Is a bigger kitchen always better?
I find it so interesting that in North America, we often equate a bigger house as being better. This is also true with kitchens. In the last five years or so, there has been a whole wave of rethinking how we live and people have been asking the question — is bigger really better? A part of me wants to go really deep with all of this, and I likely will in the future (so stay tuned), but for the purposes of this post, I just want to focus on delving into the kitchen space and the benefits of going smaller.
Basically since the end of World War 2, we have seen a continual movement to larger kitchens. Why is it in North America that we always equate a large kitchen as a necessary feature in a house and being superior to a smaller one? Why do we feel we need to have the biggest pantries or enough counter space to serve hundreds of people at a time? There are some pantries that no joke could feed a family for months and months! I know we are in lockdown, but when is it just too much space?
Ten years ago that was my mindset and you should have seen the size of our old kitchen. It was massive, with a large walk-in pantry. Then seven years ago when our whole world changed and we relocated to a new city, we ended up renting an apartment with our family of five while we tested the waters in our new town.
Truthfully, when we moved into the apartment I was shell shocked, but over the seven months that we lived there, I realized how little we truly needed. So, when we eventually bought and renovated the house that we currently live in, I designed what I like to call a small, but mighty kitchen. It might be small, but it’s packed full of storage, flows great and is lovely to look at. Don’t get me wrong, I still knocked down a wall and opened it up to the family room, which wasn’t a small task, but I didn’t feel the need to push the kitchen out and make it even bigger.
Our kitchen isn’t huge, but it gives the illusion of being so much bigger because it’s open to the family room. Would you call it really small, probably not, but according to North American standards, it is. So, when people call me about their kitchen renovations, I just assume that one wants to open their space and make it bigger if they have a compartmentalized kitchen. But, just last week during a zoom consultation with a client who relocated here from Europe, this whole notion of kitchen came into question. Why do we always feel the need to knock down a wall and try to make it bigger? Is this always the way to go?
When they were walking me through their space I noticed how large their living and dining room were and how small and poorly laid out their kitchen was. As mentioned before, my first instinct was to tear down a wall and add an addition to enlarge the kitchen and open it up to the dining room. This came to halt when the client reminded me that she was from Europe where kitchens are typically a fraction of the size then they are here and they still manage to cook for 20 or more people in such a small space. Large living and dining rooms are a must whereas a large kitchen isn’t. She was absolutely right!! Why do we feel like we always have to open the kitchen? I know that we traditionally all congregate here, but why can’t we do this in the family or living room instead? She was onto something and I, the deep thinker I am, needed to delve into this and explore the benefits of a small kitchen today. In order to do so, I needed to think back to my years living in the apartment with the kids a while back and my travels.
In short, here are the benefits that I came up with and man, they really will make you think.
Less food storage = less waste: Have you ever gone through your pantry and realized that you had some hidden treasures that you had purchased years ago in bulk because they were on sale? When you have a smaller kitchen you know what you have and you only buy what you need and can store. A smaller fridge forces you to eat more fresh items that you buy daily. Doesn’t that sound like a healthier option?
Less overall storage = less stuff: Who else has small appliances like the juicer in their cabinets that they never use? Or glasses, how many glasses do you actually need to have. I didn’t realize how many glasses we truly had until we relocated to our current house. I had glasses for every drink you could think of: champagne, margaritas, port, beer, every type of wine you could think of. Really, unless you are a true officiato, who needs all these types? Most had to go.
Smaller kitchen = use other rooms to entertain in: There have been so many times in the past where a party has never left the kitchen. Why not start entertaining and socializing when COVID is done in other rooms in the house? I don’t know about you, but after all of this cooking during lockdown, I’m sick of the kitchen!
Small kitchen = clean as you cook: A smaller kitchen forces you to continually clean up as you cook because there isn’t any room. Sounds like a win, win for me!!
A smaller kitchen might mean that you want to eat out more and socialize outside of your space and of course, try new foods: To be honest, this is what happened with us. When we had a large kitchen it seemed hard to justify going out because we always had something that we could pull together at a moment’s notice. Honestly now, even though I’m a bit of a homebody, going out and having someone cook for me sounds absolutely delectable when COVID is done.
A smaller kitchen is cheaper to renovate!
I’m sold, are you? As you see throughout Europe, your kitchen can be small, but packed full of amazing smart storage and wonderful appliances. While I’m sure it’s been convenient for those with large kitchens during COVID to store the 10kg bag of flour for baking extravaganza’s, there is something endearing about a small kitchen I must say. On top of it, less cleaning is music to my ears and when our world opens up and we can start socializing again, I’m game on to eat some new food at restaurants. Who else is ready for some patio dinners with friends and family? I’m in! I feel another renovation in my future, lol, maybe it’s time that the Maricic’s try this new form of living… and simplify things.