Often labelled “the heart of the home”, it’s essential that your kitchen serves well as both a high-functioning practical and beautiful space.

Beyond simply looking fabulous, to a passionate cook or entertainer, a well thought-out design can make the world of difference to the overall fluidity and finesse of your kitchen experience.

To those who don’t care for either of these things, it can make just the simplest of kitchen tasks more enjoyable. And who couldn’t use a little more joy?!

Here’s a short run-down of the top 10 practical things to take into account when designing the perfect kitchen.

~

1.Lighting

The services of a kitchen are required not only for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but for all the tea, snack and midnight treat breaks in-between. For this reason, it’s important to utilise a good mix of different lighting types in your design.

This includes natural lighting from a standard window or skylight. Overhead / indirect lighting from ceiling spots or feature pendants (design bonus- they look fabulous). Task lighting, to highlight dark corners of bench tops and make sure your hands are always fully in view whilst wielding knives. And “bonus” lighting… low sensor lights for example, to highlight your midnight path to the fridge… my personal favourite.

2.Hardware

To handle or not to handle? That is the question. Thinking back to kitchens of my past, the handle seemed to serve more as a place for storing your tea-towels than anything else. These days, there are designs available to serve as more than simply a convenient hook. I mean, some handles available now are just pure art. Before rushing in to buy your next collection, first consider the practicality of their positioning in the kitchen as well.

For example with a kitchen island, maybe a handle-less design would be more suitable? If you’re a central kitchen hub mingler, then a sharp handle digging into your hip as you attempt a classy-chic lean against the bench probably isn't going to be the one.

Then again, with your tall pull-out pantry, maybe a long bar handle would be better? Depending on your internal componentry, going handle-less in this instance could mean having to double-handle the door- pushing once to open before easing the storage out in a second movement. Less-than ideal if you have mid-prep hands on the go. We’re all about making things easier, folks.

3.Surface finishes

Deciding between gloss or matt finishing for your cabinetry is no longer the only predicament! How about we throw alternative materials, panel detailing and every-colour-under-the-sun into the mix. Yay for designers! Nay for those easily overwhelmed.

Hate cleaning? Have young kids that just love to get their grubby fingerprints everywhere? (the little darlings)... consider steering clear of anything glossy on your base fronts. Love the look of glass doors? Even when frosted or fluted, be prepared for the need to keep the contents of your cupboards neat and cohesive… we’re talking matching tableware, lest ye wish to bear witness to the colourful Dora Explora sippy cups within.

~

Bench colour & materials also require serious consideration. Practicality and durability need to be taken into account with some surfaces being less resistant to heat or stains, and others requiring regular maintenance.

~

Be aware of trends when selecting your tapware. While switching out taps is a great cost-effective way to change up the look of your kitchen once you tire of it, you probably don’t want to be doing so with every season style change. Pick something you love and have loved the look of for a while, rather than simply letting what’s current guide your selection. Also make sure to be aware of evolving patinas- some brasses for example won’t stay as shiny and new looking as other materials, leaning towards a more worn-in look over time. All good if you expect it. Less good if not.

4. Layout & spacing

If you’ve already been Googling for information on how to design a great kitchen, you’ll more than likely have come across the “Golden Triangle” analogy. This magical mystical triangle refers to the positioning of a kitchen's three most important work stations: the sink, the fridge and the hob. Equilateral, isosceles, other weird squishy ones we don’t ever remember the names of… the theory is that as long as the placement of these stations is somewhat at the tip of each angle, then voila - you have a functional, easy-to-navigate kitchen.

...Which is all well and good, but the theory doesn’t always work. The principle however, is a strong one. This being, to reduce the number of footsteps between each station, and allowing for free-flowing movement from one to the other. Only got a small space to play with? Consider an island on wheels! These especially work well in the case of apartments where so often, kitchens are built in a single-row galley style. A moveable island adds valuable surface area and storage with the bonus of flexibility, when space is at a premium.

5. storage

...Speaking of storage! Just the same as with wardrobes- you can never have enough of it! Up top [high five!] try and take your wall cabinets right to the ceiling if you can, to eliminate dead space dust-traps and make the most of the extended shelving within. If you’re a serious cook, you’ll no doubt have gadgets and gizmos a’plenty, so make sure you include enough deep under-bench cupboard space to house this sometimes-heavy machinery.

