You’ve probably noticed your kitchen is where the real party happens. Even if you have a tiny kitchen, all of your guests end up there at one time. Whether they’re trying to help, snack between serving, or just talk near the coffee maker, consider these kitchen design elements so you’re ready for entertaining.

Take a Moment to Evaluate

How often do you entertain? How many guests do you host at one time? Do you enjoy cooking and baking? Or do you typically have events catered? All of these questions go into planning a new kitchen design. If you find you only host one holiday per year and your friends know to expect takeout when they visit, then maybe you can do a less expensive kitchen renovation. 

But if your home is where your friends and family gather, then you’ll want to plan the perfect layout for your space.

Kitchen Design: Building the Perfect Island

If your kitchen has enough space for an island, don’t just use it for food preparation. By adding stools to one side, your guests can chat and snack while you prep the food. Or it can be used as a buffet for guests to serve themselves.

Two-tiered countertops easily serve guests with an array of snacks, while keeping dirty dishes hidden from the rest of the room. And it keeps your food and prep station from overflowing into the service area.

If you have an especially open floor plan or large kitchen, you have the option for two islands – a new trend growing in 2020. If you want help while you’re cooking, consider multiple work stations for prepping the food. Usually that looks like one sink in the island and another on the counter. 

Choosing Appliances

If you don’t typically cook for these parties, you don’t need the high-end appliances. However, stainless steel always looks great, and buyers almost require stainless when purchasing a home.

For your refrigerator, make sure your catering containers will fit inside by double checking the interior dimensions. If you cook, you’ll need all the space you can get for ingredients. For hosting, consider a door-in-door or a middle drawer so guests can have easy access to beverages throughout the event.

Having two dishwashers has become more common as entertaining grows, and greatly speeds clean up after an event.

Consider Your Cabinets

Do you collect colored glass or beautiful, seasonal dishware? Display them with open or glass-front cabinetry! Not only does this help your kitchen look larger, but you get to decorate the space in a similar style to the rest of your house. 

Although, many designers recommend keeping most of your cabinets closed to hide some of the mess (or the dishes that you actually use every day), showing off your collections or favorite pieces brings personality to the space were these items would normally be clutter on a busy counter.

Add Some Texture with Soapstone

Once your layout is complete, you can start thinking about countertops. With the unique, “soapy,” velvet feel, soapstone countertops will be a conversation starter on their own. 

Soapstone is also completely practical for your entertaining space. Simply clean with water and mild soap, and the stone is heat-resistant, so don’t worry about placing hot pots and pans directly on the counter. Any scratches can be easily buffed out 120- grit sandpaper, and the stone won’t stain with spills.