Home for the Holidays: Designing a Kitchen Intended for Gathering
December – when Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Eve make up nearly a month long celebration. It’s the time of year closely associated with gratitude, giving and spending precious moments with loved ones, especially with friends and family around the kitchen. While these spaces have evolved over time with regard to design and functionality, what’s remained consistent is that they’ve been the focal point for gatherings dating back roughly 80 years.
That’s certainly the case during the holiday season, since thoughtful cuisine is undoubtedly a symbol of a celebration internationally across cultures. And, if you’re designing and building an incomparable custom home, the heart of it all – the kitchen – should evoke an experience not only for you but for your guests. Here are several few ways this space can become the central spot for your holiday occasions.
Social Kitchens: An Open Floor Plan With Seamless Flow
Around the holidays, and throughout the year, kitchens are the focal point for not only cooking large spreads but also mingling among friends and family. Closed-off spaces began to fall out of popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s, ushering in the demand for more “social kitchens” – open designs that remain highly appealing today, allowing guests to easily move across the living area and still feel involved in the feast being prepared.
Explore Lee Wetherington Homes’ kitchen photo gallery and you’ll notice a seamless flow between the great room, dining area, and sweeping island and ample cooking space. Connection and comfort are crucial aspects in designing a conversation-starting kitchen – and open concepts undoubtedly create an inviting ambience amid special moments and everyday life.
Kitchen Islands With Swathes of Counterspace
Islands have become the centerpiece of the kitchen, and they’re only growing in size as the need for more space for cooking and entertaining continues to rise. In fact, Houzz’s 2024 Kitchen Trends Study showed that over two in five homeowners are opting for islands that are seven feet or longer.
Not only does an oversized island, featured in our many custom homes and models, provide space for four, five – even six – seats, but also standing room beside an expansive spread of hors d’oeuvres and real estate for prepping multiple dishes. Over the holidays, it’s a natural place to congregate, and with thoughtfully designed storage space and built-in appliances just a reach away underneath the counter, culinary creativity remains uninterrupted.
The Fun and Functionality of a Beverage Station
Special occasions call for libations and having a space specifically for mixing your and your guests’ drinks of choice has become a must-have, especially near the cheerful commotion in the kitchen. Beverage stations, featuring a refrigerator, cabinetry, counterspace and a sink, can up any custom home’s entertainment capabilities and gives your family and loved ones easy access to wine, beer, cocktails, nonalcoholic drinks – whatever eclectic tastes may be.
Not only are drink stations impeccably functional, but also allow foot traffic to easily flow off the side of the dining area and kitchen. And, as the night winds down, these spaces can become prime real estate for brewing and serving coffee.
Innovative Storage Options for Easy Organization
Organization is crucial in the kitchen, particularly when it’s time to host. Deep walk-in pantries not only provide space for non-perishable food and various ingredients but also dishes that aren’t readily needed. In fact, spacious butler’s pantries, incorporating cookware, countertops, cabinetry, prep sinks and appliances, have become increasingly popular again, one reason being because open kitchens tend to accentuate messes.
From cabinetry, featuring beautiful integrated lighting, to secluded spaces just steps away from the oversized island, there are a number of options available for keeping a tidy home, leaving your focus solely on connecting with the people who matter most.
