The 6 best design decisions we made in our new kitchen

From clever storage, to sleek space-saving upgrades, these six design choices have transformed our kitchen into a stylish and functional open-plan space. Here's what we did and why...

I’m absolutely loving our new kitchen. Yes, the actual building stage was long, disruptive and very, very dusty and not having a fully functional kitchen was really difficult. I really missed baking and cooking healthy homemade meals. However the six months of air-fryed dinners was totally worth it! So I thought I’d walk you through my six best design elements that I incorporated – design ideas which, if I was ever to do a kitchen reno again (I really hope I won’t ever have to do this again), I won’t ever be changing!

Adding a charging drawer

I love our charging drawer which helps keep clutter at bay!

One of my pet peeves is having charging wires, phones, tablets and devices cluttering up a beautifully curated kitchen worktop! So one of my favourite design ideas has to be the charging drawer. It’s a total game-changer! Now everything is tucked neatly into one drawer. It keeps things organised, reduces clutter, and honestly just makes our kitchen feel calmer. Plus, it’s super convenient. Everyone knows exactly where to charge their devices – even the girls have been putting their kindles on charge all by themselves rather than asking their dad Charlie or I. It’s such a simple addition, but it’s made a big difference in our daily routine.

Installing a downdraft extractor

You do need to factor plenty of room under your countertop for the downdraft system

It’s sleek, subtle, and is part of our induction hob which means no bulky hood blocking the view or cramping our open-plan layout. We went with the Caple DD780BK downdraft induction hob which keeps cooking smells at bay without dominating the kitchen. It’s powerful, reasonably quiet, and stylish. If you do go down this route, remember that you’ll need to ensure there is adequate space beneath your countertop for the downdraft system and that the necessary ductwork for exterior ventilation is considered at the initial design phase.

Stacking our washing machine and tumble dryer

The pull-out shelf is so handy for unloading dry clothes out of the tumble dryer.

Our stacked washer and dryer setup has been a lifesaver, especially with the pull-out shelf in between. It gives me the perfect spot to sort and fold without bending over, saving my back in the process. It’s such a small detail, but it makes laundry so much easier and more comfortable. Plus stacking them one on top of the other takes up less floor space and precious kitchen cabinetry. Our joiner recommended placing the washing machine at the bottom and the dryer on top, as the washing machine is heavier. We again went with Caple appliances, choosing the Caple Integrated WMI3007 washing machine and the Caple Integrated TDI4001 tumble dryer.