How do you use your kitchen?

Since DS1 started to talk, about 48 years ago, we have always had a newtility room. I wonder, would a futility room be more use?

Spent first weeks of lockdown peeling off 15 year old red gloss finish on my kitchen & sanding/painting it a nice fresh ivory.... still a few bits to do but happy with it. It's where all the family congregate, not huge by any means but French doors open onto decking & we've celebrated everything from births to annual cancer all-clears here. I've walked this floor in labour and sat here weeping when I lost my beloved Mam, It's where I was told I was to become a grandmother & where I conjure up Christmas dinner with a lot of help from eldest son
I love my kitchen

My kitchen is part of a large open plan living area. It's not a set up that I would really have sought, but we bought the house because it fitted our criteria ie it was a new build, and a bungalow. The kitchen is at one end, the table and chairs between it, and the ' sitting ' area. There are bifold doors at the seating end, overlooking the back garden and woodland, and, on the long, south facing wall there are two floor to ceiling windows and the kitchen window, so it's a very bright space, and the sun keeps the temperature at the set 22deg, and mostly above it during the day, even in winter. I actually enjoy living in this space more than I thought I would, especially when there are visitors. I'm in it all day, and have a space on the worktop, which no one really sees as it's behind the built in ovens, which I call my ' office ', as I have a basket with the paraphernalia required for everyday paperwork etc. Though there's a TV in the sitting area, I tend to watch the one in the smaller sitting room ( third bedroom) in the evenings. As DH is now in a nursing home, and DS, who has learning difficulties, takes to his room, the small room suits me better when I'm sitting on my own. The washing machine and tumble dryer are in the utility room.

After 34 years here we're now on our 4th kitchen (5 if you include the paint job I did on the second one )which is about 9 x 9 ft square. We have a small round glass table in a cubby hole which used to house the boiler cupboard and a fairly large TV over it. The sink looks out over the garden so I can watch the birds (and the cat). The utility room which we built on about 20 years ago is about the same size and contains the washer, tumble drier, the large fridge/freezer, a smaller fridge and a trolley with the halogen oven on it. I also have a large microwave, coffee machine, the cats water fountain, the air fryer and the (new) bread maker on the worktop so not much room to do anything in there. We'd both love a big open plan kitchen with an island so when we finally come to move it will be on the list of ideals. There's only the 2 of us now but in years gone by when family were here they all tended to stand around in the kitchen.

I live in a flat so my large main room has the living room at one end with patio doors onto a long balcony and the kitchen in one corner of the other end and a dining table and chairs in the opposite corner so you can see everything when you are sat down in the evening.

The plus of this is when I am cooking so can see everyone and they can see me. The kitchen area is small but adequate as often it’s only me here . I keep extra China/glasses etc in a small dresser at the living room end.

Previous houses have usually had a table and chairs in a larger kitchen but I find with both scenarios visitors can congregate and chat so all good

Our kitchen is about 24' by 15' now although it wasn't always as big. We knocked into the old pantry which was quite large & the same width as the kitchen, with a huge window and stunning views. It's now the eating end of the kitchen with a table under the window, a large freestanding old glazed cupboard for crockery & cutlery & a matching pair of a tall fridge & freezer. There's a great view of all the birds on the feeders & up over the fields to the village on the hill a couple of miles away. In the main part of the kitchen we have cabinets on the ground only- the house is 16th century with a low ceiling & beams. The washer & dishwasher live in the kitchen & obviously we have a sink!! The focal point is the log burner with 2 leather wing chairs in front of it & we spend a lot of time sitting in them, whether or not the fire is going. The paint is pale green, the blind & curtains in a Sophie Allport farm theme fabric & the flooring is a wood-look lino. It's cosy &, I like to think, inviting.

Oh and we have a freestanding electric cooker with an induction hob - no Aga for me!!

I am the same as eazybee. I have a galley kitchen, which I love, so I can only prepare and cook meals there.

When I was a child my mother always thought it was not the right thing to eat in the kitchen. Her family were very working class and only had one room downstairs, so when she had a house with a dining room she really thought she had moved up.

The futility room is so-called because it’s futile to try and keep it tidy. . It’s where our cats sleep, all cosy because it’s where the boiler is situated. It has all their paraphernalia in there, too.

It also houses the washer and dryer, cleaning materials, ironing board, the recycling, brushes, an airer and anything from the house that’s making it way into the garage or to the bins.

Since my Dh retired and we got our two rescue cats, it’s mainly his domain - I stay well clear, if I can.

Our house originally had a small kitchen that faced north, so we took down the wall between it and an adjacent room.

We now have a big, light kitchen with plenty of room for cooking and baking, which we both enjoy and room to eat on our own or with visitors.

