Mothers’ Day has come and gone. I hope you were able to visit or talk with your mom, bring flowers or a gift or go out for a special meal.
Many of us know that Mom is often the best cook around, but a day off to honor her or even just honor her memory. is a good tradition.
Now, is mom the best cook in Your family? Increasingly, it takes two incomes to pay the bills and mom is away as much as dad. Men are taking on doemstic duties and are often really good at them. My dad couldn’t boil an egg, but my son is a fabulous cook, bordering on chef.
Given all this, how might a kitchen be designed for a man to use, would it be any different than one for a woman? As kitchen designers, we think about this stuff! We ask our clients WHO will be using this new kitchen primarily? Or better, who will be working in it?
A kitchen might need high stools at an island where small families or teens can gather. Climbable drawers next to a heating surface might be avoided where there are young children around. But what about men? What makes a kitchen a pleasant place and an efficient place for men?
First, the obvious. Men are usually taller and building up the height of base cabinets, and using taller wall cabinets for extra storage both become feasible.
Althouogh the trend might be toward putting all kitchen gear inside cabinets or pantries, it coud be that pots and pans within easy reach on a shelf or hanging on a wall or over an island, is a better arrangement for a man. If they have more muscle, they can reach and lift with greater ease and heavy items can be placed in locations at which a woman might find difficult.
Every cook, every man, is different, but ours like having a place for kitchen cleaning supplies very handy. It makes a quick cleanup or a major meal cleanup less of a chore. For men who are just starting to cook, ensuring that prep, cooking, presentation and cleanup are all natural parts of making a meal, having supplies in easy reach and not too hidden from view can help ensure the whole job gets done. It takes time to learn so make it easy with the layout of the kitchen and the right type of storage.
Men are not the only family members who may be learning. Let’s not forget the needs of teens and even younger children. If you have interested young people in your household, creating a kitchen that allows them to easily learn the skills of mal prep is something to consider. Consider a lower counter space and easy to reach essential tools, permanent locations for heavy mixers and blenders, and a storage system that keeps “grown-up only” ingreadients up and out of the way.
In designing any kitchen, keep unique features to a minimum. The next owner might now have the same needs. Don’t build a huge bar counter for entertaining in a condo. Don’t place cabinets much higher than average even if you have a basketball star in the family.
Nonetheless, you can make a kitchen suitable for the family that will be using it. That is the job of the kitchen designer and it only requires the input of the homeowner. Lots and lots of communication make kitchen design personal and helps ensure the new kitchen is EXACTLY right for your modern family.
Brilliant design. Elegant cabinets.
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