Kitchen as the Heart of the Home and Why It Should Be
This week I’ll be sharing about the kitchen as the heart of the home. Get comfortable and let’s chat.
The kitchen space is more than just about good food
The kitchen is more than where we are cooking meals and eating all the food. It is the most used room in the house.
Most people spend much time there, and I’m happy to see that in recent years, it is becoming the gathering place for family members in the entire house. And the modern kitchen is making our favorite room a magical place for every member of the family.
I have noticed more and more, people are rethinking their home decor in the kitchen and making it more of a LIVING space, like it should be. The kitchen dynamics are changing and swinging back to that time where the kitchen was the social hub of the whole family.
But do any of us have the perfect kitchen? Probably not, but hopefully perfect for us.
The kitchen is the heart of the home
What fond childhood memories do you have of the kitchen you grew up with? Or maybe Grandma’s kitchen is where the magic happened.
I only remember my paternal Grandma in her kitchen. She was a large Polish woman, with white hair and a big smile, named Sally. My uncle used to call her “Fingers”, like that was her mob name because she was born and raised in Chicago. He had a funny name for everyone.
I only remember 2 or 3 trips to her house in Milwaukee, while I was growing up, since we lived outside Los Angeles. But it was enough to make an impression. I picture her in her apron, making the cheese tort she was so famous for. It was similar to a cheesecake, more dense in texture and more than twice as high. Somewhere I have the recipe for it in her handwriting.
The kitchen is the heart of every home, and if you ask many, the place where most memories are made. Whether learning to cook and bake from Mama, or just being there to partake of the goodies that come from the oven, the kitchen is literally the most important room of the house.
It is where we are nourished, physically and many times figuratively. It is the hub of family life.
What does your kitchen say about you
What do you love about your kitchen? What does it say about you? Do you feel like it is welcoming, a place where people can feel comforted and comfortable? It should be the one room that makes your heart happy because it is always where we spend the most time.
My favorite space in our current kitchen is actually in the dining area nook. We have a window seat. It is not part of the kitchen table seating. There are actually two of these spaces in the kitchen. Since this was a room I designed and renovated, I will admit, it was this rare stroke of genius that has brought so much happiness.
The window seat is the first place my littles go to when they come to visit. They climb up, open the drapes, and ‘watch for squirrels’. When we have get togethers, people sit and linger there, talking to those who might be sitting at the table. My adult daughter has even taken a nap there before!
If there’s one thing I want my kitchen to be, it is a place to gather. I’m not too worried about the top kitchen trends, I just want a social space where the entire family feels joy.
But not everyone has space for a window seat, or can do a complete renovation. What places do you have in your kitchen that invite friends/family to linger?
Where are they sitting for a little chat? Even one single bar stool can provide a place to welcome someone in and stay a while. I am loving these barstools we currently have (check out the website, they always have great sales to get fabulous items!) They are stylish and wipeable, so when my grand babies pop over, there is no worrying about spills.
Does your kitchen get really used?
Outside of a fun place to hang out, my favorite thing to see in the kitchen is a ‘dirty’ stove. No, not filthy ones, my friends. We’re not pigs. But one that has been used, because cooking has been happening. This is the stove I currently have and I love it!
When I visit my 3 daughters (the two I birthed and the one I was lucky enough to get from my son’s marriage) I love seeing the things they make. They are all cooks and bakers and their kitchens are well used, providing nourishment to all those I love.
But some days can be hard to get it all done. Do you even want to cook? I have days that I can barely muster more than making a Costco soup look fancy. Other days, I’m whipping up our favorites or coming up with something new (my famous salmon tacos are a favorite). But my favorite thing to do is make rice for the week in this amazing rice cooker (like nothing else you’ve had!) and use it in a variety of dishes over days.
But what is it about the kitchen that is so magical yet so utilitarian?
Have you noticed how everyone is crazy about making sourdough bread lately? It seems all the rage again. Are you in? What culinary treats are you wanting to try? What can you make to give your kitchen a work out?
If you want to make sourdough, check out my friend Deeanne’s blog Hummingbird Acres. She is the sourdough guru!
Can color make the magic?
