Essential tips to prepare your kitchen for summer socialising.
Summer is a fantastic time for socialising, and here Nicholas Smith from The White Kitchen Company offers some tips on how to get your kitchen ready for events. Read on to prepare for the social season.
As the weather becomes warmer and the evenings last longer, the social season is sure to get going. Summer is the perfect time of year for having social events, whether that’s a drinks evening, afternoon tea, or barbecue. Whatever you’re planning this season, you’ll need to ensure that your kitchen is arranged and ready for you to enjoy socialising in. The way we arrange and set up our space can make a big difference to the socialising experience we have, and it’s well worth investing time in.
Here, we’ll go through some of the key things you can do to get your kitchen prepared for summer, and make sure you can have all your family and friends around to make the most of the sunshine.
Refresh your décor
As the weather clears up after winter and the sunshine starts to come back into our homes, it might be time to refresh the décor of your property. This might mean repainting, whether you’re choosing a new colour scheme or refreshing the existing one to restore your kitchen to its new lustre. Summer is a great time to explore brighter tones, such as yellows, lilacs, and pastel greens, so try getting some swatches and see which paint shades make you feel like summer is starting.
You can also revitalise your space by adding more features, such as new pieces of furniture, photo frames, or art pieces. Alternatively, try just rearranging your space and moving things around to make it into a whole new kitchen. This can make a surprising difference and be a good way to take a spring clean even further.
Incorporate the outdoors
Including features from the outdoors can really add a summery atmosphere to your kitchen; this is often known as biophilic design and is a fantastic way to get your kitchen ready for socialising. There are many ways to do this, such as adding houseplants into your décor, which can bring a natural brightness to a room. You can even install a green wall and make plants a bigger feature of your kitchen. If you have a patio, garden, or balcony that your kitchen opens onto, you might also consider adding some houseplants around the doors to allow a smooth transition between inside and outside.
Additionally, you can incorporate natural materials in your décor to add the outdoors to your kitchen: wood, stone, cork, terracotta, and bamboo are great choices. Whether in accessories, countertops, or even flooring, these materials will add a summery outdoor atmosphere. Lastly, allow plenty of natural light into your kitchen to brighten it up and make you feel almost like you’re outside. Not to mention, lighter kitchen décor will make the space feel much brighter and more connected to the outdoors too.
Organise tableware and essentials
There are plenty of things you’ll definitely be needing if you want to hold social events this summer, and it’s best to spend some time organising these essentials before the season really ramps up. That way, you’ll have everything you need to hand when you get around to sending out invites.
Whether you’re holding an afternoon tea party, a dinner party, or a barbecue, you’ll need to ensure that you have enough tableware to go around. So, get out your tableware and organise it, taking note of how many sets you have. Purchase anything extra that you’ll be needing and ensure that your ceramics and cooking implements are tidy and within easy reach. It’s worth noting that you might also need dedicated tableware and utensils for al fresco dining, and these can be gotten out of storage in preparation for summer events.
You can also do this with any cocktail-making utensils, glasses, and other items you’ll need for drinks events. If you enjoy cocktail-making and entertaining over some premium wine, you can lay out these tools ready for your next event.
Look out for 2023 trends
If you’re looking for some ideas to inspire your kitchen updates, then look no further than 2023 trends in kitchen décor. This can give you plenty of new ideas for how you might add some summery design to your interiors. For instance, this year’s trending colour for kitchen design is pink, which has become more popular to include, whether as a bright accent or as a more subtle pastel shade. Reeded glass is becoming more popular, too, and can add a touch of style to your cabinets.
Variations in your surfaces and materials are becoming trendy, with metal and marble both providing options for bringing a new style to your kitchen space. And making the splashback into a feature by using patterns, colours, and aesthetically pleasing materials like marble can be a great addition to your kitchen too.
You can really get yourself in a summery mood by sprucing up your kitchen and making it ready for entertaining. Whatever you like to do to socialise, take the time to ensure that your space is ready for the season by revitalising the décor and making it into the space you’ve been wanting to spend time in.
