Close to the kitchen

“Hey, somebody brings me a sandwich!” you shout from the deep recessed of the family room couch. Snack and lounging in the family room seem to go together. And the closer you are to the kitchen, the more likely you are to persuade someone else to fetch your sandwich.

Family rooms near the kitchen are handy for reasons other than proximity to the peanut butter. For one, the cook can eye on family activities and not feel left out. For another, you can plan casual parties and not miss any of the action while popping hors d’oeuvres into the oven.

Family room and kitchen can be one large open area, or partially separated by a divider or pass-trough. Large pass-trough can serve as eating counters or bars; small ones can be fitted with shutter and close off.

The family room / kitchen combinations on these pages offer a range of ideas from a completely open floor plan to a small, closeable pass-trough. But no matter how closely you bring the rooms together, don’t be surprised if your request for a sandwich is still met with “Go get it yourself! And while you’re in there get me a….”

Hand in trough the slot

Cut out of a high divider, this modernistic pass-trough looks like a gigantic mail slot. It adds convenience, as well as bold graphic appeal, to both kitchen and family room.

Open or shut pass-trough

Opened and suspended by chains, the hinged pass-trough acts as a shelf for plants and dishes. Closed and held in place with a deadbolt, it blends into the wall.

Window on the family room

Once a patio, the family room now uses the former outside window as a pass-trough from the kitchen.

This entry was posted on November 24, 2009 at November 24, 2009 and is filed under Home. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.