Transform Your Kitchen Into the Best Entertaining Space With These 5 Renovations

Art Design

April 28, 2024

Oscar Collins

Is your kitchen a little lacking, but you’re anxious to host? The desire to curate the right vibe and ensure there’s enough elbow room for everyone could have you considering some big changes. With that in mind, here are five kitchen renovations that will transform it into the perfect entertainment space.

Add A Pop of Color

One straightforward way to make your kitchen better for entertaining is to shake up the color scheme. Neutrals, whites, grays and blues are staples of sophisticated spaces, but the monochrome-ness could be stifling the conversation, so try something new. Doing so could be as easy as placing a few decorations or as involved as repainting the whole space.

Either way, various shades of red, orange and yellow are known to bring energy to a space. If none of these hues entice you, experts say a deep green can be vibrant yet calming enough for a classy cocktail party or elegant dinner.

A marble kitchen farm sink with brass hardware sitting on dark green cabinets from a kitchen renovation that also has emerald green subway tile as backsplash.
Photo courtesy of deVOL Kitchens.

Think About Seating Space

Would you have a great time at a dinner party where there was nowhere to sit or the chairs felt like iron? Good seating — and enough room for it — is crucial to an excellent entertaining kitchen. This project might involve simply grabbing some great chairs from a local store or could require a kitchen island remodel.

However, before making any decisions, it’s critical to consider the room’s flow. Those bar stools might look perfect and feel great, but do they stick out in the aisle? Could rounding out the corners of the island offer more seating room and visual intrigue? When you’re adding those larger elements, make sure you’re thinking about the open space it could create or take away.

A dining space set in the corner of a room with banquet seating with salmon colored cushions and a wood dining table with wood dining chairs. One wall has thin white shiplap and the other wall is dark brown.
Photo courtesy of Meghan Eisenberg

Create Kitchen Zones

Smaller, distinct areas within your kitchen can make dinner parties a breeze. Bumping out the space may be the best option if you know you want to host a lot of people frequently, but creating zones for cooking, eating and chatting is a snap with a few visual cues.

For example, taking a few chairs away from the island could create enough room for a small table with a few chairs. A chaise lounge couch under a window or next to sliding glass doors leading to the backyard is a comfortable, casual spot. Meanwhile, you can take the lead on cooking, knowing your guests have multiple areas to enjoy in your kitchen.

A kitchen renovation featuring a seating area in the room next to windows with a bistro table and a striped armchair as well as two smaller upholstered dining chairs.
Photo courtesy of Alice Crawley Interiors.

Add Lighting Elements

Lights are another major factor — attendees should be able to see their food but not feel like they’re in a science lab. There are so many fixtures out there that could become your kitchen’s statement piece, but it’s the lightbulbs you put in them that really matter.

Kitchens typically use 4,000 to 5,000 Kelvin bulbs, which are white with a slightly blue tint. While they’re very bright, people don’t love sitting under them for very long. A warm white bulb will be in the 3,000-4,000 Kelvin range, but if those aren’t bright enough for you, use a layered lighting approach. Place some LED strips under your cabinets or include recessed lights where you need more visibility.

A kitchen renovation featuring a view of the stove and custom hood painted in light blue paired with a quarts backsplash with dark grains going through the white with a crystal chandelier hanging above the kitchen island.
Photo courtesy of Corrine Victoria Design.

Functional Storage Space

Everyone’s got their plates and drinks, but there’s nowhere to put them — now what? Before hosting a great dinner party, make sure you have enough countertop space for everyone. Plus, you’ll be able to find anything your visitors need quickly when there’s enough room to organize everything.

Depending on your interior design, add a sleek or rustic cabinet to hold extra dishes, silverware, decor, and more. Moving said cabinet to the dining room if it crowds the kitchen too much is a great way to maximize your space. Additionally, add large drawers to your island and get bigger cabinets to store large pots, pans, moveable appliances and anything else that could get in the way.

A close up shot of kitchen light maple cabinets and drawers with the quartz backsplash detail with a gold vase filled with dark red flowers next to a small stack of white plates with a blue stripe and gold candle holders with navy kit candle sticks.
Photo courtesy of Meghan Eisenberg.

How Long Do Kitchen Renovations Take?

The timelines for revamping your kitchen will inevitably depend on the scope of what you have planned. Planning and design might be one of the shorter stages if you’re not choosy, but if you’re a perfectionist, nailing your layout could take weeks of new drafts. 

Additionally, more tasks naturally require more time to complete. Your contractor will give you an estimate during the planning phase, but those numbers could shift when the project starts, so anticipate a few extra weeks to stay on the safe side.

Delays can stall a project. From not having enough room for appliances after installing cabinets to adding floors at the wrong time, there are various issues that could require rework and drag your project on. To avoid these issues, take as much time in the design phase as necessary while keeping in mind that shipping issues may make a longer timeline inevitable.

A view of a kitchen and dining space separated with the arch between the rooms. The kitchen is painted a dark gray and the dining room walls are finished in a floral wall paper.
Photo courtesy of Heidi Caillier Design.

Add These 5 Updates to Your Kitchen Renovations Wishlist

Whether you’re planning a large remodel or merely want to make a few tweaks, adjusting your kitchen is a surefire way to make it a fantastic space for entertaining. Consider these five kitchen renovations with your contractor in the design stage to craft a host-worthy layout.

Credits:

Written by Oscar Collins | @TModded