The Entertaining Kitchen
Kitchens and entertaining go hand in hand. Whether it’s an informal conversation over a cup of coffee or a formal dinner party, we’ve all found that guests gravitate towards the kitchen, perhaps drawn by the desire to be closer to the action.
Social Space and Working Space
The entertaining cook needs space. Counter space, storage space, cooking surface space, baking space and room to maneuver prepared food from one space to another. Often the cook will want to interact with guests during preparation, turning the kitchen into a combination social and work space. In that case you may need room for drinks or a bar, unobtrusive speakers for music and an area with a few stools or other seating, all separated from the busy food preparation areas. Often an island or peninsula counter can serve as a divider that allows the cook to socialize while preparing and serving food.
Designing for Caterers
Other considerations for frequent entertaining include the possibility of turning your kitchen over to others including caterers who bring in prepared food and ready it for serving on the premises and professional cooks who use your kitchen to prepare a custom dinner. While rare, it is possible that those who entertain larger groups often may need to consider the needs of these professionals including easy access from outside, large areas of table or counter space for prepping and a clean-up area that can handle large pans, trays and quantities of dishes. The pathways from preparation to dining areas need to be easily traversed with serving dishes while maintaining enough separation to keep noise down. All of these considerations must be dealt with at the beginning of the design process.
