Designing a convenient shared kitchen in a home

Plan how many people will be using the shared kitchen space – you’ll need storage space for each person, plus enough space for all of the house’s inhabitants to use the kitchen. Plenty of preparation surfaces and workstations will be necessary, as well as enough space for multiple appliances like ovens and grills. If you’re going to have appliances built into the kitchen design, make sure there’s adequate space for doors to open out into the room without blocking access to other parts of the kitchen.

Aside from the obvious – your ovens and fridges – you need to decide if you’ll have multiple pieces of other equipment, like microwaves, kettles and toasters. If you do want these, you’ll need to make sure you’ve got adequate space on your countertops without cutting into food preparation spaces, and also ensure that there are enough electrical plug sockets to support multiple appliances in these areas.

If you’re designing a shared kitchen space for multiple people, you need to make sure there's enough space for everyone. Think about fridge and freezer space – a standard fridge/freezer might only give a shelf per person, which wouldn’t be enough room for most people. If you’ll be installing multiple appliances, you’ll again need to make sure that there are going to be enough plug sockets in key locations.

Cupboard space and kitchen storage is always important, but never more so than in a shared kitchen. Each person needs enough space for a kitchen’s worth of food, cookware, plates and so on – so having enough kitchen storage is essential. When you're using a shared kitchen, you may not be sharing kitchenware or pots and pans – or if you have flatmates with dietary restrictions, they might need to keep their kitchenware distinct and separate from yours.

A breakfast bar is a great addition – both to add some extra preparation surface, and as a social hub for anyone using the shared kitchen. From a sociable breakfast in the morning to grabbing a quick coffee, a breakfast bar is a casual spot for friends to catch up. Plus, if you pick a breakfast nook with storage options, you’ll have even more space to give everyone sufficient storage. Choose stools that will slot into the breakfast bar to keep the space neat, and plan to decorate with some eye-catching kitchen wall art to get the conversations started.

Plan enough space for a large dining table, and enough chairs for everyone to take a seat come dinner time. If space is tight, consider smart seating solutions, like stools that will stack together, or chairs that will tuck neatly under the table – so make sure there’s enough overhang to cover the chairs and make sure they’re not causing a trip hazard.

Plan floor-to-ceiling cupboards, or consider a pull out pantry that will save space but still offer tons of storage for dried foods or store cupboard essentials.

Consider wire shelving or even mount a pegboard, to make the most of available wall space with smart storage options. You can hang utensils, potted herbs, a spice rack or even pots and pans from these versatile storage solutions, and allow shared kitchen users to free up some space in the cabinets.