Kitchens for Entertaining

‌Most of us want to enjoy time in our homes with family and friends, and having a kitchen suitable for visiting guests is necessary whether it’s for food preparation and cooking, and or, as a dining and entertaining space.

Here are some things worth considering when planning a kitchen for entertaining.

Open Plan

Open plan kitchens lend themselves to being great entertaining spaces, because they allow room and movement for more people. Plus, if you’re busy preparing food, you don’t need to be behind a closed door, missing out on the fun.

Choosing durable materials for floors and worktops is necessary to keep things looking great if you have plenty of visitors.

Islands and Seating

A kitchen island can be a real every day bonus in your kitchen, but when entertaining it can become a central focus, a gathering point with stools, a cocktail bar, or a place to layout a sumptuous buffet.

Seating, particularly in open plan designs, doesn’t always need to be a traditional dining table and chairs. Integrated seating and tables can make efficient use of space, while providing more comfort.

Appliances and Storage

Double Ovens and Range cookers such as the Lacanche models can allow you to cook more easily for larger groups of people, while a Quooker tap can remove the pain point of making multiple hot drinks.

While on the subjects of drinks, keeping even a few bottles of wine chilled can be a problem when you have a fully stocked fridge, so a dedicated drinks fridge can really help with all those extra wine bottles, beers and soft drinks needed for thirsty guests.

Extraction should be carefully considered and if an overhead extractor is going to be too intrusive there are other options available such as down draft surface extractors.

If you’re entertaining you’ll want to keep things neat and tidy, so you need decent storage options. A Larder can provide not just practical food storage, but an area to contain smaller appliances, such as coffee machines, toasters or even microwaves.

Zoning and Lighting

Having distinct areas within a kitchen can be a bonus at any time, providing a study area or just a relaxed seating area for impromptu breaks. A partition can be naturally formed by the shape of the room, an island or open shelving.

Lighting can also help zone an area with bright practical lighting for food preparation and more relaxed mood lighting for dining and seating areas. Consider also wall colour and flooring.

Whatever your requirements may be, contact Simon's today to help design and build your perfect kitchen for entertaining.