--- title: "Designing the Heart of the Home: Kitchen Layout Principles and Must-Have Accessories" description: We explain the design principles behind every well functioning kitchen and rate some of the most popular kitchen accessories. image: https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/hubfs/work-triangle-img3.avif --- - [Follow on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/swanbuildhomes) [Follow on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/swanbuild_homes) - #### Leading builders of Modular Homes in NSW, VIC, & SA - - [1800 008 024 1800 008 024](tel:1800%20008%20024) - #### Leading builders of Modular Homes in NSW, VIC, & SA [![Swanbuild](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Swanbuild_Primary%20Brandmark_Mono_RGB-1.png?width=190&height=112&name=Swanbuild_Primary%20Brandmark_Mono_RGB-1.png) ![Swanbuild](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Swanbuild_Primary%20Brandmark_Mono_RGB-1.png?width=190&height=112&name=Swanbuild_Primary%20Brandmark_Mono_RGB-1.png)](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/) - Menu - [Home Designs](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/building-plans/) - [Plans](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/building-plans/) - [Inclusions Packages](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/inclusions-packages/) - [Buy a Display Home](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/display-homes-for-sale/) - Building With Us - [Our Process](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/our-process/) - [Pricing Made Easy](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/pricing-made-easy/) - [Modular Construction](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/modular-homes/) - [Quality Guarantee](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/quality-guarantee/) - [Testimonials](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/testimonials/) - [About Us](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/why-swanbuild/) - [Why Swanbuild](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/why-swanbuild/) - [Our Team](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/our-team/) - [Our Vision, Mission and Values](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/our-vision-mission-and-values/) - [FAQs](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/faqs/) - Inspiration - [Blog](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au) - [Virtual Tours](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/virtual-tour/) - [Videos](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/videos/) - [Internal Photos](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/internal-photos/) - [External Photos](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/external-photos/) - [Design Guide](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/design-guide/) - Commercial - [What We Build](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/what-we-build/) - [Why Build Modular](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/why-build-modular/) - [Our Projects](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/our-projects/) - [Contact](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/contact/) - [Book a Consultation](https://homes.swanbuild.com.au/consultation-request) - [Visit Our Display Homes](https://homes.swanbuild.com.au/display-visit) - [![Download Catalogue](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/2500450/interactive-375802331590.png)](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLLIGMBe8ZTSvn50YW1g55fHXxmmrRT1wvy5Pli%2FYedj0uIAH0Xj8DcG5wMdSVsHyzouUpowYBvRl2Oi3yk7LVY1b7KFVlxEXO%2FIRj%2Fc90lUmBnskL3O%2FPiHXYrBvcBI6%2BiLw87jHjetECgrmJV%2Bve%2FCTDsobFclOkzKKEERrb83H%2BItHBBAFeI8l0e6QKPLTw5beR4jShMGdvHYE2SnFeloBUT8sUMh3Q3YbVVQuD%2FpB7uQ&webInteractiveContentId=375802331590&portalId=2500450) - - Search for: - - Search for: \\ # Designing the Heart of the Home: Kitchen Layout Principles and Must-Have Accessories [Swanbuild](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/author/swanbuild) 20, May, 2025 ![](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/hubfs/work-triangle-img3.avif) ### Kitchens have come a long way in less than a generation. The modern home's kitchen has gone from a small service area away from the main living spaces to the true heart of the home, taking up a central position on most floor plans. Combining the kitchen with living spaces has meant the modern kitchen is the most used room by the whole family. With years of experience designing and building homes, we have seen the evolution of modern kitchens first-hand, and we know exactly what new home buyer’s want when it comes to their kitchens, and what features they will get the most use out of.   Read on as we guide you through the key principles of kitchen design which dictate where essential appliances are laid out, how we create kitchens you want to spend time in and we rate the most popular kitchen accessories, which ones you should invest in, and which ones aren't worth the trouble.     ![kitchen triangle](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/hubfs/work-triangle-img3.avif) ## Kitchen Design Essentials: The Kitchen Triangle You may not have noticed it before, but every (functional) kitchen utilises the kitchen triangle layout. The kitchen triangle (or work triangle) places the three most used elements: the sink, the fridge and the stovetop close to each other in a triangle shape to maximise efficiency. While the triangle can be in almost any formation, narrow or wide, the three points must be close enough to make kitchen tasks easy to complete, but not too close to cause congestion. This is especially important in a busy family home when there is quite often 'too many cooks in the kitchen'.   ![modern kitchen](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/caq_0829.jpg?width=6042&height=4020&name=caq_0829.jpg) ## Why A Triangle? As the kitchen is a workspace, you want the most commonly used work items close by and well laid out. Preparing a meal will generally involve taking food from the refrigerator, using the stove or cooktop and cleaning up afterwards, so you don't want any barrier between these elements.   ## The Details To get into the nitty-gritty of the kitchen triangle, it's recommended that each side of the triangle should measure between 1200mm and 2700mm; this ensures you can move from one station to another easily but still have a good flow for traffic through these high-use areas.   ![butler's pantry](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/caq_0812.jpg?width=6033&height=4014&name=caq_0812.jpg) ## Exceptions To The Rule: Butler's Pantry Some Swanbuild floor plans include a walk-in pantry or butler's pantry. The addition of a walk-in pantry makes for a clear exception to the kitchen triangle rule as they include space for the fridge or a secondary sink, meaning that most of the cleaning and mess is placed in the walk-in pantry and out of the way. By offering you additional space and storage, it lessens the need to adhere to the kitchen triangle layout.  ## The Kitchen As The Heart Of The Home The benefits of the shift to open-plan living means spending more time together in one functional space. Most open-plan living is centred around the kitchen as the heart of the home. We place the kitchen as the focal point in our home designs; it's where most of life's moments happen. Time spent preparing, eating and relaxing after meals all take place in one space as opposed to older designs, which utilise a separate dining room.   ## Kitchen Accessories More than just designing and building kitchens, we spend a lot of time talking to new home buyers about what they want in their kitchens and how they use the elements in it every day. To make equipping your kitchen a bit easier, we've highlighted some key appliances and rated them on whether or not you should include them...  ![Air fryer](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Kitchen%20triangle(2).png?width=1920&height=1080&name=Kitchen%20triangle(2).png) ### Air fryer With a meteoric rise in popularity, the humble air fryer went from relative obscurity to a must-have in almost any new kitchen. More energy efficient than using an oven, the small-size cookers can turn a 50-minute cooking time into a brief 15. Great for quick snacks and meals for one, they can be a bit bulky, so make sure you've got enough counter space before taking the plunge.   ![Foods processor](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Kitchen%20triangle(3).png?width=940&height=788&name=Kitchen%20triangle(3).png) ### Food Processor A large and cumbersome food processor is a kitchen staple for most households, but the oversized appliances take up too much space and are tricky to clean with multiple odd-shaped elements. Our advice is to stick to a Nutri-bullet or handheld blender as they do the same job and take up far less space.  ![coffee machine](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Kitchen%20triangle(4).png?width=940&height=788&name=Kitchen%20triangle(4).png) ### Coffee Machine The dream of freshly brewed coffee daily is sometimes the key motivator for getting out of bed. However, we find that large espresso machines can often take up a large amount of space when they are only utilised for one cup of coffee a day. We suggest instead replacing the machine with an Aeropress - they take up almost no room and are much easier to clean.     With everyone’s needs being different, there is ultimately no right or wrong for what you should have in your kitchen – it comes down to your lifestyle, family size and cooking habits. However, our experience in helping clients deliver a wide and varied range of kitchen designs means we’ve got the knowledge to help you get the kitchen that is not only beautiful, but practical too.  [Home Design](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/topic/home-design) [New Home](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/topic/new-home) [Planning](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/topic/planning) [Modular Homes](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/topic/modular-homes) [Customisable](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/topic/customisable) ## Related Posts ### [11, November, 2020 Kitchens, the heart of the home](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/kitchens-the-heart-of-the-home) ### [24, May, 2024 The Top Things To Keep In Mind When Designing Your Dream Kitchen](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/designing-your-dream-kitchen) ### [16, March, 2021 Designing a kitchen with form and function](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/designing-a-kitchen-with-form-and-function) ![Accreditation logos 2025 9001](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Accreditation%20logos%202025%209001.png?width=83&height=160&name=Accreditation%20logos%202025%209001.png) ![Accreditation logos 2025 Green 14001](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Accreditation%20logos%202025%20Green%2014001.png?width=80&height=160&name=Accreditation%20logos%202025%20Green%2014001.png) ![Accreditation logos 2025 Yellow 45001](https://blog.swanbuild.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Accreditation%20logos%202025%20Yellow%2045001.png?width=79&height=160&name=Accreditation%20logos%202025%20Yellow%2045001.png) Accreditations ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems ISO 14001:2015: Environmental Management System ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems Building License # VIC Domestic: CDB-U 49079 VIC Commercial: CCB-U 62548 NSW: 260670C SA: BLD264723 Contact Details: Swan Hill: 210-214 Karinie St Swan Hill Victoria 3585 Bendigo: 45 Fairview Rd Kangaroo Flat Victoria, 3555 Phone: [**1800 008 024**](tel:1800%20008%20024) [Follow on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/swanbuildhomes) [Follow on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/swanbuild_homes) [Follow on Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/company/swanbuild) [Follow on Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmDDRMUEn1A-jsNOplgoetQ) Email: [**sales@swanbuild.com.au**](mailto:sales@swanbuild.com.au) Hours: Monday - Friday: 8am-4:30pm [FURTHER ENQUIRIES](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/contact/) Quicklinks - [Virtual Tour](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/virtual-tour/) - [Our Story](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/our-story/) - [Commercial Buildings](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/commercial-buildings/) - [Internal Photos](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/internal-photos/) - [External Photos](https://www.swanbuild.com.au/external-photos/) Copyright 2021 © Swanbuild