Getting comfy in the kitchen
No longer just a cooking space, busy hub has evolved into ‘the heart of the home’
If the different areas in our homes were ascribed personalities, surely the kitchen would be the most popular of them all. Often described by interior designers as the “hub” of the home, the kitchen often reflects what’s happening in modern culture, be it the way we’ve embraced smart technology or what we’re loving in terms of colour and design.
For a quick look at what’s happening in kitchen design, we caught up with kitchen specialists from Wayfair.ca and Home Depot, as well as Montreal chef and television personality Chuck Hughes, who recently teamed up with LG Canada on a campaign to reduce food waste. “I think the statistics show that Canadians are one of the nations that waste the most food,” Hughes says. “And in restaurants, the way we operate, I own two restaurants (and) you try and get as much mileage as you can out of your food, and food waste is really not an option.”
Hughes says good kitchen design, coupled with some basic tools like a good knife and a chopping board “that doesn’t move around,” are a good place to start. Then it’s about the appliances. “Obviously, appliances make a huge difference,” Hughes says. “It’s fun to be comfortable and work with the appliances you like.”
Shopping with a plan and using everything in your fridge is key to reducing waste, Hughes says, noting that appliances like LG’s InstaView fridge — it has a see-through front panel so people can see what they have in their fridges and avoid “hiding stuff behind stuff ” — can help cooks spot things before they go bad. Kitchens used to be designed strictly for the function of cooking meals, says Brad MacDonald, Canadian kitchen show room designer for Home Depot, but have evolved into spaces for gathering and entertainment. “What this means is that kitchens are being designed with zones of activity in mind,” he says. “Instead of the traditional role of one person cooking for everyone, these roles have become more collaborative, which influences the overall design.
“You will see more and more that homeowners (are) opting to integrate their appliances into kitchen islands and peninsulas to create these secondary work zones. This approach keeps the family physically all in the heart of the home, but gives the freedom of space to work in.”