My kitchen is small, 8'x13' and as I have no laundry room it has to accommodate the washing machine as well. I do have a small table and two chairs in the corner and I use this for breakfast, reading the paper, making lists etc.
It faces south and onto the street behind a small front garden so I can see people passing by. I wish it was wider with a few more cupboards as, at the moment I have an overflow 'pantry' for tins and jars in the garage, next to the chest freezer.
My kitchen is quite pretty, with pale primrose units and mint green tiny tiles as splash backs. The other walls are white. Above my table I have a 'shabby chic' wall unit on which I display odd plates, cups and saucers that I've picked up in charity shops. The deep bay window is filled with house plants. I'm sitting at the table at the moment writing this.

My kitchen is the hub of our home. We have a log burner and sofa so lovely and toastie in the winter. Changed large table for a smaller one, only two of us. A large penisular work surface and bar stools are a space for tablet, letter writing, crafting , you name it ,it happens there.
We have an allotment and the worktops are covered in baskets of fruit and veg, jars of jam, jelly curds. Tubs of veggie dishes to go in the freezer. I love this room but most of all when it has friends and families in it enjoying our produce.

We have a kitchen diner, about 36'x15' in total. It's open plan to the lounge which is a similar size. The kitchen area is about 12'x15'. There are 3 sets of patio doors onto the garden. From the lounge we can see through the diner out into the garden. The kitchen has the usual array of units and appliances and a large ceramic butlers sink in a peninsular which separates the kitchen and dining area. The diner is big enough for a 10 seater table and various shelving units, and it's where everyone seems to gather when we have visitors, where DH and I do lots of hobbies and pastimes, and where we play tabletennis with our GC! Our kitchen was intended to be used only for cooking as we have a separate utility/laundry room for those tasks, but DH will insist on cleaning his garden tools and muddy hands in the kitchen sink rather than go to the utility room.

Our kitchen in our previous house was just 10'x8' so it's lovely to not be bumping into each other now.

My kitchen is small with 3 doors taking up space so it is definitely just used for cooking. Kate1949 I once had a galley kitchen and loved how convenient it was to work in.
Sorry to disagree Kittylester but your kitchen is HUGE! Just a thought for us all. In my experience with friends and family, the size of a kitchen has no effect on the quality of the cooking produced in it. ?

I suppose that having had a big family means my thoughts on sizing might be different to other people's. It certainly feels quite small when they are all lolling around there while I am cooking for them.

My kitchen is 11x8....so no room for sitting. I dislike cooking so spend as little time as possible in there. My husband always insisted on house with small kitchens as he said they are just wasting space. Personally I think it’s so two of us couldn’t get in them.... no help there then!!

I am amazed at how many of you have such large kitchens. I wonder how many of you all live in large, grand houses or have you knocked rooms through. I have a much larger kitchen in my current house than I've had before as it has been extended but is still much smaller than many of yours and definitely no room for a table and chairs, though I guess there would be space if I took out several cupboards.

I only go in the lounge in the evening. I recently extended to have a kitchen /diner. I have my laptop on the dining table and go on and off it all day. The patio doors at the rear overlooking the back garden stay open for most of the year so the cats and grandchildren, when they visit, can come in and out as they please.

Mine is 8' x 13' and has been used more this lockdown than in the last 23 years. Gosh, I miss eating out. Drop leaf table works beautifully when entertaining. I spend as little time in there as possible. Nothing wrong with the dear place. Just me.....

I don’t live in a grand house, just a 1980’s modern style 4-bed house. The original builder was a well-regarded Scottish company, though, that have always had a good reputation. I do think houses in Scotland tend to be a bit larger than in the south of England, presumably because there’s more space here and land is less expensive.

My kitchen is about 20 x 15 and we use it most of the time, even when visitors come. We only sit in the lounge in the evening if we want the TV on. We have been known to stay in the kitchen from dawn till bed time. It’s where all the food is, why would I want to go anywhere else??

My kitchen is almost exactly like I want, but would ideally like a squashy sofa there! I do have an old armchair, my big pine table and chairs and mostly freestanding dressers and cupboards. Big sink is under one window. The dogs’ basket is in front of the range and there are double doors out to the garden and a view over fields and hills with no other houses in sight.
I spend a lot of time here.

Love my new kitchen/ dining room! Lovely view from the kitchen island of the garden through the bifold doors. The dining table is in the window so when it’s hot and the doors are open it’s just like sitting in the garden ! I feel so lucky.

My kitchen might be seen as big but I would love french or bifold doors out into the garden and it doesnt lend itself to having an island.

I wish my kitchen extension had been built bigger and better. But I’m glad I have a kitchen and a home to live in.