Planning a kitchen that works every day

Most kitchen regrets are planning regrets, not finish regrets. A beautiful worktop cannot compensate for a fridge that blocks the walkway or a sink with nowhere to put dishes down. The best time to get these decisions right is before a single material is chosen.

Follow the order of a meal

Food moves through a kitchen in a fairly predictable sequence: it is stored, washed, prepared, cooked and served. Placing these zones in that order, with clear counter space between them, removes a surprising amount of back-and-forth. In a linear kitchen they run along one wall; in an L or U shape they wrap around the cook.

• Storage: fridge and pantry near the entry point for groceries
• Washing: sink with counter space on both sides
• Preparation: the longest uninterrupted stretch of worktop
• Cooking: hob or range with landing space beside it
• Serving: close to the dining table

Plan storage around what you own

List what the kitchen must hold, from everyday plates to the large pot used twice a year. Deep drawers in base units are usually easier to use than cupboards, because everything comes forward to you. Tall units are best grouped together so the rest of the room can stay open.

Ventilation is not an afterthought

In a warm, humid climate, heat and cooking fumes need somewhere to go. A hood ducted to the outside performs far better than a recirculating one, and a window or opening placed to encourage cross-ventilation helps the room stay comfortable. Many Filipino households also keep a separate dirty kitchen for heavy cooking, which is worth deciding on early because it changes the main kitchen's layout.

Light the work, then the room

Under-cabinet lighting should fall on the worktop, not into your eyes. Once the tasks are lit, ambient and decorative lighting can set the mood of the room.

Once these questions are answered, choosing materials becomes easier, because you know exactly where each surface sits and how hard it will work.