How Should a Modern Office Kitchen Look?

Office kitchens are rarely as appreciated or valued as the ones in our homes. However, considering how many businesses still embrace office working models – even if only for a few days a week – the importance of a high-quality office kitchen cannot be understated.

Office kitchens play host to employees throughout the working day as an area to relax and unwind from stresses, engage in casual conversation and enjoy some refreshments. Whether a traditional, open-plan, contemporary, or another type of kitchen design is the goal, it’s vital to ensure it’s right for your company and staff.

Designing the perfect office kitchen sounds hard, but it doesn’t have to be. However, if you are stuck for inspiration and justifying the investment, you’ll be interested to know that a professional office kitchen design can pay off in a big way. 

Many business owners may baulk at the idea of investing too heavily in a kitchen space that risks distracting their teams from work, however, a smart kitchen with all the right amenities, comfortable seating, and unique features, can work wonders for their companies. 

Why office kitchen spaces are important

Firstly, it’s important to establish just how crucial a friendly and welcoming office kitchen is to a company, regardless of its size.

• It’s an informal meeting space: Sometimes the office kitchen can be sufficient for an informal meeting. Having quick and casual meetings in a kitchen space over a cup of coffee and a biscuit can be more enticing than congregating in the office itself and risk disturbing those within earshot, or in a separate designated meeting room.
  
• It keeps food and smells out of work areas: Employees regularly eat at their desks, which many businesses want to avoid if possible. Doing so can increase the chances of smells permeating and lingering, potentially disrupting those working close by. Using an office kitchen alleviates that risk, provided that nobody cooks or microwaves fish, which is disastrous for everybody.
  
• It’s attractive to clients, partners and investors: A striking kitchen design can add that wow factor when you host visitors to your office. If you welcome external stakeholders or customers to your office regularly, the kitchen can be put to good use, particularly if they are caffeine fiends or are impartial to your array of snacks and refreshments.
  
• It’s vital for employee health: People spend a lot of time in front of screens these days, which can have a knock-on effect on people’s physical and mental health. Practical kitchens can be the perfect ‌breakout spaces for your team, where they can sit comfortably and unwind, even if only for a few minutes. This does wonders for their productivity and health, and it’s even better if you provide nutritious refreshments for them to indulge in.

What makes a good commercial office kitchen?

Creating an amazing office kitchen takes some planning and preparation, and you’ll need to consider several aspects. The points below offer some inspiration for designing your ideal workplace kitchen.

• Efficient, practical design: Many people will pass through an office kitchen throughout the day, so it’s important to design with practicality in mind. Consider the layout of your office and the routes in and out of the kitchen, and use this to springboard your ideas. The last thing you want it to be is obstructive.
  
• Smart appliances and amenities: Fridge-freezers, coffee machines, dishwashers, hot water machines, the list goes on. Think about how many standalone or integrated kitchen appliances you need based on the size of your team, and how your design can accommodate these.
  
• Easy-care surfaces: As is the case with any shared space, dust, debris and residue will accumulate over time. To minimise the risk of aesthetic damage, consider using surfaces that are easy to clean and wipe down, and that won’t show streak marks as overtly.
  
• Fitted storage units: While you need to accommodate sufficient space for your appliances, crockery, cutlery, cleaning supplies, and tableware, you may benefit by having your space fully fitted to be as aesthetically appealing and practical as possible. Plus, fitted modern storage looks more professional than standalone, freestanding units.
  
• Comfortable seating: Your kitchen seating area(s) should be comfortable, first and foremost. Employees will want to relax and decompress, not feel like their bodies are being broken down.
  
• Different refreshment displays: If you play host to customers and guests, consider dedicating space to small refreshments like bottled water, pastries, fruit, canned drinks, and so on. It all adds to the positive visitor experience.
  

Whether you are designing a small kitchenette, a minimalist office kitchen, or an elegant and smart breakout space, investing in it pays off in significant ways. These small aspects build towards a team’s morale, a customer’s experience, and in turn, a business’s success.