Before you choose the kind of doors or the surface finishes, you should plan your dream family kitchen in relation to your everyday routines—for example, putting away shopping, preparing meals, looking for a water bottle, cooking supper, clearing the dishes, and catching up around the table. A kitchen island can offer storage or seating in order to make the kitchen more convenient to use on a daily basis. Once you have an understanding of those routines, you will be in a better position to plan the island.
It is possible when planning a family kitchen to combine practicality with beauty in such a way that storage is included in the places where it is really needed, there are well-defined work areas, and there is room for each family member without the room seeming crowded or over-organised.
Why a kitchen around storage, flow and everyday family life matters
When we design a kitchen for a modern family, we remind our clients that the space is almost never used for just one thing. It might be where breakfast happens before school, where someone cooks dinner, where kids do homework at the table, or where conversations last long after a meal. A helpful tip is to think about all these overlapping needs right from the beginning and plan the space to fit them, ensuring a cohesive family kitchen design.
Which is why it is important to plan an efficient arrangement when you are designing, organising and maximising your new kitchen and its layout. No matter what style you decide on, the layout must allow people to move about the room without having to cross the cooking area repeatedly, and it should position the items you use most near to where they are required. Proper storage or equipment placement can remove a great deal of friction from everyday routines in a busy family life.
Consider the way your household currently uses the kitchen and how you would like to use it in the future. In what areas do bags, post, and paperwork build up? Who is responsible for cooking most of the time? Is baking a regular weekly activity, or is it more important to have clear worktop space when preparing meals and entertaining? If you understand these habits, you can design a kitchen layout to suit the way you live rather than forcing your requirements into a standard kitchen plan.
Planning the perfect family kitchen
- Begin with the items and tasks that make up your daily routine.
- Organise the areas used for storing food, preparing it, cooking it and cleaning in a practical order.
- Ensure that there is enough space allowing people to move around, cook and sit without there being any awkward narrow places.
- You should consider the ease of maintenance as well as the appearance when choosing cabinetry, hardware and worktops.
Nestled within a charming new estate just a stone's throw from the main island of Hagley, we've had the pleasure of crafting a kitchen transformation for a delightful young family.
Nestled in the idyllic countryside just a stone's throw from Droitwich lies a modern new build, the canvas for one of our latest bespoke creations at Matthew James Kitchens.
Kitchen design: how to plan a space that works
It is natural when looking at different designs to want to know which layout is best, but there is no definite answer. The best option varies according to the shape of the room, the locations of doors and windows, the amount of storage you need, and the number of people likely to use the kitchen at the same time. When planning a kitchen ideal for a family, provide separate areas for dining, preparation, and storage, and use the table as a natural place for people to gather.
Single-wall, galley-style, L-shaped, island, and peninsula kitchens can all be arranged to make the workflow smooth and uninterrupted.
In a small room, a galley arrangement is efficient, whereas an L-shaped one allows room to be left for a dining area. When there is space available, a U-shaped layout can give a good amount of preparation space, along with cabinets providing durable storage.
If you are planning your kitchen, you should compare the various options in order to get the best use from the space and then select the layout which fits the size of the room and the amount of space required for dining, preparation and storage. Visit one of our showrooms to see the different styles, layouts, appliances, and decide whether they will work in your house.
Start with movement, not cabinet types
Start by working out how people will move around the kitchen, rather than beginning with the kind of storage or the finishes. Draw up the path starting at the fridge and leading to the prep area, as well as the route from the sink to the dishwasher. You must also consider the route from the cooking area to the cookware and the ingredients you use, along with the path between the cooking area and the dining area, so that your family kitchen design will support everyday routines. Plan out these routes first in order to arrange the space to match the daily movements.
Even though the traditional work triangle may be useful, a busy household usually places a great deal of demand on the kitchen. When one person is making tea, another is unloading the shopping, and the children are searching for a snack, it wouldn’t be sensible for all of them to have to pass through the same narrow area. When designing a kitchen, you need to take these usual routes into account if you want it to support everyday routines and help achieve your vision in the context of a modern kind of space.
An island is useful when designing a family kitchen since it provides extra storage, allows for seating, or serves as a natural division between the kitchen and the living area, even though it by no means has to be included. In the case of a smaller space, a peninsula or a well-planned row of built-up units will instead give you more useful space and a better flow throughout the room.
