Are you the family member or friend that everyone always turns to to host a dinner party at their house? Is it you who always struggles whilst making the food because your kitchen’s design just isn’t suitable for entertaining a large group? We understand and are here to offer you some advice so that when you come to designing your kitchen for entertaining you have a variety of helpful tips to consider.
Consider The Layout
First, to build a kitchen for entertaining, you should focus on the room’s layout so that there is enough space for guests to sit and not get in the way of cooking. This might mean dividing the cooking and dining zones with a kitchen island or peninsula so that the host can continue to cook and socialise with their guests as they do so.
Gather Round Your Kitchen Island
Having a kitchen island, or even a double kitchen island, is useful for several reasons. They provide ample storage space and serve as a brilliant epicentre of our kitchens- the perfect place to put on a tasty buffet spread.
For extra seating when you are entertaining your array of guests, add some bar stools to keep your guests comfortable and consider decorating the areas with seasonal flower displays or your favourite ornaments that have been handed down your family tree.
Kitchen islands are brilliant additions to any kitchen- you would be silly not to consider one.
Storage
Although it is one of the less glamorous features of a kitchen designed for entertaining, storage is vital. You need places to keep your plates, cutlery, glasses and much more. So, why not install glazed wall cupboards to show off your favourite wine glasses or a pantry cupboard to keep your cooking ingredients hidden and out of the way of your worktops? The better you organise your storage space, the better your entertaining space will be!
Appliances
If you are designing a kitchen with entertaining in mind, you should first consider the appliances you would find useful. We would recommend a warming drawer which keeps your food at the optimum temperature and stays fresh whilst you simultaneously prepare other dishes.
In addition, for all chilled goods it is always worthwhile having ample refrigerator space to keep them cool and at the right temperature. But, to really wow your guests, and keep the cool drinks flowing throughout the day and night, a wine fridge makes a great option to keep all of you jolly throughout the dinner party, or a Quooker tap with endless ice-cold sparkling water.
Create a Beautiful Ambiance With Lighting
We sometimes underestimate the importance of lighting in our kitchen. To create a soft ambience in your kitchen why not consider lighting the space with candles to create a warm glow?
Instead, pendant lights hanging over the kitchen island and dining areas are good ways to draw attention to the entertaining zone of your kitchen. In addition, ceiling spotlights light your whole room, and with a dimmable remote or switch, you can choose the exact level you would like to adapt to the ambience.
Think Back To When You Entertained Last
When designing your new kitchen for entertaining is always helpful to remember the last time you entertained. What features did you find yourself using the most and was there anything you wished you had to make your life easier?
Make notes of these to ensure you don’t miss anything and that your next gathering goes off without a hitch!