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Pictured Above: This inviting Ohio kitchen, designed by Libby Palmieri Schwartz of House of L Designs, features a kitchen table with ample seating for guests.
The modern kitchen is gorgeous; there’s no doubt about that. But no matter how grand its marble countersplash looks or how efficiently its ultra-streamlined appliances function, there is one area where today’s kitchens are seriously lacking—and it has everything to do with how (and where) we’re seated during mealtimes.
To discuss the evolution of the American kitchen, House Beautiful’s director of special projects, Carisha Swanson, recently sat down with interior design pros Richard T. Anuszkiewicz, founder and principal designer at the eponymous Nashville-based interior design firm, Raith Design; Lindsey Koren, the director of communications at the American Society of Interior Designers, and India Doris, chef and cofounder of New York City’s Caribbean-Euro fusion restaurant, Markette.
During the conversation, Swanson asked each expert to offer their advice for transforming the kitchen into a space that encourages us to be more present. Their unanimous take? We need to bring back eye contact.
“I feel like for the last 20-plus years, with the island, obviously such a staple in the kitchen today, we've seen for years all shoulder-to-shoulder, and bar-stool or counter-stool [seating] concepts,” Anuszkiewicz says. “The reality is, while it can be really clean from a space-planning standpoint, it doesn't often warrant good conversation amongst individuals.”
Just a few decades ago, kitchen tables were the norm in most family homes. This was where casual mealtimes happened and where the household could dine in communion with each other and share the highs and lows of their days. Now surrounded by rapidly advancing tech, Anuszkiewicz and his co-panelists yearn for simpler times when we had more time to connect in this way, and that starts with giving folks a seat at the literal table.
“We're seeing all of the tech advancements in the home and elsewhere, and AI automations becoming more standard fare. What ends up becoming the luxury are those elements that tech and AI cannot give us, which is the human connection,” Koren says, echoing the sentiment.
In recent years, the kitchen table has been phased out of many modern design schemes in favor of expansive islands with barstools that serve as the room’s main seating. While it’s certainly great from a space-saving aspect, the kitchen island’s casual, shoulder-to-shoulder way of eating has the unfortunate side effect of impeding conversation and making a sit-down meal seem like less of a priority. Plus, those barstools are usually not comfortable enough for long, leisurely stretches of sitting.
“We're really seeing an evolution of how we're seating at islands and what I call the ‘return of the kitchen table,’” Anuszkiewicz says.
Since lifestyles and layouts have drastically changed since the kitchen table’s heyday, how do we bring back the spirit of kitchen-table dining when many homes may not have the space to accommodate this large furniture piece? By embracing versatility. Implementing banquettes, benches, or more opposing seating so that people can sit face-to-face rather than shoulder-to-shoulder is a great place to start.
“I love offering soft seating and other types of furniture, built-in banquettes, whether we're integrating those into the island or other parts of the room,” Anuszkiewicz says. “You want that feeling for everyone to hang out and connect. We know that the kitchen is such a natural gathering point, just in its nature of how we function today.”
So, if you’re looking to revamp your kitchen and are craving a little more connection with your household, take a seat.