Take stock of your current kitchen
The space you currently have will generally show you what needs to be altered; observe where everyday items tend to accumulate, which cupboard is hard to access and where people tend to halt during their journey through a room. When planning a family kitchen and designing a space that is suitable for everyday use, use these frustrations as design information.
It may be helpful to make a brief record of the problems that arise during a typical week. When doing so, consider the item which causes a queue and the storage space that all people need at the same time. You should also take into account the preparation surface, which disappears under letters, bags or smaller items, making it difficult to get extra space for food preparation.
- What appliance creates the greatest bottleneck?
- Where do school bags, paperwork and all the little items tend to end up?
- Do you need more adequate storage for pans, baking equipment or small appliances?
- Is it possible for two people to prepare food without both of them reaching the same drawer or area?
- Is there a specific area in the kitchen where one can chop vegetables, serve food, and put shopping away?
Even though digital planning tools can help you visualise the room, they can’t give you any idea of what it’s like to use it on a busy morning. A thorough plan should also take into consideration family needs and everyday life, such as door swings, service positions, natural light, easy access to storage, and the way the room functions over a full week. By using these details, you can determine if the plan will actually work.
Kitchen storage solutions
The practicality that can be achieved in a family kitchen is due to making ordinary tasks easy, not just because of the inclusion of extra features. It is helpful to use working areas, have accessible cupboards and other storage facilities, and provide clear preparation space in order to keep everyday clutter under control while at the same time supporting cooking, cleaning, eating and the other routines that take place around them.
Plan the kitchen in working zones
Design the area by using working zones for a range of related tasks. Food storage can involve the fridge, the high cupboards and a special food cupboard. For preparation, it is necessary to have adequate space, along with chopping boards and waste storage close by. In the cooking area, the cookware, the oils and the usual tools should all be within easy reach, and the cleaning area should establish a reasonable relationship between the sink and the dishwasher.
There is no need for these areas to be strictly separated. The objective is to prevent everyday tasks from becoming unnecessarily awkward. For instance, keeping the utensils near the prep area is a minor choice which helps make cooking seem calmer.
Choose storage that earns its place
Just because a room has more cupboards doesn’t mean that it will have better storage; you should make certain that you can see your items, reach them, and put them away easily, so that nothing gets lost or ends up in a messy condition at the back.
Put heavy cookware and serving dishes on the lower shelves, which are deep. Store your dry goods, breakfast items and snacks all in a tall cupboard. Use the drawers to get the most from the space and group the items by category, placing the storage near where you use it so as to make your kitchen routines easier.
Place your lunchboxes near the spot where you prepare breakfast or school meals. Keep the dishes close to the dishwasher and put the items that children use in lower cupboards so that they can reach them. Store small kitchen appliances in storage so that the counters remain clear when you are not cooking.
- In any design, it is necessary to include deep drawers for pots and pans as well as for larger serving dishes.
- It is very advantageous to have a pull-out larder in a family kitchen for dry stores and for food that is frequently used, as this makes the kitchen more functional.
- The drawers are reserved for cutlery, utensils and food containers.
- Shelves are made available for the use of all the members of the household.
- By hiding your small appliances, you will leave your surfaces clear.
This project is a beautiful example of how a carefully designed kitchen can bring structure, storage and a real sense of presence to an open-plan home.
A beautifully balanced bespoke kitchen completed in Kings Norton, featuring light grey solid ash shaker cabinetry, a contrasting gravel island, antique brass handles, quartz worktops and carefully planned storage throughout.
Plan a breakfast bar and worktops around everyday use
The kitchen, being the main part of the house, must have sufficient open space in order to carry out the activities you carry out most often. Even though there is no single size that will be suitable for all people, it is a good idea to include areas for chopping vegetables, putting down shopping, preparing packed lunches, or serving meals in order to make the most of the space.
Consider the way the breakfast bar will be used in relation to the sections of the kitchen where food is prepared and where people move around. Place the items you need for breakfast near at hand to make the morning routine easier, at the same time as keeping access around the seating area clear so that you can avoid creating a pinch point when someone is cooking or taking the dishes out of the dishwasher.
