The Working Couple’s Kitchen
The Working Couple’s Kitchen
The working couple without children is a uniquely late 20th century phenomenon. With both adults holding responsible jobs or running their own businesses, time and organization become vital to their well-being. Simply getting up and out the door each morning, working all day and finding time to spend together require a degree of personal scheduling that was much different when families had one income provider. In the home, the kitchen is often the common meeting spot in the morning, after work and as a place to entertain and relax.
A kitchen designed for this lifestyle has to cope with several challenges:
- It must be easy to clean and set up for preparation of quick meals.
- A place to settle down for a moment of relaxation over coffee in the morning or a drink during dinner preparation gives the harried owners a chance to regroup.
- If they entertain the kitchen may double as bar, buffet, a place for some serious cooking or simply a gathering spot for a few friends.
- You’ll probably find a number of timesaving appliances like microwaves, espresso machines, a food processor and other easy to use and clean tools.
- Stereo speakers and a TV may offer a chance to catch the news or listen to music while cleaning up.
There are other design issue unique to the Working Couple’s kitchen:
- Traffic patterns in a kitchen designed for two people are simpler than those found in a kitchen designed for a family.
- You can get away with narrower aisles or a smaller space.
- With no children around, the pace may be a little slower and the style a little more cutting edge.
- It’s likely that the design will be oriented towards a more minimal, cleaner look than the frantic family kitchen constantly hosting new projects for school or play.
- Lighting and mood are different and variable. In the morning a bright source of natural light can help get the owners up and alert. In the evening the lighting can vary from bright task lighting to dramatic mood lighting for a party or just relaxing.
The focus is on instant comfort, ease of use and creation of a place to relax and lower stress levels.
