Why Magnolia Network's Helen Parker Says The Kitchen Is So Important To The House - Exclusive

Paul O'Leary and Helen Parker of deVOL Kitchens are known throughout Britain for their elite craftsmanship of kitchens and furnishings — thanks in part to the regularly viral photos of their beautifully styled finished product. Their popularity has led to their own series on Magnolia Network, "For the Love of Kitchens," which follows the couple as they and their team of artisans craft beautiful, one-of-a-kind kitchens for their clients.

The duo attributes the success of deVOL Kitchens to their classic and timeless aesthetic and their commitment to forego following design trends. From the craftsmanship to the styling, O'Leary and Parker bring a trademark sense of classic elegance to the kitchen in a way only they can. While O'Leary asserts that he and Parker avoid using buzzword phrases and clichés such as the "heart of the home" at all costs, they both admit that there is something special about the kitchen that naturally makes it the focal point of any home.

In the couple's exclusive interview with House Digest, Parker shared why she thinks the kitchen is the most important room of the house.

According to the duo, the kitchen table acts as a natural gathering place in most homes. "The kitchen is the place that I always end up being, as I always have done literally ever since I was a small child," Parker said. "We didn't watch television — I didn't have a television. We always sat around the kitchen table. It was a big old house. When I got married and had children, I was really into cooking, so I loved having the kids in the kitchen helping me or eating or doing their homework because everybody felt like they were together in the kitchen."

She adds that the kitchen acts as a multifaceted space that allows friends and family to truly connect in a way that feels organic and unforced. "If you've got a nice big kitchen with a table, you get home from work, you have a cup of tea, you put dinner on, the kids do their homework, you chat around the table," she said. "If you have friends, you end up sitting around the table with a bottle of wine until you go to bed. It's the room that has to perform lots of different tasks, and it's the place where it's the most sociable, comfortable place when you bring someone into your house."

With a description like that, it's plain to see why the kitchen can be such a vital part of the place you call home.

Stream Season 2 of "For the Love of Kitchens" now on HBO Max, discovery+, and the Magnolia app.