When well-equipped and welcoming go hand in hand

AS THE HEART OF THE HOME WHERE DAILY LIFE UNFOLDS, A FAMILY KITCHEN NEEDS TO BE BOTH WELCOMING AND WELL-EQUIPPED

If you become a parent, you soon realise children seem to be hungry at all hours, with the bulk of your time at home spent in the kitchen. But these days, it isn’t such a bad thing, as the modern family kitchen has evolved into a multifunctional space that caters for myriad activities, from informal dining and socialising to paperwork and supervising homework. To cope with the rigours of family life the right fit-out is essential.

“A beautiful ISLAND BENCH where people can gather can be central to family life” RACHAEL TURNER, INTERIOR DESIGNER, THE INSIDE PROJECT

FRIDGE SMARTS

If your children are constantly opening the fridge door in search of food, look for technology that can adapt the inside temperature accordingly to keep things cool and fresh, such as the ActiveSmart 900mm French Door Slide-in Fridge Model RS90AU1, $6499, from Fisher & Paykel.

GET ORGANISED

The addition of cutlery inserts can quite literally transform your drawer organisation and help speed up the process of putting things away. Look to the bamboo ‘Variera’ cutlery tray, $29.99, from Ikea, to bring some store and order to your drawers.

SAFETY FIRST

Considering the accessibility of ovens to little hands, available safety features are incredibly important. To help prevent accidents, opt for a triple glaze CoolTouch door as featured in the Built-in Convectional 60cm Oven, $2499, from Fisher & Paykel.

In a family kitchen where there are often multiple people in and around the zone, open-plan is the way to go. “A popular inclusion is a central island bench, allowing easy access into the kitchen from both sides,” says interior designer Rachael Turner of The Inside Project. BENCH APPEAL

Induction cooktops are a family-friendly option as they only start heating when a pot is placed on the ceramic surface and shut off automatically when it’s then removed. HEATING UP

Storage can be maximised by taking cabinetry to the ceiling, as well as using the space above and below your major appliances. Think above the fridge and below the oven. Combination appliance cabinets from Kaboodle Kitchen are a clever and cost-friendly solution.

Create a multifunctional space to cater for a range of activities, including doing homework, by carving out a nook in the corner that can double as a home office. Be sure to include ample spots to charge laptops, phones and tablets. WORK ZONE