All Together Now: The Kitchen as Every Room

It looks like a kitchen. It acts like a kitchen. But it’s our office in disguise.

A well-designed kitchen can offer more than meal preparation. It can serve family needs around the clock, adding even more space-saving, time-saving, life-style-compatible convenience. Best of all, your kitchen office/mini-family room can be designed during the early planning stage, so it’s only “there” when you need it.

Consider the following extra-curricular activity areas as you plan your remodel:

Workstation

• Desk area/surface(s) that different family members can comfortably use for homework, bill paying, conducting a home business
• Electrical outlets for laptops and other electronics
• Drawers or shelves for books, papers, office supplies, mail

Pay the bills or surf the Internet while you keep an eye on the chocolate chips cookies baking just a few feet away. This min-office fits nicely between the kitchen and dining areas, blending seamlessly with the selected cabinetry.

Family command center

• Message board with markers, post-its, push-pins (A corkboard or wipe-off board can literally disappear when it’s placed inside a door)
• Family appointment/planning calendar
• Vertical pull-out drawer for keys
• Shelves or drawers for daily needs – extra school supplies, first aid kit, spare change

Mini-library or conversation area

• Comfy arm chair/ mini-couch
• Baskets for magazines/newspapers
• Shelving or under-seating storage for favorite books/must-read novels

Cook’s corner

• Open shelves or deep drawers for cookbooks, recipes and menus
• Mini-TV tuned to the Food Network

Create a cozy in-kitchen conversation area. Guests can relax and chat with the cook. The kids can enjoy an after-school snack and fill you in on their day. Under-seat storage keeps games, toys and reading material out of the way, but close at hand.