The heart of the home, your kitchen is normally where life happens. Often doubling as a living area as well as a place to cook and eat, maximising space is an extremely important factor to consider when designing your kitchen. A well-organised and efficient kitchen not only makes your day-to-day easier, but can improve your quality of life, mood and family dynamic. Custom kitchen design allows you to have a place for everything, tailoring the space to you and your family’s needs. 

Layout and Planning

At Coast Creative, our designers understand the importance of thoughtful kitchen layout and planning. By taking the client’s personal wants and needs into consideration, we can maximise space, however big or small the room is. Factors to consider include; room usage and family routines and dynamics, countertop and below-counter appliances, food preparation areas, food storage and if you’re incorporating an eating area. We often refer to the Golden Triangle when planning a custom kitchen. The Golden Triangle refers to the perfect kitchen layout, which explains that your sink, fridge and stove should ideally be positioned at each point of the triangle, making it easy to move between them. As a rule of thumb, each side of the triangle should measure from 1.2m to 2.7m, with a perimeter that is no less than 4m and no more than 10m, with an uninterrupted flow between each. This creates a practical, comfortable work space, and minimises time spent walking between each of these key points within the kitchen. 

Little Dillow in Cornwall is an example of an effective kitchen layout designed by Coast Creative. Following the Golden Triangle rule, the kitchen island, complete with integrated hob, serves as an important use of space. View it here.

Clever Storage Solutions

Saving space is the key to maximising it. Space-saving storage solutions such as pull-out shelves, corner drawers and wall-mounted storage can optimise every inch of a kitchen, making custom design key. Maximise efficiency by keeping your kitchen items stored in practical places, for example, hanging pots and pans, organising your dry goods in a pantry and having chopping boards and knives within reach of each other. 

Utilising Vertical Space

Maximising space in a custom kitchen can include strategies such as effective vertical storage. Tall cabinets and pantries, wall-mounted storage, hanging racks, and full-sized fridges all offer extra storage for essential items, and the height minimises the width, creating extra space that can be utilised. Open shelving and racks offer additional storage, whilst also looking modern and stylish. Having items on view encourages you to stay tidy and therefore organised. Open shelving is often used for cook books, crockery, plants and dry goods. Storage solutions that sit on shelving are also available, such as plate racks, book ends and baskets.

Designed by Coast Creative, this hanging glass rack at Noordhoek in Porthcothan effectively utilises vertical space. Click here to check it out.

Multi-functional Design Elements

At Coast Creative we are big believers in multi-functional design elements such as kitchen islands with storage and bespoke breakfast bars with seating that slides away underneath. These stand-alone pieces offer extra storage that would otherwise have been empty space, whilst doubling as an eating area or food preparation station. Integrating appliances such as built-in microwaves, coffee machines, and under-counter fridges and dishwashers also utilises space that may have been wasted. 

We designed and built a bespoke kitchen island featuring multi-functional elements for Little Dillow in Callington. Click here to find out more.

Lighting and Colour Considerations

Personal preference plays a big role in kitchen design, especially when it comes to colour and lighting. However, if you’re looking to create an illusion of space, we’d recommend lighter colours and ample light, as darker tones will make your kitchen seem smaller. Whilst natural light is the best, plenty of light fittings, such as spotlights and internal cabinet lighting, can make a kitchen feel larger.

For Noordhoek, we worked with the architects from the beginning. We love how this well-lit and visually spacious kitchen, with huge windows and lots of light fixtures, came to life. See the photos by clicking here.

Customisation and Personalisation

Custom kitchen design allows you to maximise space and functionality in a way that works for your needs. Bespoke and tailored, we pride ourselves on seeing the home within a house, and specialise in kitchen design that makes your personal life better.

We custom-built the kitchen cabinets at Shore Lodge in Padstow. These storage solutions were tailored to the specific kitchen space. View the design here.

Ensuring an optimised layout, making use of all available space, multi-functional elements and visual illusions are all key elements of custom kitchen design. By working with Coast Creative, you’ll be choosing to build a custom kitchen alongside experienced designers and creators with priceless industry knowledge. We can maximise space and functionality, creating a bespoke kitchen that positively impacts your home life. 

Get in touch to book a discovery call with Coast Creative Head Designer Luke by clicking here.