The kitchen is the center of the house for those with small children. It’s where people make snacks, complete their homework at the kitchen table, and join together to create meals as a family. But a typical kitchen arrangement isn’t always kid-friendly. But don’t worry Askin Cabinets has your back because the good news is that you can make a kitchen that your children will like and feel safe using a little preparation and design sense. This calls for creating innovative solutions that satisfy the needs of everyone involved, while not compromising on appearance or functionality.
First and Foremost, Safety
Safety needs to be the first consideration in kitchens with kids. For protection against falls and impacts, look for cabinets with rounded edges and corners. When in doubt, choose drawers over cabinets because the former reduces the possibility of doors suddenly swinging open and perhaps injuring little children.
Reliable, high-quality hardware, such as hinges, soft-close mechanisms, and drawer slides, are also essential for cabinets to avoid pinching fingers. For a child’s safety, whatever surface they may come into contact with or put their mouth on, should be made of non-toxic, ecologically friendly materials and finishes.
Include a “Kid Zone” in Your Plan
Set up a distinct section of your kitchen as a “kid zone” where your kids can play or participate in kid-friendly activities. Kids can “cook” alongside you in this area, which could feature a play kitchen or workstation with little appliances. Provide a child’s height-appropriate lower cabinet and drawers so they can reach their own plates, cutlery, and snacks.
Consider installing a pop-up surface extension or a pull-out prep sink in this area to save mess and increase convenience. Rubber flooring with cushions will assist in minimizing falls and slides. Having a special space set aside for children will not only make them feel included, but it will also enable you to keep potentially dangerous objects well out of reach of small hands.
Easily Reachable Storage
Speaking of properly keeping some things out of reach, consider including some high cabinets for cleaning supplies, sharp utensils, and other hazards that should be kept out of reach (or better yet, a lockable pantry cabinet). To allow children to independently access correct snacks and supplies, lower cabinets should be equipped with easy-access features like pull-out shelves, lazy susans, and clear storage inserts.
Low-maintenance Surfaces
Children can really put a kitchen through its paces with spills, stains, and crayons on the walls. Because of this, it’s a good idea to go with sturdy, low-maintenance surfaces that can tolerate some normal wear and tear. For worry-free countertops, non-porous solid surfaces like quartz, granite, and others are perfect. Even with the odd dropped bowl and stomping feet, durable laminate or luxury vinyl plank flooring will continue to look great.
Consider using laminate or semi-gloss paint for your cabinet doors if you want a washable finish that will make it simple to remove dirt and fingerprints. Better countertop appliance protection and concealment can be achieved with an appliance garage. The correct surfaces will make cleanup simple and prevent you from worrying about maintenance.
Functional Seating
Your kids will likely spend a lot of time in the kitchen, whether it’s completing homework or just hanging around. To make sure that there is a cozy area for children, incorporate an island, peninsula, or banquette with specific kid-friendly seating. Extra points for having built-in drawers or cubbies in the seating area where kids can tuck away toys, art tools, or anything else they need close at hand.
Open Layout
To ensure excellent sightlines from the kitchen to other living areas and to monitor children playing or watching TV while you cook, an open-concept setup is great. Choose a layout that has as few walls as possible or that is distinct from the surrounding areas. A large island with seating can serve as a useful partition to divide the “work zone” from the remainder of the space while yet providing easy monitoring.
Smart Appliances
For busy families, specialized settings and connections are features found in many modern smart appliances. Look for cooktops and ovens with touchscreen interfaces, advanced temperature controls, and automated shut-off features. Even just a smartphone, you can monitor and control wi-fi equipped appliances remotely. Installing appliances at slightly higher heights may also be something to think about to prevent little children from reaching hot areas.
Get a Kitchen That’s Fun For Everyone!
We at Askin Cabinets recognize that every family with small children has different needs. Our skilled team of designers can assist you in designing a kitchen that is safe and useful, as well as inspiring your children to explore and enjoy cooking.
To precisely match your idea, we provide an extensive selection of cabinet styles, materials, and finishes. You may also be sure that your kitchen is constructed to last because our talented craftsmen guarantee professional installation.
So get a free quote and let’s get started!