Whether small or large, the kitchen is the hub of the home. It is where meals are created to help fuel the bodies, minds, and souls of friends and families all over the world.
Much of the importance of this room seems to depend on the size of the kitchen, the family, and on lifestyle. In older homes, kitchens were smaller, separated and removed from the rest of the home. It was a contained space used almost exclusively for cooking that could be closed off to conceal the mess. Family and friends would eat and congregate in the dining and living rooms that were always located nearby. In older homes more importance was given to the dining and living rooms while the kitchens were more for utilitarian purposes.
The main purpose of kitchens a few decades ago was strictly for cooking. We all have memories of our parent figures slaving over a stove, working tirelessly over countertops, preparing delicious, filling, and nutritious meals that the family enjoyed and savored together. In some cases children were told to keep out of the kitchen or “mother’s workspace,” so that the mother of the family could prep and cook. In some cases children were encouraged to join and learn the art of cooking, the joy of preparing a family or holiday meal together and thus creating true memories of a lifetime. Kitchens are not sedate and quiet rooms. They are rooms filled with energy, aroma and texture.
They were created with a purpose, one purpose in mind. They were created to be utilitarian spaces. In medium sized and larger homes, these rooms were often large enough to house a table large enough to seat a family for breakfast, a snack or a light meal, with the important meals still meant to be served in the dining room where the family congregated at the end of the day. The family meal had much more importance and significance in past generations than it does now – much of this, again, due to busier lifestyles of modern times.
Open concept takes off!
Over the course of the past 20 years or so, kitchens started to become living spaces with more time spent in these spaces and where more was done than just cooking. Newer homes were designed with kitchens as living spaces in mind and so these rooms became larger to better accommodate family and friends as an additional space for entertaining. Many kitchens began to open up to other rooms, yet some remained separate spaces. These newer, larger, more accommodating kitchens now had space for large tables and islands were planned to create a natural flow for those coming and going. Much more thought was being given to kitchen design and functionality. The idea of the kitchen as a living space was becoming more and more popular and those with smaller kitchens in older homes started to take notice. As a result homeowners started to alter and enlarge their own kitchen spaces to follow the “trend,” both for lifestyle and resale purposes. HGTV highlights these “open concept” kitchens and shows how 15 pros share their best strategies for heart-of-the-home cooking and living centers.
Today the importance of a good sized, productive kitchen is vastly important. It is, according to many, the most important room of the house and in the eyes of realtors it certainly is! A house’s resale depends greatly on its kitchen. Its location and functionality are key. Older kitchens must be made to look newer, more streamlined and more modern in hopes of selling nowadays. For resale purposes, it is not unheard of for sellers to bring in new accessories, paint, and appliances are brought in to help the sale. Many buyers when considering an older home with a smaller kitchen immediately look into renovation possibilities that may include a remodel, new granite counter tops, expansion, or blowing out a wall to create a more open feel. As our lives become more casual, our homes are as well and the walls are literally coming down all around us.
Today’s kitchen is much more than a kitchen
Newer kitchens are really so much more than just a kitchen. Today’s kitchen is today’s family living space. These large rooms house several areas within. There is the kitchen area – the designated cooking space – thoughtfully, carefully planned and laid out. Then there’s the dining area within the kitchen, usually large enough to hold a table that comfortably seats 6 or more and finally, in many of these larger kitchens, is the sitting area so that in effect the whole family can hang out together while cooking, working or relaxing. Many new homes embracing the more casual lifestyle are being built without a dining room or formal living area. For those who enjoy entertaining and do so often, even the homes with formal dining and living areas find that the crowd usually gathers in the kitchen.
Don’t be fooled, size matters
When asked whether the kitchen was the most important room of the home, the result was pretty evenly divided. Those with smaller kitchens tended not to think that these rooms were the most important – necessary but not most important. Those with larger ones absolutely believed them to be the most important space in their home. Lifestyle was a large influence as well. Those who enjoy cooking and entertaining view the kitchen as an important and integral space – contributing greatly to family life, even if the space was not large enough to be “lived in.” For these people kitchen efficiency is very important. For families where cooking and eating is very much a part of their lifestyle and tradition, cooking, teaching, sharing recipes, and passing them down from generation to generation was important to many! This is done in the kitchen, regardless of size, with the belief that cooking with a child, or as a family, is an important moment in family life and not to be dismissed or taken lightly.
The kitchen is ever evolving. Builders, architects, designers, and realtors all recognize this as do kitchen manufacturers. Kitchen functionality and design is ever evolving based on today’s busy and varied lifestyle, with much thought given to where we are headed in the future. Like Custone Company, many local companies are ever evolving and are always updating and searching for the next trend.
New products, concepts and designs emerge into the marketplace every year. Kitchens are also becoming more environmentally friendly, using recycled materials such as recycled glass on your counter tops and other environmentally friendly products cut down on our footprint
Leave a Reply