How to Make a Cozy, Low-maintenance Space

We spend so much time in our kitchens it’s important to make sure they are designed to be welcoming and comfortable, as well as functional. Particularly as it’s the place where we interact with friends and family most often, sharing stories and talking about our lives.

Here are kitchen design ideas for fashioning the perfect space for your family to gather, eat and live:

• Design a personalized space. You want a space that encourages community by having comfortable furniture and warm colors. Remove distracting technology, like televisions, that can discourage conversation.

• Create an open space. Plan the space to help you watch small children while you’re cooking or simply make it easy to talk to older children and friends.

• Create a kid friendly drawer. Toddlers love to help in the kitchen. Dedicate a kitchen drawer or cabinet to children and fill it with plastic spatulas, measuring cups, wooden spoons and unbreakable bowls. If you don’t have a spare drawer, use a brightly colored plastic box.

• Extra Seating. Have a stool or table and chairs available for guests who drop in so everyone is comfortable and involved, even if they aren’t cooking.

• Make some storage space for the kids. If your children play at the table or do their homework there, keep the kitchen tidy by making sure there is space to put away the toys, books, pens and pencils.

• Make the kitchen the household news hub. It’s a good idea to have one central location where all information about family events and activities can be found. The kitchen is the perfect place for a family notice board to keep track of upcoming appointments and events. It can also be used to share information like phone numbers for friends and family, local taxi companies, doctor and dentist contact details, shopping lists, etc.

•  Leave space for inspiration. If you have room, display children’s artwork, recipes from magazines, photos and any other useful information. If you don’t have wall space, use the door of the fridge with attractive fridge magnets.

Simple Soap
Another great way to keep the kitchen hub fresh is by cleaning dishes right after they’re used with Dawn® Pure Essentials. It has the essential everyday grease cleaning power you need without dye or other extra ingredients. And it's hypoallergenic, too!