I have been married for over 40 years. And other than the kitchen cabinets (which were wood) I had in the first home we owned, I have always had white cabinets. I WILL always have white cabinets. But in each house, they have looked different, depending on the vibe of the house.
What is your vibe? Can you do color in the kitchen? Or are you loving the warmth of the wood? When wood is good, then it is great! But boring builder grade cabinets can be painted to be so much more!
Since the kitchen area is the heart of the home, what color would make your heart sing? I love a bold kitchen.
My daughter just moved from this house, but when I see these pictures, there are so many memories. The bold colors suited their young, vibrant family, and I will forever keep this kitchen in my heart and mind. And I am crushing on these chairs! They are so fun.
There was more than enough light streaming in, a banquette where traditional meals were had along with fun family activities, and it was the perfect space and the epicenter of the home.
If you’re not loving your kitchen right now, maybe it’s time to make a change. I love that my youngest was bold enough to paint her own kitchen (the second time she has done this). Now she has pretty white cabinets like her mama.
What color would you pick to motivate you to get in there and make something yummy? Or do you have your dream kitchen now?
I like to move houses too much, so I have to say that wherever I am living now needs to be the current dream spot. I don’t think we should wait to make it what we want!
A kitchen overhaul is not in the budget
Don’t start sending me hate mail if you are reading this and want to change your kitchen, but can’t. I get it. We live in tough times. But there still are a few things you can do to make your kitchen the beating heart of the home, instead of one that’s about to stroke out.
- Declutter – Don’t tell me you need all that crap all over the counter, cause I know some of it doesn’t need to be there. Go through it, get rid of what you don’t need, and rearrange a few things to make it feel fresher.
- Clean it – Good one Captain Obvious! I know, but you’d be surprised at how some people skip this one. Everything looks better without crumbs and that layer of oil and dirt we ALL get in the kitchen over time. Cleaning is more than loading the dishwasher.
- Organize it – Organizing a small kitchen is really about real estate. What? Think of your main spots as the boujee real estate that everyone wants. Only what you use DAILY should be affording that main focus, and send the rest to the back forty.
- Store it – Another obvious one (I’m on a role) but what I mean, is store it cute. Things can be pleasing to the eye, or not. Your choice. But there are ways to do this on a budget and make it look good.
- Paint it – Painting is the cheapest thing you can do and it gives the most impact. If you can’t paint, then add color in another way. Art, posters, drapes (yes you can have drapes in the kitchen), and accessories can show your fun side. Check out our furniture paint.
Bring those good feelings home to the kitchen
Whether it’s takeout or pizza night, inviting friends/family over for a potluck, or a big celebration, don’t forget to make those things special. Use the good dishes, set the table, and make some memories in that heart of the home.
Why are we keeping all the crap that we have, if we aren’t going to use it? Each day can feel special, and it should. Because life is stressful and our homes need to be a haven. Our kitchens can help us feel good, and not only in the stomach (although that is my favorite way). Check out one of my favorite comfort meals here.
This weeks confession
I will admit, I made nothing fabulous this week. I didn’t feel like it. But I ate Honey Nut Cheerios out of a cute bowl, and I sipped my favorite drink from a real hand blown glass.
And my hubby didn’t even try to get a paper plate out (kudos to him) and ate all his goodies from our lovely everyday plates. Frankly, the dog is getting the most attention these days (post surgery) and he ate his organic egg I scrambled him out of a cute ceramic bowl he loves. We are all living the life.
So whether you are living the high life or the low life, it don’t matter baby! With the right mindset, your kitchen can be the place you make memories. And everyone who enters it can know, it truly is, the heart of your home!
Make kitchen magic happen
Write down 3 things (a little to-do list if you will) that you can do this week to make your space a little more meaningful, a place you want to be, and more of the heart to your house. I’m not talking about major kitchen upgrades or new kitchen appliances, just a few tweaks you can do to maybe turn meal preparation more fun or the dining room space more welcoming.
Let’s make memories and nourish ourselves in all ways possible. We don’t need a kitchen designer, we just need to design the life we want to have in the space we have now.
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I’d love to hear what is your favorite thing about your kitchen. Tell me in the comments below.
Thank you Libbie!
What a gorgeous space my friend!
Yes they are!
Lovely! Kitchen memories are the best!!