One of many features of the popular farmhouse design theme is the eat-in kitchen. Whether you like a breakfast nook, counter-top seating at an island, or traditional table and chairs, the options are endless. But how do you know if this trending design option is right for your kitchen remodel?
The first step in any remodel is designing the floor plan. This is the time to ask yourself what you want to get out of your new kitchen, and if an eat-in kitchen or a separate dining room will fulfill these needs.
Is The Dining Room Obsolete?
In times past, the kitchen was used only for cooking. Meals were served in the dining room, often by servants. As having servants became less and less common, the burden shifted to wives and mothers would cook in the kitchen and serve the meal to their family in the dining room. The kitchen was considered strictly the woman’s domain. Of course, in today’s modern world, it is not only wives and mothers who do the cooking. Thankfully, husbands, fathers, and children are also involved in the process. And as our lives get busier and busier, convenience often takes on more importance than formal meals as a family.
Of course, that is not to say that dining rooms have no use in the modern home. Many people enjoy having separate spaces with boundaries for a peaceful place to eat as opposed to the kitchen where the food was prepared and where there might still be a mess to clean up.
The separate areas allow whoever cooked to relax during the meal rather than stare at what needs to be put away. Especially for holiday meals where there could be a huge disaster in the kitchen, it’s nice to have it out of sight and out of mind to really be able to enjoy the food and family time, even if it’s just while eating.
To determine if the formal dining room is still the right option for everyday meals with your family, ask yourself: Will you really use the dining room for eating?
Sometimes a dining room is pristine and formal with a beautiful table set-up and china or glassware on display. Especially if your family is large, has a tradition of eating together, or has relatives come in to visit regularly, a separate dining room is a real asset to your home and your lifestyle.
However, with the onslaught of COVID-19 in Southern Colorado, many Colorado Springs residents have started working and teaching their children from home, and the dining room is now a makeshift office or study area. When this is the case, meals are often eaten more in the kitchen or even in the living room, especially when the family is busy and actually cannot eat together regularly.
This is where having the option of an eat-in kitchen comes in handy.
Advantages Of Eat-In Kitchens And An Open Floor Plan
Have you noticed that our lives seem to get busier all the time? Hectic work schedules, driving kids to school and activities, and just running everyday errands seem to absorb every minute in our days. Including an eat-in kitchen to your remodel can buy back precious moments with your family as they allow for helping with homework, craft projects, and conversing about your days while cooking. For a busy family, an eat-in kitchen can truly make life less stressful.
Although just adding an eat-in kitchen is an option, an open floor concept may be an idea to discuss with your Colorado Springs kitchen remodeler. An open floor plan allows for your kitchen, dining and living rooms to essentially become one great room.
Open floor plans tend to brighten a room, create better traffic flow, and more useable space. Because many people seek out open floor plans, it also increases the value of a home. Open floor plans also allow for socializing while cooking which makes entertaining much easier.
Still Wondering If An Eat-In Kitchen Is Right For You? Designer Kitchens Can Help.
All families have different needs, and for some families, a separate dining room is a must-have. For other families though, building a dining area into the kitchen is actually more beneficial to their lifestyle. The best way to determine what will work best for you is to talk to your Colorado Springs certified kitchen designer about what is possible, what the needs of your family are, and how you can achieve the perfect kitchen for you.