The ‘Anti-Takeout’ Kitchen — Why Kitchen Design Is to Blame
According to research from 2022, the average Londoner is spending a whopping £800 on takeaways each year. And while it may be easy to chalk that up to laziness, there may be something else at play. According to the experts, the way you design your kitchen can actually dictate how likely you are to cook in it. That’s right, your takeaway habit isn’t actually your fault; it’s your kitchen’s.
This may sound like a convenient line, but there’s actually some science to back it up. It’s all about the psychology behind your modern kitchen design, and how certain features and designs can impact your desire to cook. Don’t believe me? Just take it from Karen Haller, one of the leading authorities on behavioral color and design psychology. As she explains it, “From a behavioral design psychology perspective, our environments can influence the way we behave, and the kitchen is no different. If the layout makes cooking feel awkward, frustrating, or more effort than it needs to be, we’re naturally going to be less inclined to cook.”
There’s not just one thing at fault here, either; there are a whole slew of different design mistakes we’re all making that are leading us straight towards those food delivery apps and away from our ovens. So, I asked the experts to break down exactly what they are, and what we should be doing instead, so we can say goodbye to our takeout habit once and for all.
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1. Disjointed Layout
Don’t overlook the importance of the working triangle; it’s what brings that all-important sense of flow into your kitchen.
(Image credit: Design: Montana Burnett Design)
You could have the most gorgeous space, but if you’ve got the wrong kitchen layout, none of it will be worth a thing. Your layout provides the fundamental foundation for your kitchen, dictating how it feels to move around and use the space. And nothing will have you reaching for Uber Eats faster than a bad kitchen layout.
Of course, at the most basic level, the wrong layout will make your design look awkward, but it goes beyond this, impacting the way your brain responds to it, too. “If a kitchen layout is illogical, cramped, or requires too many extra steps, it can actually cause muscle tightening on a subconscious level,” explains designer Alicja Wawrzyniak. As the founder of Alwa Design Studio, the psychology of design plays a central role in how Alicja approaches her work, and her projects are always created with the relationship between spatial design and daily habits in mind.
If your kitchen immediately triggers this uncomfortable, negative physical reaction, your brain will respond to this as a genuine threat, finding solutions and alternatives to prevent this experience. “When the layout disrupts the natural flow of meal prep, our subconscious naturally seeks the path of least resistance to avoid that stress,” explains Alicja, adding that “More often than not, that means reaching for a takeout menu.”
Ignoring design principles like the ‘working kitchen triangle’ or opting for an oversized, centrally located kitchen island, which blocks the natural path of movement, are some common examples of this issue.
Alicja Wawrzyniak
As her slogan ‘designed with emotions’ suggests, for Alicja, every project is created with a people-first mentality, following her clients’ lead and designing spaces that truly work for them. This means that every space is unique, reflecting the style, personality, and routines of the person living within it. Her core objective is to design for low physical friction and high emotional comfort, prioritising the homeowner’s overall wellbeing.
2. Lack of Prep Space
Be sure to leave a generous amount space free around your hob to use as prep space.
(Image credit: Anson Smart. Design: Smac Studio. Styling: Jack Milenkovic)
“One of the greatest mistakes made when designing a kitchen is to provide too little clear counter area next to the sink and stove,” explains Kanika Bakshi Khurana, founder of Kanika Design, who highlights the significant role interior design plays in creating stress-free environments.
Little mistakes, such as not leaving yourself adequate prep space around your kitchen appliances, can be enough to put you off cooking, making the whole experience feel overwhelmingly intimidating and mentally exhausting.
The problem is, so many of us get so distracted by all the different appliances and accessories in our kitchens — which we convince ourselves we need — that we forget to leave enough space to do the actual cooking.
Instead of overcomplicating things, Kanika suggests leaving yourself one solid block of countertop space solely for prep work. “When everything is organized, and the flow through the kitchen makes sense, cooking will be a lot more enjoyable,” she says.
3. The Sensory Experience Is Off
As Karen Haller points out, this idea is not solely limited to how your kitchen functions. Even if you follow all the kitchen design rules and have the most perfectly logical layout, if you neglect the sensory side of your design, you’ll likely still find yourself stuck with a space that feels less than satisfactory.
