It's all about being social! Engaging with others for fun and feasts. Socializing in your own home creates a warm and familiar atmosphere. If holiday entertaining and entertaining in general is important to you and your family, there are many questions to answer and decisions to make when it comes to design and features in your kitchen remodel. Things to consider include: layout, ambiance, seating, storage, appliances and lighting, which all come into play to create your best space.

Before you start planning with your kitchen designer, evaluate how many people you typically entertain at each party/dinner. Do you usually have a buffet style, sit down dinner, casual dinner with a few people, cocktail party or all of the above? Do you cook or multiple people cook? Do you cater? You may opt to change your floor plan based on the answers.

Let's explore a few ideas on how to make your entertaining more fun and easy.

Features of an Entertaining Kitchen

Ambiance - The points below need to be carefully thought out to achieve the ambiance you desire. Do you want to be able to change the vibe? You have a lot to consider - chic, luxury, homey, festive, friendly, moody, romantic, intimate, peaceful. Two key components which are often thought of last minute, are lighting and music. Do you want your cabinetry to be bright and cheerful or dark and sultry? The backsplash changes the entire feel of the kitchen. It can be colorful, artsy, shiny or simple and subtle. Even the floor can serve as a backdrop or you can get creative, bright and artistic.

Floor Plan - Crucial! An open floor plan is ideal for entertaining. Being able to converse with guests in the kitchen, dining and/or living area adds to the fun. Smooth traffic flow within the kitchen and dining area is important. Outside access is a huge plus. Even in the cold weather, with heaters outside, you add a great deal of space for entertaining. Entertain with a view if possible!

Butlers Pantry - If space allows, this is a great prep area for larger parties. Leave the messy part in the back of the house. If this is not possible, allow an area in the kitchen where you can plate food and leave empty platters.

Home Bar/ Coffee Bar - A separate bar is great for making cocktails and/or coffee. Otherwise, make space for a drink station in the kitchen or dining area. It is easy to add an espresso machine in a small area of your kitchen if there is no room for a dedicated coffee bar.

Kitchen Island - If you have the space, you will want to add an island. It is the focal point for all gatherings. An island is a great spot to mingle, serve cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and dinner for smaller groups. An island can also be a serving station. You can still prep while engaging your guests.

Design & Look - This is a marriage between your personal taste and the atmosphere you want to create for family and friends. Fun and cheerful! Artsy. Traditional. There are so many possibilities. You may choose styles that lend itself to a casual look, bold, royal, rustic. Or maybe you prefer retro or earthy. Also think about you favorite colors. Do you like styles such as French or country? You can add artwork or a piece of furniture to achieve the look you want. Carefully choose your cabinetry style and color. You can always add more color with the back-splash, counter-top, dishes and artwork. Even details down to the trim are important. A backsplash can be subtle or wild. Modern kitchens create a clean simple look. Transitional kitchens can add depth to the design. It is all about color, style, patterns and how they integrate.

Durable / Easy to Clean Materials - You want easy to clean cabinetry and counter tops. What materials are most durable and easy to clean? Quartz is more durable than natural stones such as marble and granite. Quartz is easy to clean (soap and water) and no need to reseal every year. If you prefer modern kitchens, flat panel doors are the easiest to clean. No nooks and crannies to collect spills. With an open floor plan connecting the kitchen to the dining and/or living areas, pay attention to how food and drink is transported, spilled, plates and glasses put down on furniture, etc... Hardwood floors and porcelain hold up better to spillage than rugs. Fine wood furniture may not be user friendly for wet glasses. If you have fine furniture, you can cover it with place mats, cloths, coasters for the evening. Or choose to get additional cocktail style tables with stone tops for larger parties.

Organization - Think about how you use your kitchen. The size and positioning of storage cabinets/drawers/shelves, should be well thought out. Storage should be plentiful with easy access to tools of the trade. You will want a convenient space for cutting boards and serving platters. Don't forget that appliances fit into the category of organization too. Food and drink storage (such as undercounter fridge drawers and a beverage center) help in your work flow.

Appliances - Consider higher quality appliances if you do a great deal of cooking and entertaining. Do you want your cooking appliances situated so you are facing guests while cooking? It may be difficult to face guests unless your kitchen is fairly large. You can add a cooktop to the island. Think about how much you will prep ahead of time and what you will cook after guests arrive. Cool additions like a beverage drawer fridge, wine fridge, ice maker, steam oven and a warming drawer make life easier. Do you have room for two ovens or dishwashers? Don't skip proper ventilation. Less grease and smells will be your reward. You will want the wine fridge and ice maker out of the cooking zone.

Lighting - Consider the ability to change the feel from bright to moody, romantic to festive. Warm or cool light tones, dimmers and fixture style need to integrate into your overall design scheme. You will want task lighting and decorative interesting lights over your island. If you don't have an island, a chandelier or other beautiful light fixture will dress up your kitchen.

Seating - Two words. Comfortable and Plenty! Having extra stools to sit around the island or just behind it is a great option. Consider the age of your guests. Some people may prefer to sit in a dining chair. If you have an open floor plan to a dining area or breakfast nook, additional chairs to fit around the table is a good idea. If there is a breakfast nook inside your kitchen space, a low height partition can be a cute idea. Behind the partition can be bench seating. Sometimes a little separation adds energy to a party.

Sound System - What is a party without music? Not as fun. A good quality sound system should not be overlooked.