HOMING, HOMES THAT CHANGE.
If it is true that the home reflects ourselves
Functional kitchen, table design, and eating habits
The pandemic has inevitably radically changed our lifestyle and eating habits as well.
We discussed this with nutritionist Chiara Caffarata, exploring useful insights to reclaim a healthy lifestyle and practical advice on how to design a functional kitchen.
With the breakdown of the domestic habitat, which has transformed rooms into new multifunctional spaces, leading us to adopt a new way of experiencing home life during quarantine, the kitchen has preserved its identity, confirming itself as the pulsating heart and absolute queen of the house, a space where we rediscovered our daily life and the pleasure of cooking.
With the advent of remote working in our lives, the daily routine has undergone a redefinition of timing and eating habits between one break and another.
According to recent surveys on the habits of Italians during the first phase of quarantine, about 1 in 2 people dabbled in culinary activities. At the same time, this evolution of behavior, combined with increasing sedentary lifestyle, has led to an overall increase in body weight.
However, while forced confinement has caused harmful consequences and revealed bad habits, it also presents itself as a precious opportunity to reorganize our lives, our spaces, and reclaim our physical and mental well-being.
Not only what we eat but also where and how we eat it.
Can a functional kitchen and table design be an antidote to the pandemic?
We discuss this with biologist and nutritionist Chiara Caffarata in the Homing section, our collection of voices, stories, and habits designed to open new windows into the homes of Italians, into who we are and who we will be.
How has the new definition of home and remote working changed people's eating habits?
The change in eating habits in this new situation has been significant but not always in the same direction. Remote workers have divided into those who took advantage of being at home and having access to the kitchen to take control of their diet, consistently preparing healthy and balanced meals. On the other hand, there are those who, freed from the routine of work where everything was planned, including lunch brought from home or eaten at the cafeteria/bar/restaurant, have let themselves go, stopped having fixed meal times, and turned their eating day into a continuous snack.
How can one stay fit while living at home?
The home can offer a lot to stay healthy and fit; first and foremost, the possibility of consuming freshly prepared foods with fresh and healthy ingredients. The important thing is to create temporal, if not spatial, spaces during the day: otherwise, the risk is to only get up from the desk to go to the bathroom or to eat. Instead, it is important, just as when going to the workplace, to have some "empty" times to insert moments of physical activity: if we have stairs, even just going up and down for about ten minutes can make a difference!
What has changed in your home?
How has your house changed? Like many other families, for me too, the most impactful aspect has been having the children doing remote learning. Creating a dedicated workspace for each of them, as well as for my husband and me, led us to reconsider some parts of the house that transitioned from recreational areas to workspaces, complete with bookshelves and desks. Not to mention that the small garden, once just an anonymous piece of land at the back, has become our vital outdoor space where we spend leisure time, exercise, play, and have meals on nice days.
Is there a relationship between table/kitchen design and health?
Maintaining fitness with good and healthy eating also means dedicating the right amount of time to meal preparation and consumption. It's not just about "what to eat" but also "how to eat".
A functional kitchen, equipped with the right countertops and essential appliances, encourages us to prepare our favorite foods; but also setting the table in an appealing and pleasant way makes the prepared dishes more satisfying. Consequently, the satisfaction obtained at the table will protect us from seeking "something extra" that is always hyper-caloric food.
The pleasure of the table, therefore, is not just about the dish itself but also a kitchen that is tailored to our habits and, last but not least, a mise en place that satisfies both taste and sight.
We at Isaproject are also convinced that to create an environment that is functional, safe, and comfortable for the whole family, no step should be overlooked: from designing spaces to facilitate every operation to choosing quality, durable, and resistant materials.
Paying close attention to pathways and foreseeing movements to facilitate actions in every phase—storage, preparation, cooking, and washing—is fundamental. Avoiding unnecessary and uncomfortable gestures may seem trivial, but it's the details that make the difference and are often overlooked.
Not only hectic rhythms but also an increasingly versatile kitchen requires a careful choice of practical, waterproof, and easy-to-clean materials such as laminate, HPL, Fenix, or steel. (Discover our article on how to choose the kitchen countertop) Combining measures, heights, and distances between various elements is essential to design an ergonomic and functional kitchen; relying on industry experts is always a good choice.
Among the major allies in space management, drawers with dividers and cabinets to maintain order and cleanliness in the kitchen are indispensable features.
Where possible, it may be a good idea to provide a pantry to store supplies and large appliances to free up as much workspace as possible and keep only frequently used tools and utensils at hand.
Another key point in kitchen design is lighting: always differentiate ambient light, diffused throughout the room, from functional light for work surfaces. The latter will be directional, white, and intense to facilitate the operational phase, while the former will be diffuse to illuminate the entire environment.
Don't forget to include a LED strip under the cabinets and a pendant lamp above the dining table.
The final touch to turn a simple home dinner into a restaurant experience: a table setting that invites you to the table.
Just a few tips on how to set the table elegantly: a neutral tablecloth and contrasting runner, decorated glasses and plates, even mismatched but always in tone to maintain a chromatic balance.
A touch of life, like vintage silverware or "grandma's" dishes, will help create an intimate and familiar atmosphere.
The table can say a lot about us. To top it off with a completely personal centerpiece, let your imagination run wild: flowers, strictly fresh, and aromatic herbs, lanterns and candles, jars, and DIY ornaments create dynamism and warmth for our dinners with friends and family.
