Balancing luxury design with family-friendly spaces
The kitchen has undergone a huge transformation over the decades. Instead of simply being the place to prepare meals, it has become the integral hub of the modern household. To adapt to this new way of living, contemporary kitchens are often open plan and flow into other areas of the home.
When designing your kitchen, considering family-friendly features may seem a bit of a compromise to any luxurious or extravagant details you would like to include, however, this is not necessarily the case. At David Lisle Kitchen Design, we have put much thought and consideration into finding the exact harmony in stylish and luxurious kitchens that function perfectly in the busiest of households.
ISLANDS
If you have kids, making sure your kitchen is safe and hardy is an absolute must. But it can make you feel slightly limited when it comes to creative execution. Central islands are the perfect solution. They can act as a natural breakout area for the children to sit while you cook, out of harm’s way but still a part of the activity. The key things to consider are the height of the island and the seating. For example, islands at full-height may require stools that are backed and stable.
Furthermore, consider creating a curve in your island to allow a more natural group dynamic. You can find out more about why in our post “Why a Curved Island Matters”.
With both high-backed island seating and a lower adjoining table, children of varying ages can get involved comfortably and safely in this minimalist kitchen.
LOUNGE AREAS
If you don’t fancy the idea of an island, another great option is a lounge area. Creating cosy corners at one end of the room, furnished with plush sofas and chairs in a cafe-style arrangement makes things feel snug, and gets rid of some of the more hard, sharp edges if you have a boisterous family on your hands.
This lounge is far enough away from the cooking area to ensure no accidents can occur, whilst still within clear, easy view from the kitchen.
SUBTLE EXTRA DETAILS
A few small, unnoticeable details can go a long way in ensuring a safe family space. Soft closing doors are a clever way of protecting fingers from getting trapped, and child-proof hobs ensure no accidents can occur.
If you’re a family with young children, rounding the corners of countertops and running bar-shaped handles vertically as opposed to horizontally make a great deal of difference when it comes to the bumping-of-heads, without compromising your aesthetic and preferences.
This kitchen pairs soft, round, edgings with a handleless design to reduce accidents to a minimum, whilst giving a sleek, elegant feel to the design.
The beauty of bespoke design is that any of these features and more can be implemented in your kitchen to your specifications, and at David Lisle Kitchen Design, we pride ourselves on finding the perfect balance between form and function in our clients’ kitchens.
