I love food. I think about it as soon as I wake up—what's for breakfast? What will be my mid-morning snack? How can I make my coffee extra special so a morning chained to my laptop is more enjoyable?
If you're anything like me, then you don't reserve eating to just the accepted times of morning, noon, and night. And you don't follow the rules of eating at the table, using a napkin, or even a fork. Sorry, grandma.
Now, I'm not condoning all out gluttony and sloppiness here. But I do believe that when it comes to food, the Protestant ethics embedded in American culture can actually keep us from our bodily needs. Some days you need more food, some days less. Our bodies are in constant motion, shifting with the ebb and flow of life. So we do not eat the same way every day.
"The world is too big to stay in one place, and life is too short to do just one thing."
— Anthony Bourdain
In the spirit of the Patron Saint of food and travel, this journal entry is all about designing for eating in any room in your home. Eating how you want, where you want, while maintaining a clean and functional space. Because, believe it or not, you can have your cake and eat it too.
Finding flow
Designing for food means designing for flow between the kitchen area and everywhere else. Whether you have guests over, or you're just nibbling between Zoom calls, you want some ease between where the dark chocolate covered almonds are and where you really want to sit.
Conversation Areas: Think about incorporating comfortable seating that faces the kitchen, like the Three-Piece Loveseat with Ottoman ($2,730). This setup offers the perfect viewing angle to watch the magic unfold in the kitchen. It's ideal for recipe discussions, tasting ideas, or just chatting while someone is cooking.
Interactive Zones: Whether you're hosting a wine tasting or having an impromptu chef's table viewing, make sure there's a spot to relax and take it all in. The Kizer Teak Occasional Chair ($687) is kitchen-facing seating that can also double as a wine-tasting spot or a casual conversation area. It's great for those moments when you want to share the process of cooking while still engaging with guests.
Space to taste
Imagine you're in an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. You're at a dinner party, chatting it up with Jay Gatsby. But you're dying for a snack. You don't want to go to the kitchen because Jay is telling a story and you don't want to miss the ending.
Whether you're living the Great Gatsby or just having a Superbowl party, you want to have spaces where food can be stationed outside the kitchen. Whether it's a candy bowl on a random Tuesday, or finger foods during a gathering, creating these areas will make all the difference in your life and your party.
Sampling Stations: Consider a console table like the Moretti Aluminum ($1,395) that creates the perfect wine tasting setup or a place for appetizers. You can even make it an ideal spot for cooking class observations or a place where people can get a close-up view of your culinary prowess.
Flexible Solutions: The Chaucer Ottoman ($1,085) creates temporary tasting or display areas. Whether you need an extra seat during a tasting or a quick surface to display a cookbook, this ottoman is a versatile piece that can adapt to different scenarios.
"I think you should be bold. I think you should break the rules. I think you should be unapologetically yourself, and let the chips fall where they may."
— Anthony Bourdain
You don't have to literally let the chips fall. I mean, we can be civil. We can stay clean. Less mess, less stress, amiright? But you can totally break the rules. Eat where you want. It's your house, not your grandma's.
Until next time, keep on design nerding out.