When you are arranging space on the surface, you should concentrate on the areas that are used most frequently; having a well-defined area beside the hob makes cooking easier and gives useful space close to the sink for both preparing food and for cleaning. As these are among the most frequently used surfaces in the kitchen, they must be practical, durable and have a finish that is suitable for regular use.
Quartz, Dekton, wood and laminate are all suitable for use in various situations. The decision you make will be based on the materials you prefer, what you expect in terms of maintenance and your budget, as well as on how the surface matches with the other finishes and the lighting in the area.
Try to decide on your appliances early, so you can plan their position, access, and ventilation as you design your kitchen layout. Place the fridge close to the prep area, and use adjustable shelves so you can reach daily items easily without blocking your workspace. Also, check that the dishwasher door can open without blocking a main walkway, and think about how you will handle ventilation near the stove.
We can help you consider key appliances and equipment, storage, individual units and services; for example, choosing a BORA product could affect how the kitchen is planned, while an integrated dishwasher or a tap that provides boiling water will require the right amount of space and the necessary connections from the beginning, so speak to us early to make sure everything is planned in place.
Matthew James Kitchens proudly presents a recent project in the heart of Kings Heath, Birmingham.
We recently completed a grand extension designed by the talented architects at Intervention Architecture, with whom we’ve worked on many projects.
Examples and common pitfalls
Standard examples are cabinets that go all the way up to the ceiling, in this way allowing everyday clutter to be out of sight while at the same time leaving open space around a dining table, an island or a peninsula for family activities. A common mistake is to include too much storage or seating, which causes the room to appear crowded and makes movement difficult.
The most efficient kitchens don’t have to be the biggest or those equipped with every possible facility; instead, they are designed with the people who will be using them in mind, offering storage that is easy to clean and having a layout that is just as appropriate for weekly meals as it is for a more relaxed Sunday lunch.
Common planning mistakes to avoid
- Before checking whether the island hinders circulation or access to appliances, add the island.
- Focusing on wall cabinets while overlooking practical drawer storage for pots and pans.
- Not leaving enough clear worktop space next to the sink or the hob.
- Putting the dishwasher at a distance from the place where crockery is stored and adding extra steps every day.
- Selecting a layout without first understanding how the household uses the room.
- Arranging lighting solely with a view to creating atmosphere, without first carrying out the associated preparations, cooking, and cleaning.
What are the five fundamental layouts?
The single-wall, galley, L-shaped, three-sided and island or peninsula styles are all suitable. Still, the ultimate layout should be tailored to the room, taking into account the windows, the doors, the storage needs and the way your family uses the space.
What should be the primary rule when planning a kitchen?
Rather than follow a strict rule, plan your routine in accordance with the way people move through the space: place items that are frequently used close to the tasks they are for, ensure that the routes are clear, and leave space for people to use the kitchen even when you are not cooking.
The original layout was awkward and they had no worktop space for food prep, no storage solutions to get rid of clutter and a kitchen that made cooking a chore rather than a pleasure.
This wasn’t just any extension – it was an opportunity to turn a tricky space into the perfect family hub, blending modern functionality with timeless design.
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Planning your project with Matthew James Kitchens
Since 2002, Matthew James Kitchens has been in the business of designing and fitting kitchens. When designing a kitchen, he takes into account the size of the room, the way your household uses it and the amount of storage you require. The cabinetry, worktops and appliances are all part of a single, unified layout.
Take your room dimensions and ideas to our showroom, or arrange a consultation to go over your requirements. You can visit us at 770–772 Hagley Road West, Birmingham, B68 0PJ, or at Unit 38, Wildmoor Mill, Mill Lane, Wildmoor, Bromsgrove, B61 0BX.
For practical planning advice, view our fitted kitchens buying guide or contact us to discuss your project.
Come and See Us
Pictures online are fine, but touching materials and bouncing ideas off someone who knows their stuff? Much better. Pop in and see us:
Birmingham Showroom
Matthew James Kitchens, 770 - 772 Hagley Road West, Birmingham, B68 0PJ
Call on: 0121 271 0808
Bromsgrove Showroom
Matthew James Kitchens, Unit 38, Wildmoor Mill, Mill Lane, Bromsgrove, B61 0BX
