A family kitchen functions much like the old farmhouse kitchen where everything revolves around the table, but it can still be modern if it suits your ideas or existing style of decor. Whether it's preparing and eating meals, playing games or doing homework, the table is the main focus of family life. Lots of shelves for books, toys and everyday crockery are also called for.
If the kitchen is large enough then an informal seating area - perhaps a settee with loose covers or throws for easy care, and a casual atmosphere - will encourage everyone to linger longer, helping to keep the family a close unit. A family kitchen should be bright, light and practical. A fun idea instead of pictures on the wall is to make a collage of your children’s paintings.
Kitchen walls generally take quite a battering with a young family, so it's best to paint them with a washable satin paint. Likewise, the kitchen flooring should be tough and just about everything resistant.
Kitchen windows are well suited for blinds such as roller blinds or venetian blinds, which are good to look at and, with their easy care finish, can stand the rigours of family life. The Acacia Tango roller blind, for example, is a good choice as a family kitchen blind. The rich burnt amber colouring adds to the general feeling of energy and vibrancy in the room. The Gloucester Raspberry colourway also makes a great kitchen blind. It's full of fun colours, and there are plenty of bright kitchen accessories readily available to carry through the colour theme.
Primary colours such as bright reds and oranges are a great colour to go for in a family kitchen. They are full of life, but dark enough to take the wear and tear. The Poppy Metal venetian blind not only looks good, but its quality metal blades are easy to care for: just a wipe with a damp cloth from time to time and the dust and grease from a busy kitchen will be gone in minutes. Should you favour curtains in your kitchen then go for a carefree look; simplicity is the key to a successful kitchen window treatment. Keep the amount of fabric in the curtains to a minimum, and go for a fairly simple metal curtain pole such as the Rolls Neo Metal Eyelet pole. The pared-down look for the windows will offer maximum daylight if set well to the sides of the window opening, as well as delivering slightly more impact - especially if it is a large window - than can be offered from a blind. In an already very busy room, it is best to avoid too much high drama in your interior decor, which is why if just the window treatment or selected items of furniture make the decorative statement, that will do. The kitchen decor will not need a focal point; family life is the focal point.
