The kitchen has always been considered the heart of the home, and, with the current trend of open concept floor plans in which communal areas of the home are joined together to form one large, inviting space, the kitchen has evolved even further, becoming a true multifunctional space. This is exactly why the so-called “messy kitchen” has become a favorite trend for many Schumacher Homes clients.
Far beyond cooking and storage, the kitchen is now center stage for a plethora of family activities. The kitchen table might be a space for your kids to tend to their homework each afternoon or a bright nook for you to sort through a few early morning emails before heading into the office. During holidays or casual get-togethers it can quickly become the location for guests to congregate and nibble on a few appetizers or refill their glasses while conversing with each other. Due to its central location, an open kitchen design can be an incredibly popular hang out, but that heavy foot traffic can mean that it quickly accumulates an unsightly amount of clutter and this is why a messy kitchen can be the answer you are looking for to help entertain in style, giving you an efficient, distraction free area of the home.
Hot Tip: Add a pop of color or fun flooring to your messy kitchen! Colorful artwork or unique backsplash is another great way to help bring the space to life. Or even think of creative ways to display your appliances or extra bowls on the open shelves. Just because it's out of sight doesn't mean you can't still add your touch of style when designing the space!
Now don’t be confused, we aren’t saying that kitchens have become unkempt places stacked with dirty dishes and crumb covered floors - we hope! The “messy kitchen” that we’re speaking about is actually an annex to your traditional open floor kitchen plan where you can do a bit of behind the scenes work. Think of it as the ultimate kitchen prep space, something that might have only been part of professional restaurant kitchens in the past, that can be closed off from the rest of the kitchen when you want to hide your mess from guests or even from yourself.
Messy kitchens can be completely customized to your particular wants and needs. They can be a cozy space with just a counter and a few shelves or they can feel like a full-sized kitchen, hiding away nearly every convenience of a standard kitchen in a more secluded area. We have seen messy kitchens with full-sized sinks, ideal for washing and prepping vegetables or cleaning large pots and pans. Some clients enjoy having a large refrigerator in their messy kitchen where they can store their prep work or hide an array of beverages for guests. A messy kitchen can be the perfect place for coffee grinders or cumbersome espresso machines, or even home brewing equipment for those who are genuinely dedicated to the craft beer craze. It’s the ideal space for all of your countertop appliances that only get used every so often - bread makers, food dehydrators, pasta rollers, etc, etc.
“Over the years, I’ve amassed quite the collection of random kitchen appliances, oddly shaped pots and pans and cake molds, or just extra plates for the few times each year that we host a large crowd. I never knew anything about messy kitchens before speaking to my New Home Consultant during the planning stages, but now that I have one, I don’t know how I ever lived without it. It’s just the perfect place for all of my gadgets and even to get a bit of chopping or washing done when the kitchen is being used for socializing.” - Linda, Schumacher Homeowner
From hosting large parties to preparing everyday meals, a messy kitchen is a highly functional space to cook, clean, and store your clutter - it is a true behind-the-scenes experience. Be it storage of all of those weird kitchen items that you bought for one specific dish that you only made that one time three years ago, or a place to store the extra boxes of soup stock and canned beans that found their way into your shopping cart because you can’t pass up a great deal on bulk items, the messy kitchen provides the pantry space that you need to keep your open kitchen tidy and sleek. Want a place for your kids to “help” make dinner without causing a disastrous mess complete with wet, slipping risks for the rest of the family? This is it. Need your spouse to pitch in and chop a few carrots and onions? Good thing there is a second sink and plenty of counter space in the messy kitchen. Don’t want to send friends to the garage for a can of soda? That’s why the extra fridge in the messy kitchen is there.
A messy kitchen offers the versatility you need to host the next ‘big game’ or a simple family gathering without worrying about the catastrophe that a well-used kitchen can often become after a day of prep. Get the work done, put smiles on your guests’ faces, and simply close the door and worry about clean-up some other time.
About Schumacher Homes
Schumacher Homes, based in Canton, Ohio, is America’s largest custom homebuilder, with operations in 22 locations in 11 states across the country. The National Housing Quality award winning company has built over 20,000 homes, customized to fit each family’s lifestyle, since its founding by Paul Schumacher in 1992. Schumacher Homes takes each customer’s inspiration and gives it a home. Each Schumacher Homes location includes a one-stop shopping design studio and model homes displaying the latest in architectural and product trends.