Making your kitchen the heart of your home

If you have a traditional 1930s house, for instance, you may find that the kitchen (unless it has been extended or modified) is one of the smallest rooms in your home. However, over the last 20 years or so, the kitchen has definitely become the most important room of the house and modern properties have often designed with open-plan living or a spacious kitchen-diner.

There are several ways to make your kitchen more homely. Make sure you have a table where people can sit and chat to the cook while he/she is preparing food or washing up. Encourage the children to do their homework on the kitchen table or bring in their laptops to play games or connect with friends via social networking sites. It may seem obvious, but if your dining room chairs are comfortable, then family and guests will linger for longer. So, you might want to re-consider high bar stools and opt for something more comfy instead.

Have inviting lighting which is practical and stylish. You will need to strongly illuminate cooking areas and work tops for preparing food but you may want more subtle lighting in the dining area. If you have the space, consider installing a multi-fuel stove. The heat and the sight of warm, dancing flames behind the glass door of your stove will no doubt attract both household pets and human members of your family!