Expert Tips in Designing a Functional & Stylish Kitchen

The kitchen is a wonderful place to create memories; from cooking for a partner for the first time to baking with grandchildren, it’s a key part of any home. Here are some tips to help you get the design just right.

The important first step when designing a kitchen upgrade is to think about your lifestyle and how you want to use your kitchen. If you enjoy cooking complex meals or you’re serving up for a large family, you’ll need to prioritise space for small appliances and pan storage, as well as counter space for serving up on the plates.

If your kitchen ends up being a hang-out spot for everyone, or your children would like to sit and do their homework while you cook, consider prioritising an island space.

Another good way to assess your needs is to look at your current kitchen critically. When you next cook a meal, consider any issues you come up against. Do you find yourself struggling with fridge space? In which case, you’ll need to put a bigger fridge high on the list. If you find yourself juggling saucepans and timings, consider more hob rings for ease. If certain areas of the kitchen feel cramped, evaluate how space could be optimised better, such as adding storage or expanding your countertops.

Smart Storage Solutions

Speaking of storage, there are now almost endless options, so you’re sure to be able to find smart solutions for your space to help you get the most from your new kitchen. A good starting point is to go through your existing kitchen, including any clutter on the sides, to get an idea of how much storage space you need.

Next, consider whether you have any aesthetically important items that you’d like to display. For example, if you have decorative dinner sets, you could choose to have open storage or shelves for these so they can double as home décor.

If you’re going for shelves, choosing brackets that match the taps and handles in the rest of the kitchen helps provide a stylish, cohesive look. When choosing the position of your counters and appliances, consider if any small spaces could be used for clever storage. For example, there are pull-out units that offer pantry-style storage with small shelves for lots of herbs and spices and other food items. As they extend out, they can be installed in narrow spaces, such as beside an appliance or in a corner where you’d otherwise struggle to get to things, and they help keep your new kitchen clutter-free and ready to whip up a feast.

We mentioned kitchen islands above, and if you don’t have room for one permanently, you could opt for a pull-out worktop extender. These offer extra counter space only when you need it, and can create extra storage underneath the counter. When designing a kitchen from scratch, you can choose the right drawer combinations for you. If you use a lot of saucepans and oven trays, you’ll need large, wide drawers. Pair these with smaller drawers containing inserts to organise all your wooden spoons and other utensils, and cooking in your new kitchen will be a breeze.

Tips to Seamlessly Integrate Your Appliances

Hiding Small Appliances

Small appliances like coffee machines, blenders, and air fryers may have made our lives easier in the kitchen, but they can also make it look cluttered. Consider these options:

• Shelving units – Stack appliances together on your counter to store them collectively and access what you need without sacrificing counter space.
• Roll-down covers – Install a full-size roll-down or folding door cupboard, or add a cover on the bottom of a wall unit to hide appliances when not in use.
• Custom cupboards – Design a cupboard underneath your wall units with an extendable shelf so you can use appliances there and then close the cover to hide them from view.

You could also choose to get rid of your kettle altogether by installing a boiling water tap. These require a little extra room under the sink, but you won’t see that routinely, and you won’t have to wait for the hot water; it’s instant.

Built-In Appliances

For larger appliances, you can build them into cabinets, so instead of seeing the appliance door, you have the same door and handles as your other cabinetry. This is possible even with fridges to provide a seamless style in your kitchen.

How to Consider Workflow & Ergonomics

The Work Triangle

We’ve touched on efficiency in the kitchen above, but we also need to mention ‘the work triangle’. There are several ways to lay out your kitchen, including L-shaped, U-shaped, and parallel. All these terms refer to the shape made by your units and main appliances. The triangle can be used in any of these setups, and it means you should have your sink, fridge, and cooker at each point of the triangle. These are the three main work areas in the kitchen, so by setting them up like this, you’ll be able to move between each one quickly and easily, as well as having room to work at each one.

Designing for Accessibility

If you’re designing a kitchen used by the elderly or those struggling with chronic pain, it’s useful to consider ergonomic designs. Appliances that are used regularly, such as the oven, should be placed higher, which reduces the need to bend down, making them more accessible.

When designing counters, consider the perfect height for the users of the kitchen. You should be able to cut comfortably with your forearms at a 90-degree angle and shouldn’t have to bend your head forward. Experiment with a few different heights until you find the most comfortable setting for everyone who uses the kitchen, promoting shared use and reducing physical strain.

At BY Projects Architecture, we believe in establishing a relationship of trust and respect with our clients to ensure we understand their needs and deliver the best.

See some examples of our previous residential work, including kitchens, here and book a free consultation to get started.

By Barbara Yerondais
Oct 03, 2025