It’s worth not only gathering your wish list of must-have features and gadgets, but also consider your lifestyle when purchasing a bespoke handcrafted kitchen.

But why is this important? The reason we ask our prospective clients to communicate their lifestyle to our designers is because how you spend your time in your home and kitchen will reflect on the type of kitchen that we design for you.

A Brief History of the Kitchen

Over the years, kitchen design has developed alongside the growing the use of the kitchen within the home. In the 1940s, the kitchen was purely a practical space to prepare and cook meals for the family. Often small in size and centred around a gas or fuel-fired stove, the kitchen was not a space to show off or to be admired.

Following the housing boom and manufacturing advances in the 1950s onwards, the use and interaction with the kitchen really started to change. Home cooking started to gain popularity, and the kitchen moved from small rooms at the back of the house to larger more open spaces in the front of the home.

With technological advances in the ’60s and social changes with women joining the workforce, the need for efficient appliances for faster cooking was needed. By the 1970’s, the style and design aspect was really taking hold. Colours and bespoke kitchen designs really became personalised to the homeowner’s needs.

Fast forward to the new millennium and open plan living really started to become normalised. Walls between living and dining areas were torn down to create large spaces that included kitchens. In 2019, this is still very much the fashion and it reflects on how many families live and interact, with the heart of many homes now being the kitchen.

So, What are the Different Types of Kitchens in 2019?

Today we have three main types of kitchen.

1. The Chef’s Kitchen

With the rise of the celebrity chef in recent years, cooking culture has become very popular. As such, it’s not uncommon for a household to have an excellent cook within the family. This prompts the design of many kitchens for homeowners who want a kitchen to reflect their love for cooking the best food possible.

This includes state of the art kitchen appliances, multiple ovens including steam ovens and sous vide appliances, large refrigeration, a separate larder or pantry, and structured considered areas around cooking and preparation areas. This makes it easy and practical for the cook to interact within the space

2. The Family Kitchen

Family life can be very demanding, especially when trying to balance it with a demanding career. The family kitchen is a room where the family can interact in a well-designed space. It’s both very practical and focused on family and social interaction to the surrounding dining and living spaces.

Family kitchens often have a focus around an island (see island blog for more), where the family can gather when people come home in the evening. The family kitchen is the hub of the home where everyone interacts for valued time once or twice a day, while someone prepares food and others will talk or do homework. This space needs to be large enough and designed in such a way as to allow all these types of activities to happen in one place.

3. The Designer Kitchen

This is where the focus is primarily on the aesthetics. This type of kitchen is most often used to entertain and it’s used less for cooking large meals and dinners. The design of this type of kitchen will incorporate the most luxurious materials and latest trends throughout the interior.

When considering what type your kitchen should be, consider what your average day is. If you’re planning for the future and building your new home, then consider what it may look like when you have your new space. It may be that how you interact with your current kitchen will completely change when you have a bespoke kitchen that is designed just for you.

Here at Drew Forsyth & Co, we have been designing and making bespoke handcrafted kitchens for over 50 years. All our current design team have at least 20 years of experience each in designing kitchens and furniture for homes. With this level of expertise, you won’t be misinformed and you’re sure to love your new kitchen.

There is a lot to consider but you are making a substantial investment in your home with a new kitchen. It’s worth taking the time to sit down with a designer and go through a full consultation to better understand what your needs are to create the perfect kitchen for you and your family.

If you’re ready to sit down and have a consultation about a living space in your new home, then don’t hesitate to call or email now to book in a time convenient for you.

Alternatively, if you just want to find out more information, feel free to request a brochure