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Bulthaup on why the kitchen is the heart of the home

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bulthaup manufacture bespoke kitchen and living spaces to suit your needs. Here they explore what makes the kitchen the heart of the home.

They say the kitchen is the heart of the home, but have you ever stopped and wondered why friends and family all tend to congregate in this part of the house? You’ll no doubt find yourself in the kitchen more than usual over the upcoming Easter period, but nowadays this often extends far past the holidays. Whether small or large, the kitchen is the hub of the home. Not just for the way it’s decorated, but for what it means on a daily basis. The kitchen is where you provide nourishment for your family. It’s where loved ones come together on special occasions. The kitchen provides our sustenance through food, but it’s also where special connections are made.

KITCHENS IN THE PAST

In the past, the household kitchen was designed exclusively for preparing and cooking meals. In older houses, they were smaller, separated and quite removed from the rest of the home. It was a contained space used almost exclusively for cooking that could be closed off to conceal the mess. Family and friends would eat and congregate in the dining and living rooms that were situated nearby and which had more importance placed upon them. Kitchens were utilitarian and that was about it.

THE NEW LIVING ROOM

However, in the last few decades, the kitchen has slowly morphed into the epicentre of the home, and for a lot of families the kitchen wears many hats. Newer homes were designed with kitchens as living spaces in mind and so these rooms became bigger to better accommodate family and friends as an additional space for entertaining. Today’s kitchen is today’s family living space. These large rooms house several areas within. There’s the kitchen area – the designated cooking space – thoughtfully, carefully planned and laid out. Then there’s the dining area, and perhaps a sitting area. Essentially, the whole family can hang out together while cooking, working or relaxing. Less importance was placed upon the dining room as a separate and functional feature of a home now that special occasions and larger meals could be enjoyed in the kitchen. Bulthaup kitchens are places where people come together to connect, relax and feel at home. They allow people to be creative and enable precious bonding time. To create such places, people, their wants and their needs are the starting point for every project.

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LIFESTYLE INFLUENCES

Much of the importance of the kitchen depends on the size of the family and on lifestyle. Nowadays, they are not sedate and quiet rooms, they are rooms filled with energy and aroma. In most homes there tend to be rooms that only a certain family member might utilise. Maybe dad loves his office while the kids spend time in the playroom. Kitchens however are used by each family member on a daily basis. With this in mind, it’s important to design your kitchen space to be welcoming and conducive for family members to congregate.

IT SETS THE TONE

People invest a lot into kitchen upgrades because it’s the most important room when it comes to the resale value of the house and they can set the tone for the entire home. An inspiring space can mean the difference between a mediocre day and a fantastic day. Bulthaup can help make your kitchen the heart of the home. They work to understand people, their individual needs and the architecture of the room in order to create a kitchen designed to make life easier.

EVER EVOLVING

With all this being said, the kitchen is ever evolving. Builders, architects, designers and manufacturers all recognise this, with much thought given to today’s busy and varied lifestyle. What’s more, appliances are constantly changing as well. Everything from fridges and dishwashers to ovens and in-built coffee machines are being produced with efficiency and ease in mind. With this also comes a shift towards more environmentally friendly kitchens that make use of recycled materials, environmentally friendly products and incorporating “greener” lifestyles. For example, with less frequent rubbish collection across the UK, you might find a designated spot for composting in most kitchens. Every day, Bulthaup evaluates whether the concept of the kitchen as it stands is enough to meet people’s wants and needs, now and in the future. They continually investigate this question throughout the manufacturing of their products, to create kitchen and living space systems that enrich lives now and tomorrow.

For more information about bulthaup and how they can help make the kitchen the heart of your home, visit bulthaup.com/en/

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