Eat In Kitchens Keep Meals and Families Together

The eat-in kitchen that was once the standard in homes of the past is finding its way back into kitchens again. Whether it’s a banquette or a retro Formica-topped table, the comfort and convenient nostalgia of the eat-in kitchen is showing up in new homes and renovations. The eat-in kitchen harkens back to family meals on the table by six o’clock and all things homey. But more than just an eat-in kitchen’s sentimental appeal, is its practicality.

Casual comfort

Houses continue to be more luxury filled yet the formal dining room comes and goes in popularity, and the same is true with the eat-in kitchen. It’s come and gone, but mostly it’s been gone – for a long time. But now, homeowners are looking for that cozy convenience again. Having an eat-in kitchen just makes sense.

Eat-in kitchens make dining easier with fewer trips to and from the kitchen to the table and isolates preparing and eating food to a single room. Besides saving space, it’s more convenient to move plates directly from stove to table. And since everyone gathers in the kitchen anyway, it just seems more practical to stay and eat there, too.

Eat-In Styles

There’s more than just one style of eat-in kitchen. The standard is a table in the center, but there are other styles, too. Booths have become trendy and offer the option of keeping everyone together in the kind of seating everyone goes for first at a restaurant. Kids and adults alike love booths for their intimacy and cushy comfort. Perhaps their best quality after their cozy appeal is that booths can be a real space saver in the kitchen. Because booths are typically anchored on one side to a wall, that leaves more precious floor space available.

A table attached to one end of the island is another option for eating in the kitchen. This kind of dining arrangement keeps the dining in the kitchen but out of the way of busy cooks. Often a piece of stone can be attached to the end of an island at table height for dining. An eat-in kitchen can also be situated on an island or the ledge surrounding the cooktop or sink. If meals are fast and your family has to eat on the run, bar style dining offers the best arrangement for fast serving and clean up, especially if the counter is set against the kitchen sink.

If there’s room for a full size table in the center of the kitchen, it’s critical that the cook has ample room to get to the stove, sink, refrigerator and preparation areas without having to walk around the table. Another consideration is foot traffic. For safety, eat-in kitchens need enough room to accommodate a cook and someone passing behind as well unobstructed pass-through space around the table.

Social dining

An eat-in kitchen offers a charming, old fashioned way to reconnect during mealtime. It’s also a way for the cook to stay involved with guests and family members as the meal is prepared. So more than just practicality, the eat-in kitchen offers homeowners a way to socialize together, and there’s nothing wrong with a little more togetherness.

Guest Editor: Kathryn Weber can be contacted through her web site www.redlotusletter.com

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