Now that Thanksgiving is finished and the holiday season is in full swing, is your kitchen design matching your needs for hosting family and friends? If not, now is the perfect time to consider what you would like to change in your kitchen and to start planning your 2025 kitchen remodel! If you frequently entertain or are the go to place for hosting Thanksgiving or Christmas, then you know that the kitchen is the heart of the home and therefore a focal point for hosting any gatherings. Get your kitchen design right and how it connects to adjacent spaces like the dining and living areas, and hosting will become easier and more enjoyable.
For many homeowners, entertaining family and friends is a key function for their home designs. If this is you, then a functional and stylish kitchen design that caters to entertaining needs is a must have. There are simple design features you can include in your kitchen remodel that not only enhance daily family life, but will also make your home a comfortable and inviting space for guests. Let’s explore some of the top things to consider when designing a kitchen that is geared toward entertaining.
Open Concept Layouts
Since so many people congregate in the kitchen during a party and the host tends to spend time there preparing food, an open concept layout is the natural choice. For a kitchen designed for entertaining, and open plan layout lets you create a seamless flow between the kitchen, dining, and living room spaces. With the right layout, you can easily prepare food, serve, and clean up in one area, all while chatting to your guest and keeping a close eye on the party.
In a multifunctional space like this it is key to incorporate zones for your main functions, including cooking, dining, and relaxing. This lets you have some separation within the open plan so, for example, guests can sit comfortably or refill their drinks without interfering with the cooking area. Use features such as an island or peninsula to help designate these key zones.
Ample Seating Options
Whether you are hosting Thanksgiving dinner or a holiday cocktail party, guest will need a place to sit down during the course of the party. There are many popular seating options that can be easily included in a kitchen design and that enhance entertaining. These include island barstools, dining chairs, banquette seating, and even soft furnishings either in the kitchen or in an adjacent living room.
Ideally when selecting furnishings, choose seating options that are multi-functional to fit the busy nature of the kitchen. Kitchen seating often must take you from breakfast with the kids to a work zoom call, hosting book club, or having dinner with multiple guests. Choose seating that allows you to manage these different settings with ease and that can accommodate the number of guests you would typically host. You should also select seats that balance aesthetics and comfort when choosing your seating options.
Maximized Counter Space
Countertops are essential in a busy kitchen design. You need ample counter space for food preparation, serving, dining, clean up, and more. Your countertops must also balance style and functional needs, as they take up a large surface area in a kitchen and must withstand constant use, moisture, sharp objects, heat, and more. Choose materials that blend durability and style and will last you for the lifespan of the kitchen design, while being easy to maintain. Engineered quartz checks all of these boxes and so is an ideal choice for today’s kitchens.
When creating a kitchen design geared to entertaining, look for ways to extend your countertop space to create more room for food preparation and serving food. In addition to more space, make sure you create zoned areas for work and dining. For example, you may install quartz countertops but include a wooden table top end specifically for dining. In a large kitchen design you could install two islands or an L-shaped island and differentiate them by their countertop materials.
Smart Appliances and Tech
Smart technology is a fact of life these days, and the kitchen is no exception. Everything from kitchen appliances to lighting and entertainment systems can be integrated into your smart home platform.
- Smart lighting lets you easily control light levels and even have pre-saved settings that easily take you from reading recipes to a relaxed dinner party.
- Home entertainment systems can be controlled from your device, letting you play music, stream a movie, or watch football while you spend time with family and friends.
- Smart appliances like ovens, refrigerators, dishwashers, and wine coolers give you greater control over these tools that help you get the most out of your kitchen design.
- Introduce extra features like built-in coffee stations and under-counter beverage refrigerators to enhance your kitchen’s functionality.
Integrate technology without disrupting your kitchen’s design aesthetic to create a space that improves efficiency while looking beautiful.
Lighting for Ambiance
Layered lighting is essential in any home living space, but in a kitchen designed for entertaining you must take special care when planning your lighting design. Incorporate task, ambient, and accent lighting throughout your kitchen and first floor. Include dimmer switches or smart lighting controls that let you set the tone for your space and create a versatile atmosphere. This lets you easily go from daytime to nighttime, and from working in your kitchen to relaxing and socializing. Light fixtures can also serve as stylish focal points when you include statement fixtures like pendant lights over islands or a modern chandelier over a dining table.
Functional Storage Solutions
No kitchen design is complete without storage to keep your kitchen organized, clutter-free, and easy to use. In a space where you often host guests, customized storage is even more important so you can easily keep a supply of everything you need and access items when they are required.
- Start with pantry storage to keep everything organized and a ready supply of key ingredients and snacks. This could be pantry storage within your kitchen cabinets, a pantry closet, or a walk-in or butler’s pantry.
- Include organization accessories like hidden trash and recycling cans, roll out shelves, pull outs, swing out corner shelves, and drawer organizers. These storage features can be customized to your needs and provide a designated home for all your kitchen essentials.
- Decide where to store special holiday items like gadgets, dishware, serving platters, and table linens that you use only for holidays and parties. They could be stored in an upper cabinet in your kitchen cabinet design, on a top shelf in your pantry, or in another location and only brought to the kitchen when needed.
- Include space to elegantly display beautiful glassware or dishes. This could include glass front cabinets, a custom hutch, or open shelves.
Durable and Stylish Finishes
In a busy kitchen design, where you have to manage daily family life and also host visitors, your countertops, cabinets, backsplash, and kitchen flooring must be up to the task. Choose durable finishes that can handle spills and high traffic, plus are easy to clean and maintain.
- Simple, high-quality cabinet doors like slab or Shaker style are both stylish and require minimal upkeep.
- Quartz countertops are an ideal choice for kitchen countertops, as they offer the perfect balance of style and functionality.
- For backsplashes, durable tile is a top choice that lets you create a beautiful feature, or go for a quartz slab backsplash to match your countertops.
Flooring benefits from a material that lasts, looks great, and is easy to clean and maintain. Luxury vinyl in tile or plank form (LVT/LVP) is a top choice that checks all of these boxes. Nothing beats warm hardwood and, while it is susceptible to scratching form heavy use or warping from moisture, it can last for years when properly maintained. It also can be refinished multiple times to extend its lifespan. Porcelain tile is another excellent choice for kitchen floors as it is a durable material and can be easily cleaned.
Adding a Personal Touch
Make your kitchen design your own by adding extra features, decorative accents, and customized accessories that fit your aesthetic, functional needs, and entertaining style. Add a beverage center to transform your open plan kitchen, with a dedicated space for wine and beverage storage, a built in coffee maker, and room to display decorative glassware or your collection of bourbon bottles. A Galley Workstation is an ideal addition to your kitchen set up, which transforms your ordinary kitchen sink into an extraordinary multi-functional culinary tool. With a custom accessory package, a Galley can take you from food preparation to serving to clean up with ease.
Balance the functional needs of your kitchen design with style elements that personalize your space. Open shelving provides room for decorative accessories that add color and texture to your space. Include artwork or favorite family photos on your wall, and create stylish focal points with decorative light fixtures, backsplash patterns, or countertop accessories. Choose elements that reflect your style and remember to not overdo it to avoid clutter.
Create Your Kitchen Design Geared to Entertaining!
Holidays are a fun time of year but we all know that they also can be stressful! An organized, efficient, and stylish kitchen that accommodates both family life and hosting guests makes life in your home easier and more enjoyable.
Planning a kitchen design is an exciting opportunity to reimagine this space at the heart of your home. It allows you to update your style and functionality to create a space that meets your needs and enhances your lifestyle. Contact us today to start planning your 2025 kitchen remodel.
