5 Tips for Designing a Kitchen for Entertaining

Love to entertain but don’t have a kitchen that makes it easy? We can help you transform your kitchen – you may just become a Masterchef whizz without all that stress and pressure!

 

With over 15 years experience, Jag Kitchens knows what it takes to design and install a kitchen that helps make your entertaining effortless. Whether its casual family drop-ins, Christmas at your place this year, or the annual PTA mid-winter event – lets make entertaining more simple and less stressful.

Here are 5 top tips to consider from our Kitchen Design Consultants if you would like your kitchen to help you deliver enviable and effortless entertaining.

1. Keep your kitchen design simple, flowing and spacious.

It’s easy to add too many elements into a kitchen design which, in a restricted space, causes confusion and restricts flow. When entertaining in an open plan kitchen, you’re on show, often moving quickly and under pressure. A modern kitchen with good flow (no matter its size) will make it easier for you to create beautiful meals fast and seamlessly – whereas a cluttered, busy layout will trip you up.

If possible ask your designer to create a plan which opens up the space as much as possible and reduces barriers that will get in your way. And don’t worry – we can help you visualise your new opened up space easily with a 3D visual design before we start.

The less corners the better – although this is sometimes not possible. An open space makes it easier for more than one person to work in the space at a time. Sometimes a galley design with less cabinets actually works more efficiently than one with many corners. While entertaining, the kitchen becomes the hub, guests want to chat, help and feel involved so it’s guaranteed you won’t be in the kitchen alone! Avoid cupboards and fridge doors that block access when open as this will slow you and your helpers down.

2. An island brings your kitchen to the party.

All the best dinner parties end up in the kitchen – so bring your kitchen to the party. An island bench or bar with stools is the best way to do this. When entertaining, your guests or family often want to chat, help out and see what’s going on. As the kitchen is the hub or heart of any home, they will be able to sit themselves at the bar and not miss out on conversation or any of the fun. This ensures everyone is a part of the action, without getting in the way.

3. Allow guests to help themselves.

Being a great host doesn’t mean you have to do it all. A good kitchen design should incorporate easy access cupboards for storage of glasses, where guests can help themselves. Reverse cabinets can often be incorporated and are ideal on an island for this purpose. Large entertaining plates and platters can be stored upright on their edges for ease of storage and access (funny how you always want the one at the bottom of the pile!). This can be done using dividers that are fitted into cupboards and large drawers.

You may want to consider allowing space for a well-placed wine or bar fridge so that guests are not using the main fridge and can help themselves to drinks. That way they are not continually entering your preparation and cooking zone. For great wine fridge options as well as other appliances that work well for the budding entertainer, check out our blog post on Choosing the Right Appliance for your kitchen, as well as the range from Fisher & Paykel.

4. Hide the evidence with a scullery.

Do you have space for a scullery? Sculleries are excellent for preparing complicated dishes and hiding all the dirty equipment and dishes away. This allows you to relax knowing that all looks under control, clean and organised, with all the evidence of your hard work and prep nicely hidden away in the scullery we can tailor make for you.

5. Bring the café home.

Having friends or family over for a coffee is the simplest and easiest form of entertaining. There are several options for Café quality coffee at home. This combined with home baking delivered from your new modern kitchen is an ideal starting point to build up your entertaining confidence. Ensure it’s fun, and you will feel inspired to entertain more often. In fact, utilise the latest in cooking technology where you can, and have us build it in. Induction hob tops are fast and responsive, whilst steam ovens cook an amazing array of gourmet dishes in often half the time. To see how easy it can be, check out the Fisher & Paykel website.

Let Jag Kitchens help you make entertaining an effortless dream. Make an appointment with one of our Design Team today.