Why is the kitchen the heart of a home?
Some say it’s the link to food and nourishment, others feel that it’s a space of nurture. For so many of us, the kitchen is the first place we head to when we return home at the end of the day. But why is it thought of so widely as the heart of a home? And is this why it’s so important to many people to get a kitchen refit design just right for them? We look at what the kitchen brings to our well-being and how to make sure it’s your ideal space.
What do you want in a kitchen?
It’s a modern phenomenon that when buying a new house, people may have a kitchen refit even if the room is perfectly functional. This depends on budgets and circumstances, but the fact remains that we need to have a kitchen that is exactly what we want. Perhaps because we spend so much time in this room, making it the heart of the home. What we want in a kitchen is subjective, but we’ve noticed common factors over the years. And they’re all tied into how the kitchen makes us feel.
Functional
From day to day, the kitchen is a practical space. We use it to provide meals for ourselves and our family. More than one person may be cooking or baking at any one time, so there has to be a functional structure at the core of the room. How do you create a functional space, though? The layout, storage, and utility of the room must all meet your needs.
Social
From evening drinks to afternoon coffee, the kitchen is now where we head to be social. When you select your layout, try to include areas for social interaction to happen. This might be a breakfast bar or integrated soft seating. Most contemporary kitchen designs include an informal dining space. This prevents the kitchen from being cast out from social occasions.
Flexible
The kitchen is a room for anything. So, flexibility is key, and your layout should have dedicated areas that are best suited to work and to rest. The best way to create flexible zoning is through lighting. Configure LED lighting in layers. This can be focussed on specific areas, both over your worktops and in social zones.
Homely
So much family interaction happens in the kitchen; it’s where our days are recapped, homework gets done at the kitchen table, and even the pets make their playful rounds. Why is the kitchen the heart of a home? This lively space is where memories are made and personal touches matter most. With its natural buzz of activity, creating a homely environment becomes essential. Adding statement art, lighting pendants, and cherished photographs not only enhances the stylish design but also makes this room uniquely yours.
Choosing between design schemes
For your kitchen to feel like the heart of your home, it should mirror your unique personality and lifestyle. When you consider a refit, think of it as a blank canvas that offers flexibility to tailor your space exactly how you envision it. You might retain high-quality features like a quartz worktop while completely transforming the ambience to suit your taste. Whether your design leans toward contemporary or traditional and even more refined styles, each choice answers the question, Why kitchen is the Heart of home, by blending functionality with personal expression.
Contemporary
With unfussy lines and clear spaces, a contemporary scheme has the scope to play with when it comes to style. Try reducing the colour palette of the space to have a monochrome or minimalist style. Or introduce a pop of colour for a vibrant and fun modern design.
Traditional
A traditional-style kitchen can be made to feel more rustic by adding country home features. This might be a large farmhouse table, for example, or layering large wooden blocks on a quartz worktop. By adding open shelving, with lots of vintage crockery and accessories on display, the room will feel more bohemian. Give cabinet fronts a lick of pastel paint to give a coastal feel.
How to lay out your kitchen
We’ve already established that we spend a lot of time in the kitchen. But for it to be a relaxed and comfortable heart of our home, the layout and space must be well thought out. What are the most important aspects of this, though?
Storage
Even the smallest kitchens can maximise storage space. If you don’t have a lot of floor area, use the height of the room. Full-height cabinets make use of all available space, and bespoke cabinetry can make use of awkward angles and gaps. Especially in a small space, you want to have as much usable worktop space as possible. In this way, storage has to be one of the most important elements of the layout.
Access
The way we access our storage can affect how usable it is. Tall pull-out pantry cupboards mean that everything is easily in reach. Similarly, extendible corner cupboard baskets mean that you can make use of those traditional tricks to access spaces.
Utilities
While the traditional kitchen triangle can feel like a relic of when the kitchen was predominantly a working space, zoning is still important. The oven and prep worktop space should be close together, and sink areas should be close to the dishwasher. A kitchen island means that zones can be moved between more seamlessly.
Design touches to make it personal
A functional kitchen is one thing, but personality is what makes something appeal to our hearts. How do you give your kitchen a personal edge while still keeping it stylish?
Materials
The quality of materials in your kitchen has a bearing on its overall ambience. For example, choosing a solid marble worktop won’t just give you a low-maintenance, highly durable surface. As it is a natural stone, each mined slab is completely unique.
Statement pieces
It might be a piece of original wall art or designer pendants over a breakfast bar. These statement pieces provide a real ‘wow’ factor that will make you feel happy every time you walk into the room.
As part of a kitchen refit, extension, or update, choosing a stone worktop will keep your kitchen feeling like the heart of your home. Browse our range or visit us.
