Your kitchen will witness thousands of meals, hundreds of conversations, and countless moments that make up your daily life. It’s where you’ll brew your morning coffee in a sleepy haze, where your kids might do homework at the counter, and where you’ll stand chopping vegetables while catching up with your partner about the day.
Getting the design right means understanding how you actually live, not just how a showroom looks. A beautiful kitchen that doesn’t work for your lifestyle becomes a source of daily frustration instead of joy.
What follows are twenty considerations that can make or break your kitchen’s functionality and feel. Some might seem obvious once you read them, but they’re easy to overlook when you’re caught up in choosing cabinet colors and tile patterns.
Things to Think about when Designing a Kitchen
These twenty factors will help you create a space that works beautifully for years to come. Each addresses a real challenge that homeowners face.
1. Your Actual Cooking Habits, Not Pinterest Dreams
Be honest about how you really cook. If you’re someone who meal-preps on Sundays and reheats throughout the week, your needs differ completely from someone who cooks elaborate dinners nightly. Maybe you bake bread every weekend, or perhaps your oven mostly reheats pizza. There’s no judgment here, just reality.
This honesty shapes everything from how much counter space you need to whether that fancy six-burner range makes sense. A single person who eats out often needs different storage than a family of five who cooks from scratch. Your kitchen should serve your life, not some idealized version of it.
2. The Work Triangle Still Matters (But It’s Evolved)
The classic work triangle connects your sink, stove, and refrigerator. This concept has been around since the 1940s, and it endures because it works. You want these three zones close enough to minimize steps but far enough apart that multiple people can work without colliding.
That said, modern kitchens have expanded this into work zones. You might have a prep zone, a cooking zone, a cleaning zone, and a storage zone. Each needs its own space and tools within arm’s reach. Think about the flow between these areas as you move through making a meal.
3. Counter Space Near the Fridge Is Non-Negotiable
Picture yourself unloading groceries. You open the fridge, and then what? If there’s no counter nearby, you’re juggling bags, setting things on the floor, or making multiple trips. You need at least 15 inches of counter space on the handle side of your refrigerator.
This spot becomes your landing zone for everything going in or coming out. It’s where you set down the milk, unpack the vegetables, and stage ingredients before cooking. Without it, your kitchen workflow starts with immediate frustration.
4. Lighting Needs Three Layers
Your kitchen needs ambient lighting (overall illumination), task lighting (focused light for specific areas), and accent lighting (highlighting features). One overhead fixture won’t cut it. You need light under your upper cabinets so you’re not working in your own shadow. You need good light over the sink for washing dishes and food prep.
Consider pendant lights over an island or dining area. Add dimmer switches so you can adjust the mood from bright and functional during meal prep to soft and relaxed during dinner. Good lighting makes your kitchen safer, more functional, and more inviting.
5. Outlets, Outlets, and More Outlets
You’ll use more outlets than you think. Coffeemaker, toaster, mixer, blender, phone charger, laptop, slow cooker, instant pot, air fryer—the list grows every year. Building codes require outlets every four feet along your countertops, but that’s often barely adequate.
Put outlets inside deep drawers for appliances you want to keep plugged in but hidden. Include USB ports if you’re remodeling now. Think about where you’ll actually use these devices and place outlets accordingly. Your future self will thank you every single day.
6. The Dishwasher Placement Most People Get Wrong
Your dishwasher should sit near the sink for plumbing reasons, but which side matters more than you’d think. If you’re right-handed, put it to the right of the sink. Left-handed? Left side. This lets you rinse a dish with your dominant hand and immediately load it without reaching across your body.
Also leave at least 21 inches of standing space beside the dishwasher door when it’s open. You need room to stand comfortably while loading and unloading. This small detail affects how pleasant or annoying this daily chore feels.
7. Cabinet Height Should Match Your Height
Standard upper cabinets sit 18 inches above the counter, but this isn’t carved in stone. If you’re tall, you can raise them and gain more usable wall space. If you’re shorter, lowering them means you can actually reach the bottom shelf without a step stool.
The same goes for base cabinet depth. Standard is 24 inches, but if you’re particularly tall or short, adjusting by even two inches can make your kitchen feel custom-built for your body. You’ll be reaching into these cabinets multiple times daily for years.
8. Drawer Organizers From Day One
Empty drawers turn into chaotic jumbles within weeks. Before you move in, install drawer dividers and organizers. Your utensil drawer needs compartments. Your spice drawer needs tiered inserts. Your pots and pans drawer needs dividers.
These organizers cost a fraction of your total kitchen budget but multiply your storage efficiency. Everything has a place, everything stays visible, and you’re not digging through a pile of wooden spoons to find the one you want. This organizational system should be built in, not something you plan to add later (you won’t).
9. Deep Drawers Beat Lower Cabinets
Lower cabinets with shelves force you to crouch down and reach into the back corners where things disappear forever. Deep drawers let you pull everything forward and see it all from above. You can stack pots and pans, store small appliances, or organize pantry items.
Yes, quality drawer slides cost more than cabinet shelves. The difference in daily usability is enormous. You’ll access everything more easily, keep things better organized, and actually use the items you own instead of forgetting they exist in some dark cabinet corner.
10. Your Trash System Deserves Serious Thought
Most people shove a trash can under the sink and call it done. But you need space for trash, recycling, and often compost. A pull-out system with multiple bins keeps everything contained and accessible. Some families need separate bins for different types of recycling.
