What kind of host are you?
Socialising and entertaining at home is something that many of us love to do. It seems enough to say that you like to entertain guests at home. However, what kind of host you are is what matters to me when discussing re-designing your home.
You might be one of those who love cooking everything from scratch and invites friends for dinner or you might be someone who grabs some drinks and snacks for a quick catch-up with friends. Thinking about who you are and how you do things will help you realise what you really need for your home to be perfect.
The Master chef
With a Master Chef at home, you might have some troubles. I worked as a chef for some time, so I can tell you a chef will appreciate a good kitchen with practical and useful space. Whilst most chefs enjoy showcasing their technique, others might find it distracting having everybody around them. Guest could be a hassle while you try to get a perfectly smooth bechamel or a non-split hollandaise sauce.
For a Master Chef host, a functional stainless steel kitchen with gas hobs, a proper extraction fan, and a perfectly thought layout would definitely be a must. It’s not so much about the space, but about its function. If you would see some of the mini-kitchens where top chefs in London work, you would understand what I mean!
Think about sturdy pans and pots running around, tongs, spatulas, and strong whisks. Professional knives hold by a magnet on the whole and everything is ready for a fast grab. At the end of the shift, an easy-to-clean surface would be a dream! A Master Chef would definitely bother about the guest experience, so a separate dining area able to create a warm and cosy atmosphere could be a win-win for the chef and its guests.
The Amateur Chef
You might enjoy cooking, but let’s say perfection takes time for you. Taking it slow and easy could make your guests very hungry. That’s why probably the best option for you would be to bring your dining area into your kitchen.
If you are like me and enjoy cooking for others, you will probably enjoy having a good kitchen with enough worktop space. This may mean that you like sharing how you do things and therefore need a bigger space to bring people over to the kitchen. The next step would be to know what sort of food you cook. It’s obviously not the same fine dining as buffet-style and, whilst this may change through the year, I’m sure you know what is your preferred option.
The Social Amateur Chef
Taking it slow and mixing it up with socialising goes perfectly well with a buffet-style of cooking. The perfect option to showcase your technique while you cater to different meal preferences. Needless to say, a kitchen with an island works wonders for this type of host. Can you imagine everybody around you trying different things as they come out or even dipping directly from the pan? The dining table needs to be there for those who hate stools, but you definitely won’t need a 10 people table. Good kitchen appliances and some stools to seat around a spacious island can be missed though.
The Perfectionist Amateur Chef
We all love an island, but you might want to sacrifice this area in favor of a big dining table next to the kitchen if you are an amateur chef who loves perfection in cooking and fine dining. This arrangement would allow you to be in the conversation keeping a bit of distance with your guests. They can all enjoy seating comfortably while they wait for a homemade dinner worth a Michelin Star.
I know this is not a common option, but I encourage you to truly think about this option and consider it. Look how beautiful the kitchen from the image below looks. You can create a beautiful space with quality finishes that saves you a lot of space! You don’t need to be standing next to an island while you chop your carrots. I have great memories of my grandma peeling chickpeas (yes, we have a Spanish stew where chickpeas are pealed one by one!) seating at the kitchen table. A good dining table instead of an island serves many purposes: a comfy homework area for young children, good dining, restful place to clean your plants and chop your vegetables.
Ok, if I haven’t convinced you with the arguments above, let’s see if I can with the next concept. I think a perfectionist amateur chef who follows trends would definitely appreciate a dining table attached to an island. This concept gives you a bit of distance from your guests but it allows you to stay in the conversation. It’s much more comfortable to have a fine dining experience seating in a low chair and you can have the best of both worlds. This idea saves you also space in comparison to having an island plus a separate dining table and the look of it is gorgeous, right?
The socialiser
I like to call the socialiser to the type of host who likes to have people over, but not necesarly cooking. Recently discussing with my husband I noticed that not everybody has the same concept about entertaining at home. From his Polish perspective, a big table is mandatory because either if you are having a full meal or just some drinks, they would anyway seat around a big table. The lounge is therefore left for the homeowners to lay back after the meeting. However, from my Spanish point of view, I like to have people seating in a lounge even if we are enjoying a couple of drinks and snacks. We love cooking and we take it seriously, but we will only move people to a big dinning table when we are prepared to serve a seriously good dinner.
Wherever you come from, if you come to the conclusion that you won’t be cooking loads for others, probably you would be best prioritasing your lounge area over your dinning and kitchen area. A lounge can serve you well for your family time as well as for your entertainment as a host because it almost works like a circular table. In a circle, all points are at the same distance to the centre and therefore everybody could participate from a conversation. In a rectangular seating, as in a typical rectangular dinning table, you will be more driven to conversate with the person next to you or infront of you.
The socialiser perfect space would be a separate lounge with no Tv. You would probably want a mini-kitchen hidden somewhere to open your pre-made food and drinks, but the biggest part of your budget should go into this room. Depending on how big is your home, you can invest in a proper sofa embracing a circular shape or you can play the so elegant side-by-side sofa arrangement. Don’t forget to add a coffee table or side tables here and there to make sure your guests can enjoy a drink and stay longer!
As you can see, what type of host you are is definitely worth considering before buying or upgrading your home. To tailor a home that works wonders for you and your family starts by having a clear idea of who you are and how you live.
If you have any other type of host in mind that you would like me to include, please let me know in the comments below!
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