The Problem is the Kitchen Island
It’s Wednesday night, you just picked up one kid from ballet lessons, kid number two refuses to do math homework and the dog is barking because, squirl! Your ambition is to sit down with the family every night, have a good meal and chat about everyone’s day. Finally, you have everyone at the kitchen island, but the conversation is not flowing, the connection you want is simply not happening. I get it, real life often gets in the way and not every day is how we want it to be. Often, we feel lost in our own expectations, very frustrating indeed!
While I won’t promise a Norman Rockwell scene in your kitchen, here are some pointers how interior design can help you connect more with your family.
For a number of years islands have ranked supreme in kitchen design. And for good reason; they provide more counter space, increased storage and seating in the kitchen. However, most islands are designed with the seating in a row. This is great when you have guest while cooking or kids doing homework. But when your family sits down to eat, everyone just stares into the void. Us humans are wired for connection and looking into someone’s eyes makes conversation so much easier.
Enter the humble kitchen table.
Yes, less storage, less counter space. But there is a reason why we have the term “kitchen table conversation”. Because, well, conversations flow easy around the kitchen table! Put a bowl of pasta in the middle, let the kids drop tomato sauce for the dog to lick and dishes piled in the sink. This is where life happens, mess and all.
It creates a warm, inviting space for daily family meals, conversations, and connecting away from TV distractions, fostering closeness.
This is the magic interior design can bring to your life. Spaces that are designed with intention create the backdrop for your life. If rooms are not laid out for the life you envision it will be hard to create the moments you crave.
Need help finding a kitchen table for your space? We can help with that!
Sandra Randolph of Leonhard and Fritz, the go-to designer for busy professionals in the Seattle metro area, transforms uninspired spaces into calming environments where her clients can relax, rejuvenate, and reconnect.
