen island is the ability for you and your guests to be almost at eye level. This allows you to involve your guests while you are preparing food, and gives them a place to hang out that is less formal than the dining area.
Invest In A Bar Fridge
Unless you’ve decided to do a deep clean right before having guests over, it’s likely that you wouldn’t be thrilled with everyone opening up your fridge and seeing what’s inside. Having a bar/drinks fridge is the perfect solution. Drink fridges keep wine and other beverages at the perfect temperature and allow for guests to help themselves. There are many different options for where to put a fridge like this but we generally recommend:
Built into your coffee nook:
Built into the kitchen island:
On its own as a showpiece:
Layout & Seating Is An Essential Element
If your home is open concept, consider where you are going to place things like the kitchen table and the living room furniture so that you can easily interact with your guests from the kitchen. In this example, this kitchen has three separate seating areas that allow six-eight people to sit and flow through the room easily.
When it comes to kitchen renovation, there are so many moving parts to think about. From design, to color choice, to storage, working with a team of professionals ensures that you get the result and the functionality that you want.