Location matters too. Put your trash near the prep area where you’ll generate most of your waste. If it’s too far from where you work, you’ll pile scraps on the counter and make trips later. The bin should be easy to pull out, easy to empty, and ideally not the first thing guests see when they enter.
11. Heat and Water Don’t Mix (Keep Them Separate)
Your cooktop should never be right next to your sink. Water splashes, steam rises, and accidents happen. Keep at least 12 inches of counter space between them. This buffer zone protects you from burns and gives you a place to set down hot pots before they reach the sink.
Similarly, don’t put your cooktop directly across from the sink if you have a narrow galley kitchen. Someone washing dishes and someone cooking shouldn’t be able to bump into each other or block each other’s access.
12. Ventilation You’ll Actually Use
A range hood that vents outside beats a recirculating one every time. Cooking produces moisture, odors, and grease that need to go somewhere. A hood that just filters and blows air back into your kitchen doesn’t solve the problem.
Get a hood that’s as wide as your cooktop or wider. It should have multiple speed settings so you can run it quietly for simmering and powerfully for searing. If it’s too loud, you won’t use it, and your kitchen will get grimmy faster. Check the decibel rating before buying.
13. The Island Size Sweet Spot
An island can be amazing, or it can kill your kitchen flow. You need at least 42 inches of clearance on all sides where people walk. Anything less creates a bottleneck. If your kitchen can’t accommodate this, you might be better off without an island.
For seating, allow 24 inches of width per person. If you want to tuck barstools under the counter, you need at least 12 inches of overhang. Think about whether this seating will face into the kitchen or out toward another room. Consider how the sightlines work and whether seated people will be in the way of someone cooking.
14. Corner Solutions That Actually Work
Corner cabinets often become black holes where things vanish. A lazy Susan helps but isn’t perfect for everything. Pull-out shelves that swing wide give you better access. Some corner base cabinets work better with drawers that cut across the corner diagonally.
For upper corner cabinets, you might skip doors entirely and use open shelving, or install cabinets that only access from one side while leaving the corner empty inside. The point is to acknowledge that corners are tricky and plan specifically for them instead of treating them like any other cabinet.
15. Pantry Placement Affects Your Shopping Routine
If possible, place your pantry near the garage door or whichever entrance you use when bringing in groceries. This saves dozens of steps every shopping trip. Your arms are full of bags, and you don’t want to parade through the entire house to reach your food storage.
Inside the pantry, shallow shelves beat deep ones. You want to see everything without moving items around. Pull-out shelves or drawers make items in the back accessible. If you’re building a walk-in pantry, make it at least four feet wide so two people can pass or so you can open the door fully without bumping it into shelves.
16. Flooring That Forgives and Endures
Your kitchen floor takes tremendous abuse. Dropped knives, spilled water, dragged chairs, and constant foot traffic. Hardwood looks beautiful but dents and shows every scratch. Tile is durable but cold and hard on your joints if you stand for long periods.
Luxury vinyl plank flooring has become popular because it’s waterproof, comfortable underfoot, easy to clean, and surprisingly durable. Whatever you choose, think about maintenance. A floor that requires special cleaners or shows every footprint will frustrate you daily. Get samples and live with them for a week before deciding.
17. Backsplash as Protection First, Style Second
Your backsplash’s primary job is to protect your walls from water, grease, and food splatter. Anything behind your sink and stove needs to be completely waterproof and easy to wipe clean. This isn’t the place for porous materials that stain.
Extend your backsplash at least 18 inches beyond the edges of your cooktop. Grease travels farther than you think. Behind the sink, bring it up at least 20 inches or all the way to the upper cabinets. Yes, you can make it beautiful, but make sure it’s functional first.
18. Appliance Garage or Open Counter Space
Those small appliances you use daily (coffeemaker, toaster) need permanent homes. An appliance garage—a cabinet with a roll-up door—keeps them accessible but hidden. It clears your visual clutter while keeping everything plugged in and ready to use.
The alternative is embracing them on your counter. If you use your coffee setup every morning, hiding it away just to pull it out again feels silly. Decide which approach matches your style and habits. Some items earn their counter space. Others should be stored until needed.
19. Future-Proofing With Simple Choices
You might be young and spry now, but kitchens last 20+ years. Installing cabinets with pull-out shelves throughout makes the kitchen easier to use as you age. Lever-style faucets beat knobs for arthritic hands. A counter at sitting height gives you the option to prep while seated.
These features help everyone, regardless of age or ability. They don’t make your kitchen look institutional—they make it more functional. Universal design principles create spaces that work for a wider range of bodies and abilities.
20. The Vibe You’re Actually Creating
Finally, think about the feeling you want in this space. Do you want it to feel warm and cozy or bright and energizing? Open and airy or snug and contained? Your material choices, color palette, and layout all contribute to this atmosphere.
This isn’t about following trends. It’s about creating a space where you genuinely want to spend time. If you love color, don’t force yourself into an all-white kitchen because that’s what you see in magazines. If you find minimalism peaceful, don’t clutter your counters with decorative items because someone said it looks bare. Your kitchen should feel like yours from the moment you walk in.
Wrapping Up
Designing a kitchen means balancing dozens of factors, but they all come down to understanding how you live and what you need. The most beautiful kitchen in the world becomes a burden if it doesn’t function well for your daily routines.
Take your time with these decisions. Visit showrooms, yes, but also pay attention to kitchens you encounter in your daily life. Notice what works and what frustrates you in other people’s spaces. Your perfect kitchen exists at the intersection of style and practicality, and it’s worth the effort to get both right.