How child-friendly is your new kitchen?
Your kitchen needs to work well for all members of the family, which includes your children. Not all features of stunning designer kitchens are suitable or safe for littler ones, so you may need to make a few adjustments and compromises to create a truly family-friendly space.
Here are a few handy tips to start you thinking along the right lines:
Islands can work really well for families
A kitchen island is not just a kitchen design trend that simply refuses to go away. It is also a very useful part of the layout of the space, one that streamlines and directs traffic flow in the kitchen. Having an island minimises the chances of kitchen users crossing paths so often, and they can also be extremely child-friendly by keeping little ones out of the cooking zone but still within your sight. They sit at one side of the island drawing, doing homework or socialising, and you can cook in peace on the other.
Curves are king
Sharp edges and corners are the last thing you want when small children are around, so why not go for units and worktops with lovely curved edges? No one bumps their head, catches a hip or snags their clothing on a curve, and they’re aesthetically pleasing and on-trend too.
Matte finishes are more practical
You may have your heart set on a stunning gloss finish for your unit doors and drawer fronts, but you’ll soon realise that matte may have been the more practical choice. Gloss units look great until sticky hands come along and ruin the sleek effect, whereas matte surfaces conceal the dirt well.
How durable is the worktop?
As your children get older, they may want to ‘help’ with the cooking. This inevitably means lots of scratches, dents and marks on your worktops, which also end up drawn on, scraped and scuffed no matter how old your children are. This is why it is extremely important to go for a super durable worktop such as granite or if budget is a factor, a good quality laminate.
Give them their own space
If you don’t want your children to scribble on your units or otherwise make a mess, give them their own space. You can build in portable low level ‘mini kitchen’ counter for them to play, as well as making good use of blackboard paint so they can draw and write to their heart’s content without spoiling the finish of the kitchen.
Safety first
When it comes to appliances, induction hobs are recommended as the safest for homes with children – as they heat the pan rather than the hob surface. Wall-mounted knife racks are a good choice too, leaving no danger of children pulling a knife block down on top of them by accident.
For expert advice and help with installing all of the elements of your dream, family-friendly kitchen, get in touch with the specialist team at A&J Kitchen Fitters.
Your kitchen needs to work well for all members of the family, which includes your children. Not all features of stunning designer kitchens are suitable or safe for littler ones, so you may need to make a few adjustments and compromises to create a truly family-friendly space.
Here are a few handy tips to start you thinking along the right lines:
Islands can work really well for families
A kitchen island is not just a kitchen design trend that simply refuses to go away. It is also a very useful part of the layout of the space, one that streamlines and directs traffic flow in the kitchen. Having an island minimises the chances of kitchen users crossing paths so often, and they can also be extremely child-friendly by keeping little ones out of the cooking zone but still within your sight. They sit at one side of the island drawing, doing homework or socialising, and you can cook in peace on the other.
Curves are king
Sharp edges and corners are the last thing you want when small children are around, so why not go for units and worktops with lovely curved edges? No one bumps their head, catches a hip or snags their clothing on a curve, and they’re aesthetically pleasing and on-trend too.
Matte finishes are more practical
You may have your heart set on a stunning gloss finish for your unit doors and drawer fronts, but you’ll soon realise that matte may have been the more practical choice. Gloss units look great until sticky hands come along and ruin the sleek effect, whereas matte surfaces conceal the dirt well.
How durable is the worktop?
As your children get older, they may want to ‘help’ with the cooking. This inevitably means lots of scratches, dents and marks on your worktops, which also end up drawn on, scraped and scuffed no matter how old your children are. This is why it is extremely important to go for a super durable worktop such as granite or if budget is a factor, a good quality laminate.
Give them their own space
If you don’t want your children to scribble on your units or otherwise make a mess, give them their own space. You can build in portable low level ‘mini kitchen’ counter for them to play, as well as making good use of blackboard paint so they can draw and write to their heart’s content without spoiling the finish of the kitchen.
Safety first
When it comes to appliances, induction hobs are recommended as the safest for homes with children – as they heat the pan rather than the hob surface. Wall-mounted knife racks are a good choice too, leaving no danger of children pulling a knife block down on top of them by accident.
For expert advice and help with installing all of the elements of your dream, family-friendly kitchen, get in touch with the specialist team at A&J Kitchen Fitters.
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