Kitchens For Every Cook

Everyone uses their cooking space differently. Here are some ideas that may work best for you and practical real-life tips from homeowners to help you out

- Yue Yi Ying

Cooks who love to entertain

Enjoy having guests over? Your kitchen has to look good, allow guests to easily interact with their host and, if possible, be roomy enough to accommodate several people at once.

This gathering spot is plopped right in the middle of a kitchen, but you’d never guess it at first glance since the hob, hood and two ovens from Fisher & Paykel blend seamlessly into the dark accents. Even more impressive, the cabinetry in this compact yet high performing space also hides an integrated fridge and dishwasher from the same brand.

If you’re big on coffee, splash out on a proper espresso machine for your home to treat yourself and your friends to the ultimate cafe experience. This brightly hued La Marzocco model adds such a fun pop to the room and the colourful cups further amp up the decor.

Instead of a plain sliding door to hide the kitchen from view when guests come over, this one has built-in shelving to keep party items conveniently within reach.

Love cooking with your guests? Soup up your island with an induction hob ideal for hotpot nights, or even a teppanyaki grill. Don’t forget to install powerful hoods to keep everyone comfortable.

Keeping the oven, fridge and stove easily accessible to friends during potluck parties prevents crowding in the kitchen when everyone is trying to either shove something in the fridge or warm their dish up.

Screening off your kitchen with glass doors keeps smells from wafting around and should also reduces the amount of people streaming through so you have more space and less pressure. At the same time, guests can still see you as they interact with each other so you won’t appear anti-social.