Building a Home for Mom: Entertaining

In honor of Mother’s Day, we’re spending the weeks leading up to May 10th discussing the features that the modern mom looks for in a home. Last Sunday we discussed designing a home with the right amount and type of storage. This week we’ll consider entertaining space, which is a prime consideration for today’s homebuyer. The way we entertain has changed and as a result home design is changing as well. As you will see, a Real Log Home can perfectly accommodate modern or more classic entertaining demands.

True to her selfless nature, when mom is entertaining her first thought is the comfort and care of her guests. A traditional kitchen, designed for cooking and not entertaining, does not make this task an easy one. Since guests usually like to socialize with the host while she (or he) is preparing the meal, people tend to congregate in the kitchen at the beginning of the evening. With large parties, this can make for a tight fit.

This is one of the major reasons for the dominance of the open-concept kitchen in modern building. By designing the kitchen with space for others to socialize, the party can stay together while dinner is being cooked. The hostess can prepare dinner while socializing with, and checking on the needs of, her guests. Since a Real Log Home has no load bearing interior walls, an open-concept kitchen is a natural fit in any design.

Of course, mom may also want to keep an eye on the kids while entertaining, but maybe she doesn’t want them at the center of the party. Here the open-concept design also works to mom’s advantage. Perhaps the kids play space is in the family room, away from the kitchen but still within sight. Since lofts are also a great fit in a log home, they also make great play spaces for children that can be monitored from the entertaining space without being too close to the action.

Not every mom wants the entire home to be on full display to guests, however. If you prefer the more traditional approach of separate, smaller rooms then our designers can make that a reality as well. Even designs somewhere in between are great choices. If you want a blend of open and cozy styles, maybe you keep an open-concept layout in the kitchen but retain the private dining room. Or you can have a large kitchen perfect for entertaining at the beginning of the evening and use pocket doors to close it (and the dirty dishes!) off after dinner. Whatever layout works for you, works for a Real Log Home.

If you want to continue the discussion on entertaining as a modern mom, feel free to call Real Log Homes today or fill out the form below for more information.