Dreaming of your very own Come Dine with Me experience? If you’re a social butterfly who loves to have family and friends round, it’s important that your kitchen structure and design are up to the task. So we have some design tips to help you upgrade or completely redo your kitchen and impress your next dinner guests.
Appliances
When you are designing the perfect space for entertaining, it is important to choose the right appliances. Guests want to enjoy fresh air and also be able to hear themselves speak, so a quiet extractor hood for your stove is imperative. Dishwashers are a must-have because you need a place to hide away any piles of dirty dishes so they don’t ruin the ambience of your kitchen. If you have the space, two ovens are extremely helpful for cooking for large groups as well. There are also more lavish appliances which can assist with creating a pleasant and orderly dinner party, such as warming drawers for heating up plates, a coffee maker, and a specific drink area complete with wine coolers and an ice machine.
Storage
For a successful dinner party, you need to create an air of ease, and this means reducing clutter in your kitchen,ensuring everything is easy to access and quick to find. Keep things such as sinks and dishwashers out of view, and have the stovetop on an island so the cook can be involved in the conversation and on display for the most impressive parts of the process. Store attractive items such as glassware, china, and bottles of wine in glass fronted cabinets within view of guests. For organisation, you can use dividers, pull-out racks, drawers, and cabinets to hide appliances until they are needed. A sunken preparation area in the countertop, or a partial screen is a helpful addition which will mean you can keep all the messy parts of cooking out of sight.
Dining area
It is important not to shut the cook away in a completely different room to the dining area. Open plan kitchens are the best way to achieve this because the dining space is only separated from the kitchen by the island. You can also add stools to islands to create a breakfast bar and accompany the more formal table. Another key thing to consider is how you move around the room, make sure your design has a convenient flow and guests don’t feel like they are in the work area. A drinks cabinet or preparation space in a different area of the room, means that guests can easily help themselves, making it an ideal way to keep them feeling involved.
Decor
One of the main benefits of entertaining is that you get to show off your beautiful house, so ensure your kitchen and dining space are decorated accordingly and will communicate the style and feeling of your home. Lighting is helpful for highlighting areas of the room, and creating a warm, homely vibe. It can add some drama to the scene as well if you use rope lighting in cabinets to reflect in your glassware. Depending on the style you are going for, a bold touch would be a feature wall or even a tasteful chandelier. Kitchens tend to be full of hard stone surfaces and stainless steel, which isn’t a very cosy atmosphere for dinner. So if you wish to have an open plan kitchen and dining space, it is a good idea to soften the room with comfortable chairs, a sofa, or even a fireplace.