Current Events > The rise of the child-friendly luxury kitchen

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When Chiara and Tom Clark decided to gut-renovate the kitchen of their Gulf Stream, Fla., home, their 9-year-old daughter, Finley, had one request: abundant counter space for the wacky pizza competitions she hosts with her friends.

Recent winners: a marshmallow and mayo pizza, along with a radish and Jell-O version. They love it, Ms. Clark says.

The Clarks nearly $500,000 renovation made the kitchen child-friendly for Fletcher, 4, and Francesca, 7, as well. All of the kitchens storage is below counter height, so even those who are 4-feet and under have total access. Everything is at eye-level, says Ms. Clark, a 41-year-old event planner who is currently a stay-at-home mom.

Now, when the children prepare Sunday morning pancakes for their parents, they need little supervision. Mixers are kept in a lower cabinet, a designated shelf holds child-friendly utensils and theres even a separate pantry area to store pancake mix and M&Msa favorite pancake topping.

In luxury homeswhere the kitchen is often the centerpiecemore designers are being asked to create spaces especially for little family members. Many are installing convenient storage areas, accessible pantries, under-cabinet refrigerator drawers and discrete homework islands that still look sleek. The goal? To let the children cook simple meals, help with cleanup, and do crafts and homework without so-called helicoptering from adults. Its under-the-radar, says Chicago-based kitchen designer Mick De Giulio. Its not something that looks like a kiddie area.

After a request from parents who wanted their children to make breakfast for themselves, Mr. De Giulio started designing what he calls a La Mattina or morning kitchen that is out of the way of the traditional kitchen work zone with the sink, refrigerator and range. With under-counter refrigerators, toasters, a microwave and racks for more durable dishes, the breakfast area allows both children and adults to make far more than just breakfast. A drawer with outlets for charging devices is also installed nearby, he adds.
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When Chicago chef Craig Bell and his wife, Adrienne Fasano, were designing their kitchen with Mr. De Giulio four years ago, their 8-year-old son, Halsted, was a top consideration. The new layout included under-counter refrigeration along with a bread drawer so he can make anything from french toast to scrambled eggs for weekend breakfast and a caprese salad for lunch. All of the dishware is readily accessible, says Mr. Bell, who owns a catering company and restaurant.

Mr. Bell also stores appliances below the counter for blenders and other portable appliances, along with a beverage center within reach for his son but away from the main stove area. With the majority of items at counter height, Mr. Bell only keeps fine china, meat grinders, cocktail glasses and a prized Robot-Coupe, a professional-grade food processor, out of arms reach. A built-in cutting board helps prevent any temptation to use a knife directly on the counter, he adds. Anytime he wants to bake a cake, hes able to pull out all the ingredients, a step stool and get up to the counter with a proper angle, says Mr. Bell, who has three older children.
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Other homeowners are designing separate island areas to create discrete homework areas out of the way from the cooking, says Niki Serras, a Detroit-based supplier of Scavolini, an Italian cabinetry maker. Adding handles to super modern flat panel cabinets is another frequent request, she adds.