Thinking about functionality, drawers either side of the hob and below your main food prep area are useful for keeping knives and cooking utensils handy. Likewise, you’ll want to store your teaspoons in a drawer somewhere near your drink station. A good mix of drawers and cupboards will serve you well.

6. overall Functionality

Think about how you want your kitchen space to function. Do you plan for it just to be a meal preparation space, or a room to entertain in, too? If looking to include an island as a central gathering space, make sure your benchtop has sufficient overhang for the longest of legs to be able to fit under! You’ll also need to consider the depth of your barstools and how much they may protrude into the walkway behind when out of use and tucked underneath.

Love to cook for crowds? Maximise your work are with at least one good stretch of uninterrupted bench space for ultimate prep spread-out. If you’re into baking, selecting a surface that is cold-to-the touch and seamless in finish means you can flour and roll straight onto the bench… how’s that for practical?!

7. Appliance size & functionality

This section largely refers to fridges in particular, as this is where I’ve seen the most mistakes being made! If not opting for a built-in fridge, then there are multiple size considerations you need to take into account. So many, that I'm actually just gonna go ahead and bullet-point this bad boy.

Fridge spaces have end panels, so you need to fit to the resulting cavity, not the extremity measurement! For example, the space might have a cupboard above it whose door measures 600mm. That doesn’t mean you have a 600mm wide gap to fill below though! Kitchen doors typically hinge internally and sit in front of the carcass, so if your panels are 15mm thick and run down the full length on both sides, your cavity will actually measure only 570mm across.

Not only do you need to take into account the height and width of your fridge cavity, you should also note the depth too. A Hulk of a fridge that protrudes too far will look messy and be an inconvenience to navigate around. The same goes for some fridges with water-dispensers- you will potentially need additional depth to accomodate for necessary plumbing. Position wisely!
You also need to remember to leave enough space either side of the fridge for the door to open to at least 90 degrees (ideally further, to ensure your door shelves won’t get in the way of pulling out your crisper drawer!) and, if next to a wall, to accommodate the handle if your fridge doesn't have a recessed pull. (The same goes for microwaves!)
This one may seem obvious, but remember that a wide fridge will have a bigger door! A bigger door = a larger radius, so will require more space in front of it to allow for full clearance. With this thinking applied, a fridge with a double door may better suit smaller spaces.

8. door hinging

Ooh this one’s quirky! Often unconsidered and occasionally overlooked by installers; you want to make sure that all of your cupboard and appliance doors open in the right direction for ultimate efficiency! Aim to have doors opening OUT from your central / main workspace, so you can easily access the contents within without the need to first manoeuvre around the open door. This is an especially important consideration for pantry doors, fridges and low cupboards storing heavy appliances.

9. powerpoints

With so much of our daily activity now reliant on technology and a new gadget for every occasion, making sure that your kitchen space has enough electrical outlets within easy reach across the entire room is of paramount importance. In fact, you’ll probably find that the sockets in this room will be some of the most regularly used in your entire home!

Bonus points for adding easily accessible ports to your island for maximum efficiency- Not only as chef extraordinaire will you use them for your benchtop appliances, but guests can also easily sit and charge their phones while still close to the action / kids can do homework on their charging iPads while still under your watchful eye. Winner winner!

10. ease of flow

At the very real risk of sounding all super-sensei here; in order to achieve the most efficient flow through your kitchen, you need to think not only inside the space, but outside it too…. (I know, right). You’ll have hopefully already tackled how you swift and swoop your way around the internal workings of your space, but where possible you also need to consider how the ‘heart’ of the home connects to the other organs around it.

For example, if you’re lucky enough to have your kitchen next to your outdoor entertaining space, consider how any external doors and windows could be maximised to connect the two… maybe stacker doors or a wide serving window with external bench extension could make moving dishes in and out easier?

Perhaps having your sink by the window could also make BBQ clean-up duty simpler? Or positioning your kitchen bin near the door to minimise travel-distance to the outside bin? Could your dishwasher maybe be positioned closer to your dining space to again limit the travel-distance and therefore resistance to clearing the table? Easy flow = maximum efficiency = less room for excuses.

Top 10 Things to Consider When Designing Your Dream Kitchen