Perfect Family Kitchen

Durability
Making sure a family kitchenwill last is the biggest tip of all. With the best will in the world, it’s going to get kicked about. So, sprayed or hand-painted unit doors aren’t a good idea because they’ll get knocked and chipped, and worktops need to be tough enough to withstand hot pans and red wine stains. For example, our last kitchen had sandstone worktops, which looked beautiful, but just weren’t up to it - over a period of time, the kids knocked and chipped the edges. The kitchen skirting – in other words, the kickboards beneath the units – need to be tough, too, because the kids kick them and bash their toy cars into them. This might mean that you have to upgrade the ones that come with the low budget kitchen you buy - but in doing so, you can customise and improve the look of your kitchen anyway.’
Child-Proof Handles
‘You really want the unit handles to be child-proof. So, they shouldn’t be big enough for them to catch themselves – or their clothes – on. They also shouldn’t be those long, slim metal ones. We’ve had some of those at home, and the kids used them as a ladder to climb up on to the worktops! Ideally, go for something small or rebated, instead.’