The Family Center Kitchen
The family with kids faces a different set of requirements. While parents share that need for rest and relaxation after a frantic day they may find it in another part of the house, be it a study, master bedroom or a sunporch where they can get away from the kids. The kitchen is family central; the place where dinner is prepared, activities organized, homework done, phones answered and chaos kept under control.
Traffic patterns are important in a kitchen where kids are running:
- Every surface is a potential spot for spreading out a drawing or book
- The cook is besieged with special requests yet needs to stay away from the main traffic flow while handing hot food.
- The way the room connects to other rooms is vital both to avoid jam-ups and to close off areas with French doors when you need a little quiet.
- The flow around the kitchen must work around people sitting at a counter, someone loading a dishwasher or the weekly ritual of putting away bags of groceries to feed numerous mouths.
- Safety is particularly important around children and must be taken into consideration as part of the design process from the beginning:
- Sharp corners
- Limited access to controls for appliances
- Child proof doors
- Safe storage for dangerous chemicals
- Ways to monitor activity in other parts of the house
These are all examples of design issues that will come up. Durability also becomes an important consideration when buying cabinets and appliances. The busy family will beat up on their kitchen in ways that a single or couple may never experience.
Designing for Kids
If you have kids you know that you’re always playing a game of catch up, particularly when it comes to cleaning and storage.
You’ll want:
- Durable, easy to clean surfaces for floors and counters- You should make your surface choices with the knowledge you will want to replace them in a few years as kids get older and (allegedly) neater. Knowing an upgrade is an option will affect your choices of surfacing materials now.
- Stove tops without crevices for food to lodge in
- A reliable dishwasher and a sink with a garbage disposal
- Recycling is important these days in all kitchens and the family kitchen may require a large recycling area.
