Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, a house full of guests – who can honestly say that this isn’t their favourite part of the festive period?
There would no glorious meals without the kitchen. Or biscuits, treats and puddings. For so many of us, the kitchen is the hub of the season. As it is the hub of our homes and family life.
If you want to see me create my projects, follow me on Tik Tok and Instagram.
It’s because of its vital role that we choose to reflect our celebrations through decorations and introduce a subtle hint of Christmas into the kitchen.
This can be a matter twinkly lights or a strategically placed garland, however I am always mindful of keeping it safe and not overdoing it in the kitchen. You only have to read about Christmas Dinner disasters to know that making the meal can be a perilous task in itself without the added perils of over decorating.
To make the most of your kitchen’s festive potential, all that’s needed is wise decorating and keeping it simple, there is nothing worse than over done and tacky is there?
Allocate Available Surfaces For Cooking And Preparation
With not long to go until the big day, it’s worth noting spaces for preparing food and keeping those clear. Whilst the festive chef typically requires as much room as possible for chopping vegetables, the addition of a Cotswold Co. sideboard can add additional storage space but also be a great place to create a festive feature.
When it comes to decorating our kitchen, think about safety and remember that the oven is for cooking only. Give yourself plenty of space around the oven to cook and prepare. And don’t use halogen hobs for storage, they can be easily knocked on by guests leaning on them. Because the surface is flat people assume they are safe to lean on, ours has been turned on this way before today. If you have an induction hob this is not necessarily an issue, however non inductions ovens do not need a pan to get warm, thus making it vital to keep them clear at all times.
Family Time
Christmas is also about board games and charades. Search for interactive activities that can be enjoyed by the whole family and use your kitchen to fully embrace the communal spirit of the season. Board games can be stored away neatly and accessed easily, while the internet is brimming with features on the best games to choose for the holiday – just look at the Evening Standard’s piece for this year. Although one of our all time faves is this online name that tune pop quiz, its so much fun.
Use Seasonal Scents
Christmas isn’t just about seeing – there are an abundance of sounds and smells that we associate with this time of year, too. Festive candles, diffusers and keeping a pan or slow cooker on the go with mulled wine or gin to welcome guests and will evoke the cosiness and warmth of the season. There are so many ways to infuse your home with wintry scents; this article on Good Housekeeping has a great list of ways to create and sustain these.
Christmas is a time for having a social media break, enjoying time with family and not stressing too much about all the jobs that everyday life brings. Kick back, chill out and enjoy the family time.