The idea of color psychology in interior design is central to Karen’s work and, as she explains, “The colors, materials, textures and lighting all contribute to how we experience the space, influencing how we think, feel and behave when we’re in it.” While this will apply across the entirety of your home, in the kitchen, it can have some of the most notable effects on your quality of life.
“If the environment doesn’t support the experience you want when cooking, it can affect both how much you enjoy it and how inclined you are to cook in the first place,” she says. The way we eat plays such a crucial role in the way we live, and when you’re unable to find the joy in cooking and constantly find yourself consuming processed fast food, over time, that will take a toll on your general quality of life.
“With my clients, I always start by looking at the behavior they want their kitchen to support and what would make cooking feel easier and more enjoyable for them,” explains Karen, adding, “That includes the layout, but also the sensory experience they’re creating through color and lighting.”
This can, and should, look different from person to person. “For example, in my own kitchen I need brighter, more vibrant colors to give me energy and make cooking feel fun, which in turn encourages me to cook,” says Karen. But, Karen adds, “Someone else may want their kitchen to feel less stimulating, so they might use soothing, less saturated colors to create a space where they feel more relaxed and want to spend more time cooking.”
This comes back to why introverts and extroverts choose different paint palettes, and reflects the unique way in which we respond to our surroundings.
And it’s not just the aesthetics that constitute the sensorial experience of your kitchen; it’s also worth considering the social aspect of your space. Kitchen designer Johnny Grey is known for his ergonomic, people-led approach to kitchen design, and this is something he pays careful attention to when designing homes. He always encourages orienting your space so that you are “Cooking facing into the room, ideally on a working table, island or peninsula.” Noting, “You can’t have a conversation with anyone when they are behind your back.”
How to Design a Space You’ll Love Cooking In
If you’re lucky to have a direct view out to your garden from your kitchen, make the most of it and orient your prep space around it, because doing the dishes is always nicer with a view.
(Image credit: Michael Clifford Photography. Design: Lisa Staton)
So, what does an anti-takeout kitchen look like?
At the top of your priorities should be designing to remove the friction from your space, making it as simple and seamless to use as possible.
One of the best ways to do this is through establishing kitchen zones. This is the approach Alicja adopts, saying, “It starts with creating intuitive, dedicated zones for tasks so everything you need is exactly where you use it, like storing spices and oils right next to the stove, or keeping knives and cutting boards by the prep sink.” This, along with a logical layout where the sink, stove, and fridge are all within close proximity to one another, provides the perfect foundation for a kitchen you’ll actually enjoy cooking in.
Building on from this base, you can begin to look more granularly at what makes your kitchen feel inviting. “Beyond the practical setup, wellbeing in the kitchen is deeply tied to where our eyes land while prepping and cooking,” explains Alicja.
Thinking about sight lines and where your eyes will naturally fall while cooking can help you understand what makes that experience more or less enjoyable. “What do you see when you look up from the cutting board?” asks Alicja. “Having a window looking out onto the garden, a clear sight view into an open-plan living and dining room, or simply being able to comfortably interact with family during your cooking routine makes a massive difference.” If your prep space looks directly onto a blank wall, chances are you won’t look forward to cooking there.
This links back to Johnny’s design approach, where fostering human interaction is central to the design process. As he says, “The key is to make cooking enjoyable. Thus, eye contact is vital to make cooking a sociable process.” The kitchen should orient around the cook, with easy, uninterrupted paths of vision leading directly towards prep areas for a more sociable, laid-back feel.
Kitchen Buys That Will Make Cooking Easier
John Lewis
John Lewis Masala Dabba Spice Box
Keeping your spices and seasonings right by your hob in a lovely Masala Dabba spice box, like this, is a great way to remove some of the friction from the cooking process. Plus, it looks gorgeous, too.
TOAST
Cortona Stripe Utensil Jar | Cream/leaf
Similarly, keeping your essential kitchen utensils close to hand at all times can be surprisingly impactful. This stripy ceramic number from Toast makes the perfect storage space for spatulas and the rest.
Our Place
Our Place Wonder Oven
If you need a little help getting back into the swing of cooking, make your life easier and treat yourself to an air fryer. The Our Place Wonder Oven is probably the best-looking one out there, and it has countless features to play around with, too.
Sometimes, when you’ve fallen out of love with cooking, treating yourself to a new kitchen appliance trend can be just the thing to relight the fire in your kitchen and get you excited about cooking again.
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