6 Functional Kitchen Design Ideas to Maximize Efficiency

Functional kitchen design featuring the Caribana Single Handle Two-Tone Kitchen Faucet, Masella Solid Brass Cabinet Pull

Aptly coined as the heart of the home, the kitchen serves much more than meals. A natural gathering place among family and good company—while nourishing meals are cooked, lunches are packed, and drinks get poured—it’s where meaningful interactions unfold.

To keep the focus on important moments rather than mess and clutter, the kitchen features must work hard. Improving the functional design of our kitchens reduces time, motion, and stress on our end—but how do we accomplish this? Through highly intentional products and their placements. Follow along as we highlight six kitchen solutions to maximize your space’s functionality.

Ridgeway Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet, Levi Kitchen Faucet with Pull-Down Spring Spout in Matte Black, 33" Easley Farmhouse Sink

1. Hang It Up

Not everything in your kitchen has to be shoved into a drawer or cabinet. Functional kitchen designs can start with a simple upgrade. Great for keeping frequently used items within sight and reach, decorative wall hooks are a must-have for aprons or towels. Of course, be sure to install these away from ovens or other hot surfaces.‌

Floral Solid Brass Double Coat Hook

Mariline Brass Double Robe Hook

Lexia Robe Hook

Triple Iron Coat Hook

2. Install Open Shelving

Whether your kitchen is farmhouse, French, eclectic, or modern, open shelving conveniently bridges efficient design and practicality. Perfect for those looking to achieve a storage-savvy space without sacrificing style, open shelving radiates a bright and open feel while adding effortless function. For stylish support, choose from a variety of shelf brackets to show off your personal style.

Tip: If closed cabinets are more in line with your preference, remember that open shelving does not have to be your kitchen’s main form of storage. Instead, consider installing open shelving above your sink, or on an unused wall for bonus storage.

Keeton Solid Brass Shelf Bracket

Harridge Solid Brass Shelf Bracket

Rustic Cast Iron Shelf Bracket

Wellston Brass Shelf Bracket

3. Rinse Smartly

With technology as an excellent tool for making our homes work harder for us, one fixture that does this in our kitchens is the touchless faucet. Elevating the traditional kitchen faucet, touchless kitchen faucets are designed for a seamless, hands-free experience.

Whether cooking, cleaning dishes, or partaking in a messy hobby like gardening or painting, one can easily rinse off without interrupting a task or dirtying any fixtures. Easy to use, you simply wave a hand or object in front of a touch sensor to activate the water stream.

Ridgeway Pull-Down Touchless Kitchen Faucet

Levi Kitchen Faucet with Pull-Down Spring Spout

Ridgeway Pull-Down Touchless Kitchen Faucet with Deck Plate

Eiler Single-Hole Kitchen Faucet with Pull-Down Spring Spout

4. Cleverly Place Water Access

One of our favorite ways to improve kitchen efficiency is with pot fillers. Often placed above the stove for quick access to water when cooking, this fixture saves the homeowner trips back-and-forth from the main sink area, and ultimately, precious time and energy.

While over the stove is a popular location for pot fillers, the opportunities are truly endless, allowing you to customize the placement to your unique needs. For pet owners, a creative use for pot fillers in the kitchen is a pet water station. Great for you and your furry friend, set the fixture right above the water bowl for quick, convenient fill ups.

Augusta Retractable Wall-Mount Pot Filler

Contemporary Retractable Wall-Mount Pot Filler Faucet

Traditional Retractable Wall-Mount Pot Filler Faucet

Ravenel Retractable Wall-Mount Pot Filler

5. Swing Door, No More

For a smart, innovative kitchen design, every square foot matters—and this is especially true for pantries. To ensure every wall of your pantry is fully utilized, we recommend installing a sliding door. Often referred to as a barn door, sliding doors are available not only in farmhouse styles but sleek and modern options as well, with plenty of barn door hardware to match.

Pocket doors are also an excellent option to maximize kitchen space, offering a low-profile look while serving a similar function as sliding doors. For ultimate functionality and cohesion, add on pocket door hardware that best complements the metals throughout your kitchen.

60" Hal Barn Door Hardware Kit

Polson Bi-Fold Barn Door

96" Amici Single Roller Top-Mount Barn Door Hardware Kit

Elongated Oval Recessed Brass Pocket Door Pull

6. Multiple Sink Basins

Farmhouse sinks are a classic choice for kitchens due to their simplicity and commonality but a multiple-basin sink might be the kitchen upgrade you’ve been searching for. A double basin sink, such as our 36” Gallo 80/20 Double-bowl Fireclay sink or our 32” Ortega Low-Divide Double Bowl Sink provides a basin for washing dishes and a basin for rinsing or drying dishes. This both improves efficiency as well as maximizing counter space by removing the need for a countertop drying rack.

36" Gallo 80/20 Double-Bowl Fireclay Farmhouse Sink in White for function kitchen design

You can even take it one step further with a triple-basin sink, such as our 47” Tethra Triple-Bowl Farmhouse Sink. A triple-basin sink allows you to perform multiple tasks simultaneously. Perfect for big family meals or dinner parties where you may need to soak dirty dishes, rinse other dishes, and dry a third set at the same time.