The kitchen might be the heart of the home, but glamour doesn't necessarily equal practicality. Glossy finishes and ritzy appliances are all very well, but if the kitchen isn't workable, you might as well have saved your money.

If it's too sleek and minimal, even making a cup of coffee will look like a major mess, and if it's too big, you'll walk many extra kilometres every year simply moving the milk from the fridge to the bench.

Size really doesn't matter in kitchens: it's what you do with the space that counts. A kitchen ranged against a wall and linked to a table or trolley for serving or eating will work better than a large enclosed G-shape where you do extra walking to get in and out of the narrow opening to reach the dining table.

"You want an island bench rather than a peninsula so more people can be in the kitchen and it's open to other areas," says Cecily Thorp, design expert and Victorian manager of the Freedom Kitchen Design Studio, which will exhibit at the Melbourne at Home show.

Getting the look Draw up a wish list and work out your budget. Balance the two by choosing cheaper appliances and include a focal point such as a feature splashback or benchtop. Go for laminate, not granite. Freedom's tough Alaskan gloss looks expensive for doors and drawers, but is cheaper than vinyl wrap.

Think about the "bones" of the kitchen. If it's built from HMR (high moisture-resistant) board rather than a cheaper alternative that swells on contact with water, you won't have to replace the cupboards if the dishwasher floods.

Choose a quality laminate in a new texture or timber-look grain, rather than a less durable melamine. Ian Bannister of Abet, importer of Abet Laminati, says there's a return to laminate benches because, unlike stone, glasses and china don't break when dropped on it.

Design for your lifestyle. If coffee's more important to you than cooking, make the espresso machine the feature, rather than the cooker.

If your kitchen is old and interesting with open shelves, do as interior designer Daniella Peschek did, and start a collection of mugs and canisters to fill them. Hang some tiny paintings on the walls. Display cookbooks in specially built shelves. Keep recipes in colour-co-ordinated folders.

A lamp in a corner - not near the sink, of course - will add mood and atmosphere.

Add some character with a large fruit bowl or ornament.

Panelled cupboard doors make a feature, so does a timber or contrasting benchtop.

Reflective finishes such as stainless steel, chrome and polished chrome in door pulls or a feature mixer tap add interest.

That space issue If space is limited, minimise wall cabinets and open shelves so the room looks less cluttered. Add more shelves in cupboards and keep tall cabinets together to eliminate extra fillers.

Remove bulkheads and choose corner cupboards with moving units so there's no "dead" space.

Put drawers wherever you can; more than 80% of us prefer drawers over cupboards, although they cost more, says a survey by Archicentre.

Go for light colours and keep the palette to a minimum. Don't use many different finishes: use a honed stone (seal it first) for benches and splashback.

Choose only one feature: a light, benchtop, splashback or ornate canopy.

Minimise finishes with fully integrated appliances or keep them all in one colour. Fisher & Paykel has an affordable, integrated fridge.

Maximise bench space. Reduce "on-bench" items for a cleaner look. Install a single bowl sink, with a removable chopping board over it, a two-burner cooktop, and put the microwave under the bench or just above it and wheel in a trolley when having a party.

Have it all with a half-size dishwasher, a small oven and an underbench fridge.

Plan well Design with five areas in mind: food storage, food preparation, pots and pans, cleaning agents and waste, and china and cutlery.

Try to put food storage - the pantry and fridge - near the kitchen door and close to the food-preparation area.

Keep cooking cutlery close to the cooktop for easy preparation, and table cutlery and china near the dining area.

Store everyday items near the sink and dishwasher so emptying the dishwasher is easy and you don't have to trot up and down between appliance and drawers.

Cleaning products and waste should be kept around the sink, so vegetable peelings can go straight into the bin. Multi-bin units are available for compost and recycled waste.

Remember that kitchen basic - the design triangle - and have the sink, cooktop and fridge within easy reach, or no more than 1.2 to 2.4 metres apart.

Save your back. Freedom and Hettich Australia, maker of drawer runners and hinges, have developed the Intelligent Kitchen Concept, which says the optimum bench height near a stove or sink is just below a bent elbow.

Store your frequently used and heavy items, such as casseroles and big pots, in a cupboard or drawer that's positioned between your hip and shoulder area - the top drawer or bottom shelf in an overhead cupboard.

Sanity savers Allow for messy zones in a sleek kitchen. Include a nook for bills and the telephone, and an appliance cupboard with a bi-fold or retractable door for the kettle, toaster, blender or microwave.

Maximise storage with a magic corner unit of chrome baskets on a swing frame. They're about $500, but worth it.

Put oil and spice drawers next to the cooktop. Kitchen designer Robyn Shrives often incorporates the Blum unit that has a drawer attached to a door, high sides with a drip tray and dividers, and an inner drawer above for spices. It fits in a 300mm wide space beside a cupboard or bank of drawers.

Pot-lid dividers mean saucepan lids can stand up in a drawer.

Soft-close drawers cost a bit more, but eliminate all that slamming.

Pull-out pantries make the most of small spaces.

Source: Domain, 17 August 2008