Kitchen lighting should be planned as early as possible in a kitchen diner. Create flow in an open-plan kitchen diner Take a similar approach to the breakfast bar, storing cereals and breakfast supplies nearby if that’s where you intend to start your day.

Try to carve a direct route from the table to the dishwasher to make it easy to clear away after you’ve eaten. The fridge and wine store should also be easily accessible from the dining table for keeping drinks refreshed during dinner. As a general rule, the dining table shouldn’t be too far from the kitchen – to keep travel between the two areas to a minimum at mealtimes. You also need to consider the views from and to the dining table, breakfast bar and any other areas you’ll want to linger. Think about sightlines from the heart of the cooking space – will the chef truly be able to chat and cook, what will be on view from the dining table, are you making the most of any garden scenes? Adding provisions for dining – casual and formal – plus soft seating, children’s playtime and maybe an office area, requires every inch to be plotted with meticulous care. While a regular kitchen layout focuses on creating a fine-tuned cooking space, with everything positioned for ease and efficiency, planning a kitchen diner is a whole new ball game. The majority of contemporary kitchen ideas, kitchen diners and open plan schemes include large amounts of glass to let in the light and have easy access to the garden or porch, which vastly expands living and entertaining space. Families also want to share the space so that they can multi-task while preparing food.’ And in the warmer months, a kitchen dining space really comes into its own. ‘When throwing a party or entertaining friends, it is seen as sociable to cook, dine and entertain all in one room, and at the same time. ‘People have become generally less formal and so are more willing to share cooking, dining and relaxing areas,’ says Tim Higham of Higham Furniture. The big appeal is for the kitchen and cook to be part of the action when entertaining and, on a day to day basis, for the whole family to be together – in this time-pressed age, it’s a real boon to be able to offer help with homework while preparing the evening meal and to be able to keep on eye on tots and teens while managing other tasks. It is estimated that one in five households in the US have now removed a downstairs wall in the past ten years while many were already enjoying the benefits of open plan kitchen-dining.

Kitchen table games