The kitchen is the heart of the home. For parents, this means that the heat can become a bit of a chaotic mess when the kids get home. Dirty fingerprints, spills, crumbs, clutter and all the snacks – you need to plan around these inevitabilities. These kid-friendly kitchen design tips for parents will help you create a functional space for the whole family.
Choose Durable Countertops with a Matte or Satin Finish
Kids are messy. Plain and simple. If you have a glossy finish on your countertops, it’s going to show fingerprints. This is a prime complaint we hear from parents because it feels like their counters constantly look dirty.
Opt for a hearty countertop material that can withstand the day-to-day abuse of a family, and if possible, select a matte or satin finish for the surface. That will hide the fingerprints in between cleaning so you can maintain your sanity.
Avoid White Lower Cabinets
White cabinets are beautiful and they help the kitchen feel larger. In a home with kids though, that beauty comes at a cost. White shows every spill, splash or cheese-dust remain on the front of the cabinet, especially around the handles. We highly recommend getting wood or dark lower cabinets if you have kids, since those are the cabinets they are most likely to touch.
Include as Much Closed Cabinetry as Possible in Your Kitchen Design
Storage is a must, no matter how many kids you have. If you’re thinking about taking out cabinets for open shelves, think twice about that. The food, dishes, paper plates and other items you use for your kids aren’t the nicest features to look at. You can create the illusion of a clean, clutter-free kitchen if all the chaos is behind closed doors.
As you create your kid-friendly kitchen design, prioritize closed storage as much as possible.
Use Dark Floor Grout
Grout is porous and thus it holds onto spills. If you have light grout or white grout, it’s constantly going to look dirty. Choose a darker grout that can mask these issues and keep your kitchen looking its best.
Do Not Use Cheap Laminate Cabinets for Your Kitchen
Cheap laminate countertops may seem like a good choice because they’re inexpensive to replace, but they’re not nearly as durable as natural stone. Even if you get entry-level granite, you don’t have to worry about hot pans on the counters or someone accidentally dinging up the laminate. Our kitchen designers can help you find the best option for your needs and budget.
Adjust Your Kitchen Layout for a Circular Traffic Flow
If you have the ability to change your kitchen layout, try to create a circular flow of traffic. The easiest way to explain this is when you have a kitchen with an island. People can approach from one side of the island, walk along the kitchen and exit around the other side. You can enter the kitchen from multiple angles and avoid a bottleneck in one part of the room. When you have kids moving around like crazy, this makes the movement easier to manage.
Get a Kid-Friendly Kitchen Design from O’Hanlon Kitchens
There are tons of factors that go into a kid-friendly kitchen design. If you want some help from the pros, our kitchen designers will take all your needs into consideration. Enjoy a completely custom kitchen plan that’s made for your family. Contact us at 443-285-0558 to get started.
