Designing a Kitchen for Entertaining

Some of us in life are natural born entertainers. We relish any opportunity to throw a party and love to invite our friends over at the drop of a hat for a dinner party, drinks or informal snacks. If you’re one of these social butterflies, you probably want to know how best you can use your space for entertaining, so check out our top tips for creating a space your guests will love.

Firstly, kitchens for entertaining are all about space. You don’t need to cram in furniture to impress your guests as they’re not there to admire the room; they’re there to enjoy the atmosphere and the company of the other guests. If you have end tables or furniture which can be moved out into another room temporarily, do so to give everyone extra room to move around and socialise.

The best hosts know that you can never have enough spare chairs. Keep a stash of folding chairs in a cupboard or in the garage in case someone brings an unexpected plus one so that nobody is left awkwardly standing or balancing on a stool hastily pulled out of the bedroom. Even if it’s a drinks party, nobody will want to stand all evening, so place some chairs in the kitchen for people who want a quiet conversation out of the hustle and bustle of the party.

If you intend to feed your guests in your kitchen, make sure the table is big enough to seat everyone. If it isn’t, don’t make everyone cram themselves in around a table which is too small for everyone to eat comfortably. Turn it into a less formal affair and allow people to stand up and drift around rather than hosting a sit down meal.

For casual brunches or coffees, a breakfast bar or an island can be a welcome addition to kitchens of all styles. Whether you have a classic country kitchen or something super modern, this extra surface space can be ultra-valuable to the discerning host. If you’re throwing a house party, this can be used to store all of your drinks, glasses and nibbles to keep them off the kitchen counters and put them in a prime position.

The main thing to remember when it comes to providing kitchen space for entertaining is that it needs to be functional. Of course, if it looks great with modern cabinets and elegant worktops, this is an added bonus, but the main objective is to make sure it’s a space everyone feels comfortable and able to relax in.