the heart of the home

i love kitchens. designing them, cooking and eating in them, and hanging out in them.

there has been a big shift in the design of houses that incorporates the kitchen with the rest of the house. i respect the idea behind this: no entertainer wants to be separated from his/her entertainees. however, i think the idea still needs a little perfection. when you completely open a kitchen up to your living area, your kitchen tends to overrun the house. the smells, the noises (pleasant and unpleasant) all leak into your living space, making it kind of chaotic. add tall ceilings and hardwood floors into the mix, then you get echoed chaos.

my solution to this: instead of blending your kitchen and living area, create a living area in your kitchen. add a large table, create some banquet seating. knock out the wall between your kitchen and dining and make your dining room a wonderful blend of eating, socializing, and comfort.

i envision the perfect kitchen one where i can spend the majority of my saturday mornings in: cooking, eating, and drinking coffee while reading. few things in this life are better than a lazy saturday morning with coffee. prolonged pajama wearing is key.

here's a kitchen where i could spend a lazy saturday morning in. these folks have maximized the use of their small space very well.

well done!