Back in the day, it was the kitchen table that was the heart of the home. The place where you did your homework, dad read the paper and family meetings and meals where held around that centre of the kitchen. Times have changed though, these days everyone wants an ‘island’ in the kitchen, and in some cases, the table has been replaced completely with a breakfast bar/island. If you are planning on re-designing your kitchen, you might want to take a moment to think about what works for you and your family before you renovate.
An All-Purpose Island
An island in the middle of the kitchen is like a magnet, it gathers everyone towards it to just hang out, chat, lean and nibble. It becomes the heart of the kitchen. It gives the kitchen a more casual feel when you have gatherings or parties. This type of central island makes the perfect gathering spot; a couple of stools to hang out on and the cook has an audience to interact with. At special times of the year before everyone gathers at the formal table in the dining room the kitchen island is where everyone hangs out and conversations take place, help is offered to the cook and lovely warmth is generated.
A great advantage of a kitchen island is the addition of some fantastic space for storage. You can create shelves for those special collectibles, or space for all you cookbooks. Need extra cupboards for all your kitchen gadgets? An island is the perfect solution. There are islands that incorporate a second sink and prep area, islands that have marble tops for the baker in the family. An island allows more people to be involved in the cooking and preparation of food that brings a family together.
A Kitchen Table
There is no doubting the benefits of a classic kitchen table. For many of us it is full of memories of our own childhood. On a practical level it was the divider between the kitchen and the living area and even with the smallest of kitchens a table can usually be fitted in a definite advantage to an island because to install an island you need to make sure you have 36″ inches of space all the way around. The kitchen table takes up far less space than this.
A kitchen table can also be considered good for your health as well. That perfect moment of the day when the family unwinds and eats together, talks about their day, and generally relaxes from the stress of school, work and responsibilities. This time is invaluable to any modern family and helps create better communication and works to bind the family together.
Decision time
There’s no real debate here your kitchen is a personal space and what works for you is the most important thing. If your kitchen is big enough and you want an island let, us help design you the perfect island. You can also incorporate a kitchen table into your design or simply design a smaller space with a comfortable table included or even banquette seating and a table. Yours and your family needs are the priority and designing your kitchen with the family and social interaction at the heart of it are our priority.
