Your kitchen hosts a wide variety of important everyday tasks, so it needs to both work hard and look good. Whether you’re cooking, cleaning, eating, or entertaining, the kitchen should be a space you enjoy being in, and thoughtful kitchen design can help make that happen.

If you’re planning a kitchen renovation or designing a new kitchen, these tips will help you create a space you’ll love. Follow our advice on planning, organization, and must-have features for a kitchen that looks beautiful and functions efficiently for all your needs.

Eliminate wasted steps.
When organizing a kitchen, think about how and where you typically use items. Store breakfast foods and bowls near the breakfast table. Keep wraps and plastic containers in one handy spot near a work surface for wrapping leftovers. Locate dishware and flatware near the dishwasher to ease the process of unloading.

Design wide walkways.
Ensure your kitchen floor plan includes enough room between cabinetry and the island to easily move through the space. As a general rule, paths throughout a kitchen should be at least 36 inches wide. Aisles within the cooking zone should be 42 inches wide for a one-cook kitchen and 48 inches wide for a two-cook configuration. When planning, adjust kitchen islands and peninsulas accordingly.

Direct traffic through the kitchen.
Traffic flow is a key consideration when designing a kitchen. For kid-friendly kitchen design, keep the cooktop out of traffic areas so children don’t catch handles and cause spills when passing through. Also, make the refrigerator accessible to both passersby and people working in cooking and cleanup areas.

Stay clear of corners.
Pay attention to corners when deciding where to place cabinetry and appliances. To make cabinet and appliance doors fully functional, plan space for the door’s clearance and swing direction in your kitchen design. Keep appliances away from corners, and make sure doors won’t bang into each other if open at the same time.

Your kitchen hosts a wide variety of important everyday tasks, so it needs to both work hard and look good. Whether you’re cooking, cleaning, eating, or entertaining, the kitchen should be a space you enjoy being in, and thoughtful kitchen design can help make that happen.

If you’re planning a kitchen renovation or designing a new kitchen, these tips will help you create a space you’ll love. Follow our advice on planning, organization, and must-have features for a kitchen that looks beautiful and functions efficiently for all your needs.

Eliminate wasted steps.
When organizing a kitchen, think about how and where you typically use items. Store breakfast foods and bowls near the breakfast table. Keep wraps and plastic containers in one handy spot near a work surface for wrapping leftovers. Locate dishware and flatware near the dishwasher to ease the process of unloading.

Design wide walkways.
Ensure your kitchen floor plan includes enough room between cabinetry and the island to easily move through the space. As a general rule, paths throughout a kitchen should be at least 36 inches wide. Aisles within the cooking zone should be 42 inches wide for a one-cook kitchen and 48 inches wide for a two-cook configuration. When planning, adjust kitchen islands and peninsulas accordingly.

Direct traffic through the kitchen.
Traffic flow is a key consideration when designing a kitchen. For kid-friendly kitchen design, keep the cooktop out of traffic areas so children don’t catch handles and cause spills when passing through. Also, make the refrigerator accessible to both passersby and people working in cooking and cleanup areas.

Stay clear of corners.
Pay attention to corners when deciding where to place cabinetry and appliances. To make cabinet and appliance doors fully functional, plan space for the door’s clearance and swing direction in your kitchen design. Keep appliances away from corners, and make sure doors won’t bang into each other if open at the same time.