If you love to cook, you probably spend a lot of time in the kitchen. So ideally, you want a kitchen that’s perfectly functional so you don’t get irritated by clutter or things being in the wrong place while you’re in the middle of cooking. You want a design with loads of counterspace, the right amount of storage, and that flows perfectly as you cook.

But function doesn’t mean sacrificing form. You can have a kitchen that works with you, but you can also have a kitchen that feels like it’s part of your home.

As well as designing a kitchen that suits your style, consider these standout features that will make your kitchen easier and more pleasant to use, while also making it look so much nicer.

1. Quality Stone Countertops

The best feature you can go for in a kitchen is probably a simple focus on quality. While it might not seem to change things drastically, something like quartz worktops can add both aesthetic and practical value to your kitchen. Stone worktops look fantastic, but more importantly, they continue to look good years down the line.

They’re easy to clean, and they don’t scratch easily. If you spill anything, it’s okay; the stone is non-porous, so you can wipe away the liquid. Your worktops should comfortably last for decades without needing to be repaired or replaced.

2. Kitchen Island

Another great addition you can add to your kitchen is a kitchen island. A kitchen island is a standalone counter that goes in the middle of your kitchen and doesn’t need to be attached to the wall. You can walk around it just fine, and it’s a great way to add some extra countertops to your kitchen.

Even better, you can put cupboards underneath the kitchen island so you can have even more storage along with your extra workspace. This adds so much functionality to your kitchen, even if it’s an otherwise smaller kitchen.

A kitchen island also looks great, and makes an otherwise boring kitchen look more dynamic and interesting.

3. Barstools

If you’ve got a kitchen island, the next logical step is to get some barstools so you can turn the kitchen island into a breakfast bar. This is a great place for people to sit and eat, while still being in the middle of the action. You can perch your kids on them for after-school snacks or breakfast, and it’s a good place to have a snack yourself or a small meal if you don’t want to go to a separate table.

You can even sit on the barstool while prepping food, which can be helpful during long food-prep days when you get tired of being on your feet all day.

4. A Kitchen Pantry

One of the best additions to any kitchen is a kitchen pantry. These used to be common in older homes, but they’re becoming more popular as modern additions. More storage is never a bad thing, and a pantry is a convenient way to store things that you want to keep out of the way.

Your pantry is an ideal place to store dry ingredients, as well as canned ingredients that don’t need to be refrigerated. You can also keep any long-term projects in your pantry, so if you like pickling or fermenting food, this could be the perfect place to keep them.

Finally, you can store appliances you use less often in the pantry.

As well as a pantry, it’s worth considering other clever storage solutions in your kitchen. This might include folding cupboards, as well as dedicated spice drawers, and corner cupboards with lazy susans so you can still access everything inside. These all take up space that would otherwise go to waste.

5. Hidden Bin

The kitchen bin is a necessary but ugly part of every kitchen. You want the bin to be easy to access while you’re cooking, but not in the way. If you can keep the bin tucked away, even better. Even larger bins can be hidden with some clever design ideas, especially if the bin is designed for your kitchen.

For example, you can get counters where the bin sits inside, and you can still put waste into a hole in the countertop. You can then access the bin itself by the side so you can empty it more easily.

Or you can have a bin that is kept under a cupboard. Smaller bins work really well inside cupboards, and you can even set them up so the bin door opens when you open the cupboard door.

6. Under-Cabinet Lighting

As well as counters, most kitchens have cabinets and cupboards that are higher up. This is great for storage, but it can create some awkward shadows in your kitchen, and you might struggle to see what you’re doing.

Under-cabinet lighting is a great solution to this. As the name suggests, they’re lights that go under your cabinets so they can light up the countertop. This is practical because it allows you to actually see what you’re doing when you’re prepping food, but it also looks really nice. Your kitchen now looks a bit more complete and nicely lit up.

7. Touchless Tap

One luxury that you can’t go without once you’ve tried it is a touchless tap or a similar type of tap. Cooking can be messy work, and when your hands are covered in meat juices or bread dough, or whatever else you’re prepping, you might not want to mess around with handles to turn the tap on and wash your hands. Even worse, you’ve got to touch the now-dirty handle again with your clean hands afterwards.

A touchless tap either works by sensors, or you can touch the tap itself with your arm to turn it on. Either way, there will be no more messy handles.

8. Plenty of Outlets

A final feature that’s really practical is to try to add as many electrical outlets as possible, especially if you use a lot of appliances. Even better, if you can add a plug to your kitchen island, it’ll be even more functional than before.

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.