Kitchens, The Hub of the house.....
We have all known that the kitchen
has and always be the central gathering place in a home. We have evolved through the years from the
old farm style kitchen with the wood stove, table and most probably a sofa and
other chairs. Back then they had what we now refer to as an "unfitted kitchen". It was the warmest place in the old
farmhouses of days gone by.
During the mid century period we
moved into having more utilitarian kitchens and formal dining rooms for
entertaining. As we moved into the 80’s
there was a resurgence of family style entertaining and the focus was on the
great room The establishment of a great room by builders was addressing the
need for families to be close together as they became very busy with 2 career
households and the family activities involved all members. Great rooms afforded a space to cook, eat,
help children do homework, and watch television or play games. As the boomers were so busy, they approached
entertaining as a family affair with guests bringing their children. This hub was perfect for some group bonding.
As we approached the millennium we
have taken the kitchen even further by opening it up to the living area and in
some cases to the formal dining area or even removing the formal dining area for more 'living' space.
When we are entertaining we want our guests to be part of the entire
process and we want to enjoy and be part of their conversation while preparing
the meal. It has become the gathering place for guests. We also saw the incorporation of the unfitted
kitchen, which is where there are individual cabinet pieces, giving the look of
furniture rather than cabinetry.
Thus the kitchen has evolved again
into a sophisticated room and in fact quite a showroom of the house. Many European kitchen suppliers have become
more prevalent in North America and are offering the most state of the art
high-end kitchens. The kitchen is still
the gathering spot yet is has become a place of beauty and functionality. We all know that everyone ends up in the kitchen at parties.
When designing these ultra kitchens, it
is important to look at the overall concept and how to incorporate it with the
remainder of the house. Flow is very
important as well as ergonomics and optimizing space in creative ways. When
utilizing a professional we find them to be more knowledgeable these days and
can offer the most appropriate finishes and products for each individual
client. Overall the kitchen must function
like a well-oiled machine, yet appear pleasing to the eye. In other words all
the “unsightly” paraphernalia in a kitchen must be accessible yet hidden. We want to enjoy a less formal manner of
entertaining, yet maintain a sense of elegance.
The products themselves must be of the highest quality and withstand
the test of time and have the longevity needed and to be worth the large sum of
cash required to obtain such a space.
Kitchens can be as inexpensive or expensive as you are prepared to spend
and as long as they are properly planned and executed, they will function and
be the place you want to spend time in.
Here are some beautiful photos of kitchens, reflecting many styles...
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