How to design a modern kitchen that is family-friendly and functional
Whether you are in the market for a new kitchen or wish to enhance your current space to fit your needs better, these five suggestions can assist you in optimizing your space to be smart, family-friendly, and functional.
Your family’s requirements change every year, and your kitchen should also adapt to remain useful throughout. As your children grow up and as other family members visit or move in with you, it’s crucial to ensure that your space accommodates multiple generations.
Creating a space that caters to all age groups isn’t solely about appearances—it’s also about functionality. An attractive space that doesn’t improve your workflow or help you stay organized can eventually lead to frustration with your design. That’s why we’ve assembled the following five tips to help you think about both the must-haves and the fun enhancements to consider in your modern kitchen design.
To help you create a kitchen you won’t regret as the years pass, the Rebode Kitchen Jumpstarter tool makes it easy to try out these designs and ideas before starting the build or remodel. By taking our online quiz and sharing your goals, style, design, and budget, you can make the kitchen design process easy and fun in getting started on a remodel that works for the whole family.
Photo from MasterBrand Cabinets.
1. Zone your kitchen for multi-functional use
Whether your household cooks together, hosts game nights, or likes to entertain on the weekends—or all of the above—your kitchen can check all the boxes by simply dedicating zones within the space to fulfill each need.
Understanding your family’s dynamics and organizing items within your kitchen’s layout is key to maintaining order and efficiency. By creating designated work zones, family members can easily locate essentials and swiftly transition between tasks. For instance, a dedicated baking zone within an island can become a centralized hub for all baking supplies, optimizing both space and workflow for avid bakers.
Introduce technology to the kitchen: In today’s digital age, working from home, paying bills online, and completing homework assignments are all common activities that may take place in a common area like the kitchen. By introducing smart storage solutions like charging stations, message centers, or drawer organizers, you can facilitate organization and accessibility and make these tasks easier to complete. Moreover, placing these solutions in peripheral cabinets away from the primary cooking zone ensures a separate and undisturbed area for working.
Put convenience front and center: For families with young children, installing drawers away from the cooking area that offer quick access to snacks, cups, and bowls is ideal. Moreover, a nearby beverage refrigerator can further encourage independence for kids while preventing disruptions during meal preparation. Thoughtful placements like this promote self-sufficiency and convenience for children while keeping them safe and within your line of sight.
Don’t forget about your pets: Kitchen designs can accommodate furry family members, too! You can consider using drawer dividers to store pet accessories and pull-out roll trays for food containers, ensuring easy access and tidiness.
Photo from MasterBrand Cabinets.
2. Optimize kitchen storage
Efficient storage solutions are essential for family-friendly kitchens, promoting organization and accessibility. Simple, yet, effective additions like pull-out roll trays and cutlery dividers can transform your kitchen space. Roll trays facilitate easy access to entire cabinet contents, while cutlery dividers maintain utensil order and streamline meal preparation.
Opt for smart storage features such as pull-out trash cans, food container storage, appliance garages, and a focus on base cabinets over wall cabinets. These elements, conveniently within reach, adapt to your family’s evolving needs and will provide functional storage solutions for years.
Photo from MasterBrand Cabinets.
3. Install optimal lighting
Lighting plays a crucial role in kitchens, and a well-lit space ensures safety and ambiance for your family. Brighten your cooking area by incorporating under-cabinet lighting, and even extend this illumination to glass wall cabinets and under-toekick spaces to create an inviting atmosphere—even during nighttime kitchen activities.
4. Find safe and functional cabinet hardware
In a multi-generational home, kitchen cabinet hardware should be optimized for all of your household members. Easy-to-use pulls that offer a comfortable grip are a good choice, as are cabinets with soft-close hinges that eliminate noisy slamming doors and prevent finger pinches.
5. Emphasize entertainment
When your family has guests over, we recommend dedicating a space away from the working and cooking zones to store serving ware, glasses, and drinks. This practice encourages guests to help themselves and decreases traffic in the busiest areas of your kitchen. You can also consider installing a large working island with lots of seating to promote togetherness and fun.
Getting started
Planning your kitchen around multiple generations takes work, but with the right preparation and partners, it can be an exciting and rewarding process. Rebode Kitchen Jumpstarter can help you start your remodeling journey with our design experience that helps you refine your style and connects you with local kitchen designers.