Work is a top priority in our lives. Do you know that a majority of us spend about 90,000 hours a year in the office? Yes, that’s right. We give our employers so much of our time, so it’s their obligation to provide us with a lovely and functional break room.
Offering employees a kitchen where they can prepare great coffee, enjoy meals, and get refreshments is one of the best ways to make them feel at home and appreciated at work.
So, how can one make such a place? Here are some pointers and inspirations for creating a hip kitchen space that your whole staff will appreciate.
How to Create an Exceptional Kitchen Area in the Workspace?
You can create a great workspace kitchen for your employees so they can have the time of their lives while working to the best of their abilities.
Here are some easy tips to start working on an outstanding kitchen space:
Be Mindful of the Location and Layout
All employees should find the kitchen useful, so pay attention to where you are going to position the kitchen area. You can take inspiration from commercial kitchen layout ideas to create a perfect dining space.
Moreover, it should be sufficiently secluded to reduce outside distractions, maintain a unified office aesthetic, and increase output.
The location of the kitchen shouldn’t take away from other aspects of the office’s design.
Add Necessities to the Kitchen Space
Your kitchen requires a few essentials.
Let’s start with the basics: a refrigerator is necessary for all the drinks, meals, and snacks that individuals bring for their lunch breaks. Make sure employees have access to a microwave so they can warm up their lunch next. And lastly, a dishwasher is a need for any kitchen.
Regardless of whether you have a staff member assigned to clean your kitchen or cleaners coming in, having a dishwasher will make cleanup much easier for everyone.
As a peaceful and relaxing space, a modern office kitchen should have lots of outlets so that staff members may charge their phones over lunch. Good Wi-Fi is also essential.
Make the Space Comfy with Seating
It makes sense that anyone using the kitchen would want to take a seat and enjoy their smoothie, coffee, or lunch.
Office kitchens often serve as break rooms in most of the workplaces. That’s why you should have lots of cozy seating in your office kitchen.
You should add a few circular tables and chairs to your newly renovated kitchen, your staff will be enticed to stay put.
Pay Attention to the Storage Space
If you want to avoid clutter, your area needs to include an abundance of cupboards and shelves.
There are always sturdy wall shelves blended with countertop organizers if your area lacks a lot of storage.
Your employees will appreciate having more counter space and additional cabinets for storage if you can add an island to your area (this much relies on the size and layout of the kitchen).
Some office kitchens may even have separate cabinets for each user, where they may store their plates, cups, cutlery, snacks, and cereal discreetly and without concern for contamination or food thieves.
Don’t Forget Investing in a Beverage Station
One of the most crucial work supplies for maintaining employee motivation is coffee, so be sure to provide them access to a functional beverage station complete with a coffee maker and an assortment of pod choices.
These often don’t take up much room and have a stylish appearance. Choose matte colors and coordinating cup sets for a striking and fashionable effect.
Furthermore, there are other drinks available at work besides coffee. Make sure the office kitchen has a juicer or blender if your employees are concerned about their health, fitness, and well-being.
You’ll need to spend more money on a high-quality item because these typically have a motor that is both silent and powerful enough. The juicer will receive a lot of use during the day if you provide your staff with a basket of fresh fruit to juice or blend into smoothies.
Upgrade the Breakfast Bar
In any kitchen, a breakfast bar is a great feature. They’re ideal for cooking and entertaining, but they also provide you with a wonderful workplace option. Power is not an issue because built-in plug sockets let you charge your laptop while you work.
For storage, built-in cabinets and drawers are ideal for holding your office materials. If adding cabinets is not on the cards, how about installing a laptop rack behind your breakfast bar?
In this manner, you can promptly put your work away at five o’clock so that it’s ready for the following day.
Do Something About the Kitchen Smells
Kitchens, for better or worse, are smelly spaces.
Scents and smells coming from a kitchen can serve to divert workers who aren’t on their lunch break, whether the fragrance is nice (like a pizza coming out of the oven) or not so pleasant (like a recently opened can of sardines).
It is taken into consideration by proper interior design, which keeps odors, both pleasant and bad, out of the cooking area.
Set Clear Cleaning Rules and Etiquette
A cheerful kitchen is one that is tidy.
Sadly, some staff members could make lunch for themselves and then leave behind crumbs or unclean dishes. And there’s not much that irritates like tidying up someone else’s mess.
Establish strict guidelines for kitchen usage and make sure all new hires are aware of them. There are two things that no business owner wants to deal with: 1) dirty kitchen areas; and 2) staff drama over something as small as a bag of stolen chips.
Wrapping Up!
The kitchen is a necessary component of any workspace that raises productivity and staff morale. Your employees will feel properly rejuvenated and refueled, and ready to end their workday on the right note when they have a stylish and comfortable spot to eat lunch and unwind with their coworkers.
