The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the entire house – it’s where nightly meals are prepared, and where the family gathers to share the goings on of the day. Because of this focus on family, the design of the space should mirror this by being completely functional and able to meet the needs of a number of generations. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways that you can come up with a kitchen design that is family friendly; some of them are outlined below.

The first aspect that you should take into account for your kitchen design is the positioning of the refrigerator, the oven and the sink. With busy family life, getting meals prepared as quickly and easily as possible is the top priority. Mornings are often hectic, trying to eat breakfast and get the kid’s lunches prepared for school. The same can be said of nights, when all you want to do is get the kids fed and into bed so that you can relax. By positioning the oven, sink and refrigerator in a ‘work triangle’, your family can be fed much faster.

It is also of the utmost importance that you carefully consider the floor plan before finalising your kitchen design. Think about how your kitchen is commonly used – is the space just for preparing meals or do you eat in there too; are adults the only people who use the space, or do the kids like to sit at the bench with you? The answers to these questions will help you decide on a floor plan that keeps everyone happy.

These days, the ultimate in family friendly kitchen designs is having the space attached to a living area of the home. In most cases, this is the dining room but it could also be the lounge room or a combination of both. This ensures that the family can still be together whilst mum or dad is preparing dinner. The kids can watch television or do their homework knowing that their parents are nearby and can help if they need it.

The final aspect of your kitchen design that must be taken into account is the way that storage space is arranged. If you have high cabinets, make sure that you use it to store your fine china and other breakables that you don’t want the kids to get their hands on. Use lower cabinets for storing crockery and cutlery that you need on a regular basis and that the kids are able to use. Whilst planning out your storage, think about how things are placed in your pantry and refrigerator – keep things that the kids can’t have out of reach.