Kitchen Remodels for a Happier, Healthier Family
Houzz has recently released its report on current top kitchen renovation trends. In reading this, one fact really jumped out at us: Nearly two-thirds of all survey participants report spending three or more hours a day in their kitchen.
Three hours is a long time – far beyond what any of us would spend in typical meal preparation and clean up for a regular, non-holiday sort of day. So what’s going on with all this time spent in the kitchen? It turns out that today’s family has expanded the purpose of the kitchen, taking it far beyond its original function to serve as a place for families to gather, dine together, or just hang out together, whether that means watching TV, going online, or reading. Kitchens are also increasingly the setting for informal entertaining and socializing: if your best buds are coming over to hang out, chances are you’ll be in the kitchen.
How does this impact kitchen remodels? One big way that the fact we’re spending more time in the kitchen influences kitchen design is in room size and layout. Larger kitchens give everyone room to fit comfortably into the space; in fact, it’s the fact that it can be tough to easily get to the stove or sink that drives nearly half of all kitchen renovations. Additionally, layout matters a lot. While galley-style kitchens were once praised for their space-saving compactness, today’s homeowners are increasingly opting for U-shaped, L-shaped and open floorplan kitchens.
There’s no doubt that home cooking is healthier than going out to eat – after all, you have the ultimate control over what you cook and how you cook it! Spending more time in the kitchen also makes it easier to promote healthy snacking habits: when the kids know they’ve always got a bowl of fruit conveniently available to them, they eat it. Spending time together builds bonds between family members and friends: there’s just no substitute for the laughter and love that develops over the morning coffee and late night snack driven discussions.