The COVID pandemic has accelerated what was already a strong trend in the Weston area – generations of a family sharing a single address. Whether it’s aging parents moving to be closer to their children and grandchildren or adult children, sometimes with children of their own, returning to the family home, the goal is to keep everyone healthy, happy and safe.
In real life, even people who love each other very very much can run into challenges when it comes to living together. One prime potential location for conflict to happen? The kitchen, where the old phrase “too many cooks spoil the soup” is taking on new life.
Here’s what happens: when multiple generations come together under one roof, what you’re really doing is combining established households. Every household has its own unique way of storing, preparing, and eating food, as well as cleaning up afterward. To keep things harmonious, kitchen design has to allow for multiple cooks to do things the way that suits them best.
As kitchen contractors near Weston, we’ve been called on to do this multiple times. Because every family is different, we’ve developed multiple responses to this increasingly common challenge. Here are some of the most popular options:
Adding an In-Law Suite to the Home
The easiest way to ensure every household has a kitchen that suits their needs and preferences is to make sure every household has its own kitchen. An in-law suite is very similar in function to a tiny house – these additions typically contain a bedroom, living room, kitchen, bath and some storage.
Kitchen Renovation To Add Space & Storage
When we work with a family on their kitchen renovation project, we spend time trying to understand what’s really not working for them with their current kitchen. That way those functional problems can be addressed and eliminated with the new kitchen design. When working with multi-generational families who share a kitchen, what we often hear is that there’s just not enough space and storage. Kitchen renovations can include enlarging the footprint of the kitchen; reconfiguring the existing kitchen to allow for additional workspaces, appliances, and storage; adding a pantry to meet the increased storage needs and more.