Good Housekeeping: The Most Functional Kitchen Layout Features
According to designers, sensible does not have to sacrifice style.
Featured in Good Housekeeping | By Kelsey Mulvey | July 18, 2026
It cannot be stated enough: The kitchen is the workhorse of your home. If you have any doubts, just think about all the time you spend meal-prepping, cooking, cleaning, and entertaining whoever’s sitting at your island. It’s a lot, right? While we’re huge proponents of jazzing up the space with pretty hardware or colorful cabinets, the kitchen has to be functional. After all, if you’re looking to whip up a multi-course menu for a dinner party or special occasion, good looks will only get you so far.
Cohesive Counters
At first thought, the height of your countertops have nothing to do with your overall layout; however, Knight respectfully disagrees.
Specifically, she’s begging you get rid of the clunky bar-height counters. “There was a time when this was a popular way to ‘hide the mess’ in a kitchen, but today, we treat our kitchens as a place to gather and hang out,” Knight says. “Breaking up the counter height creates a barrier and ultimately less usable work space.”
Instead, make the most of your prep zone with uniform countertops.