design a kitchen for entertaining

Kitchens for entertaining

These days, many kitchens are positioned right in the middle of the living space – they function as the heart of the home where you can cook, read, relax, help with homework, listen to music and… entertain.

As more and more kitchens are unshackled from the confines of four walls and are let loose into open plan designed homes, they are increasingly becoming the central point for family and guests. Kitchens are home to weeknight family meals and a place that promotes indoor-outdoor flow. 

Below are some top tips on designing a kitchen that’s great for entertaining.

The space

The best kitchens for entertaining are roomy and are based on an open floor plan with the kitchen and dining areas opening up to the living room. This allows you to cook and spend time with your guests. Many modern kitchens incorporate a dining area instead of having the two separated.

Kitchen island benchtops

A kitchen island benchtop gives you plenty of work space, storage space and most importantly is ideal for those big family gatherings. Kitchen islands are an easy, effective way to increase your bench space and can be used to house a second sink, dishwasher or even an oven. 

The island benchtop can be used in place of the family dining table for relaxed dinners during the week.  When entertaining guests, they can enjoy a glass of wine and a chat while you finish preparing dinner.

After dinner, island benchtops are the perfect space to set up a bar! 

Wine racks

Incorporating wine racks into your kitchen design can create a feature in its own right. Check out our kitchen gallery to see some kaboodle kitchens that have great wine rack configurations.

The working triangle

When designing the layout of your kitchen, try and focus on functionality and the positioning of sinks, ovens, cooktops and refrigerators in relation to each other. This makes it easier to move about a busy kitchen, which is essential when entertaining! A good rule to base your kitchen design on is the working triangle which positions working zones in a triangle with a 1.2m space apart – for more information visit our kitchen layouts page.

The finish

Installing plenty of kitchen cabinets gives you the storage to hide appliances away and creates more space when you have guests around for dinner. 

Lastly, finish your kitchen with soft close or push to open hardware and eliminate unnecessary slamming of doors and drawers. 

Check out our kitchen gallery and note down some of your favourite ideas when designing your next kitchen.