Where’s My Dinner?

There’s a scene in the movie “Pleasantville” where William Macy’s character (George) enters his idyllic 1950s home and demands of his wife Betty (played by Joan Allen) “Where’s my dinner?”

 

That’s the way it was. The man worked. The woman stayed home, raised the kids, cleaned the house, and cooked. Kitchen design reflected this.

1950s-Kitchen-Appliances-With-Window-Blinds

 

That was then; this is now. In 2014, among married couples where at least one spouse worked (this excludes retired couples), both spouses worked in 63% of the households. And if children were present, both spouses worked 58% of the time. So for the husband to come home and demand “where’s my dinner?” just is not going to cut it anymore. (If you don’t believe me, try it.)

 

No wonder that cooking is becoming a “family sport.” Indeed, a survey done by AskMen.com confirmed that 57% of men said they cook at home and enjoy cooking at home.

 

There are some obvious reasons cooking is a family sport: 

  • Eating at home is less expensive than eating out.
  • Time is precious. So all the housework, including cooking, is being shared.
  • Cooking facilitates great family bonding. It’s a wonderful activity for the entire family (including the kids) to share, and a great opportunity to spend time together. Plus, the end result is great (FOOD!!). Cooking is fun!

 

As a result, the kitchen has become a focal point of the house. And kitchen design now reflects cooking as a family sport and the kitchen as a focal point in the house. Here are just a few examples that we employ to reflect these trends:

Kitchen Lighting 

We encourage our clients to become informed consumers. Appliance manufacturers will offer free cooking classes to demonstrate how their equipment is used. We urge our clients to take these classes to get a feel for the type of appliances they might want.

We frequently design kitchens with two cooks in mind. This can include:

kitchencs4

  • Bigger appliances
  • Appliances with non-traditional functionality, such as steam ovens, or indoor barbecues or griddles, or convection ovens
  • Multiple workstations, so, for example, one person might be preparing vegetables or a salad, and another might be marinating the main course, or slicing
  • Developing plans for lighting, electrical and even sound that take into account multiple cooks, and the fact that others may be congregating in the kitchen while the meal is being prepared

 

Since the kitchen is the focal point of the house, we may create more open space that seamlessly connects the kitchen to the family room, great room, etc. We may also put computer workstations in the kitchen, so the kids can be there while the parents prepare the meal (or vice versa)

 

We invite you to share your experiences of cooking as a team sport. And…what are you guys making for dinner? I’ll bet something good.

Michael Menn