The Hub of the Home

When I was little the kitchen was the hub of our home. It’s where everyone congregated to chat and drink tea and put the world to rights. The front room was for guests and was always kept neat and tidy. The kitchen was were all the action was and the kettle was always boiling.

My wish now is to make my kitchen more homely. I want people to feel welcome and comfortable in there if they’ve popped in for a visit and chat. I want the kids to feel happy playing around the table, just like we used to. Play board games, or colouring in books or even doing homework. I don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen alone while I cook meals and bake all day, I’d love some company.

First step is to give the kitchen a makeover. It’s not bad at the  moment, but it’s a little drab. It needs a little more colour and maybe some decoration. I’m thinking a lick of paint. Maybe a nice welcoming green or warm yellow and some pictures on the wall. I have some lovely art work that the children have done that I’m thinking of having framed. One step further than drawings on fridge. A nice colourful clock and maybe some plants, perhaps even my home grown herbs.

Groves Nursery

Storage is important. It’s nice to keep the work surfaces free from clutter. I have lots of cupboards for storing things away but it would be nice to leave some things on show, or to hand. A nice fruit bowl always looks lovely and a spice rack that fits in with the decor, I hate having to rummage through the cupboard for my spices and you can get some really nice spice racks that look lovely on display.

Legend Spice Rack

The dining area is going to be one of the most important areas if you want people to spend more time in the kitchen. You can find dining tables to fit most spaces, and extending tables are great for when you have extra guests but don’t want to take up so much room all the time. I also believe in a selection of table clothes, in particular a few throw away ones for children’s messy activities. My daughter Boo already loves laying the table for dinner like I used to do for my mom when I was little.

My kids already love being in the kitchen helping me cook, each week we are cooking up a storm and I try to record as much as possible for my Kids in the Kitchen feature. They are also in there enjoying crafts around the kitchen table, it’s a lovely big space they can all work together and the mess is so much easier to clean up.

I can’t wait to get started on making my kitchen more appealing. I love it in there already, but that’s because I’m always cooking. Now I’m looking forward to having some company because I know my grandma never spent a minute alone in her kitchen.

So if you pop around you’ll be sure of a warm welcome and a nice cuppa with a biscuit or two, or maybe even a slice of cake!

Thank you to Tesco for help in bringing you this post.