Why do we design kitchens around how they look, not how they feel?

last month

Can kitchens be designed around how they make us feel, not just how they look?

Hi everyone,

My name is Molly, and I'm the founder of a small UK kitchen and furniture company called KindRoot.

I'm currently undertaking research into sensory design and how our homes can better support wellbeing, reduce overwhelm, and work for a wider range of people and needs.

As designers, we often talk about aesthetics, layouts, storage, and functionality. But I'm increasingly interested in questions such as:

• What makes a kitchen feel calming versus overwhelming?
• How do lighting, noise, materials, colours, and clutter affect daily life?
• What challenges do people with sensory sensitivities, ADHD, autism, anxiety, chronic illness, or simply busy family lives experience within their homes?
• What design features genuinely make life easier?

I'm currently gathering insights from homeowners, designers, architects, and anyone with lived experience to help shape this research.

I'd love to hear:

What frustrates you most about your kitchen?
What makes a space feel calm and comfortable?
What do you wish designers considered more often?
If you could redesign your kitchen around your needs rather than current trends, what would you change?

We're also hosting a free Sensory Design Research Event in London on 23rd June for anyone interested in contributing in person, and we've created a couple of short online questionnaires for those who can't attend.

Research Hub:
https://www.kindroot.co.uk/pages/kindfocus

Event Information:
https://www.kindroot.co.uk/pages/events-experiences-by-kindroot

Thank you in advance for any thoughts or experiences you'd be willing to share. Every response helps us better understand how homes can support the people who live in them.

Molly
Founder, KindRoot Home

Comment

Related Discussions
How to design a room so can see into it via small glass with a cover
Q
Comments (2)
Why not look at serving hatches? As they are open you won't need to keep the glass clean and make sense in the Kitchen setting. If you want to close the noise away then you can using the doors and it wouldn't take up too much space.
...See More
Advice on re-design of Kitchen/Diner/Living Room?
Q
Comments (4)
Hi minnie101, Thanks so much for your detailed reply. Great to know what colour that grey is. It may be a little dark with our floor. We will definitely update the handles - I hate the current ones. We'll probably go with wood to keep within budget. Your non-tiles pic is lovely. We'll probably keep some tiles and try to keep the kitchen a little more modern than country kitchen, which might be a challenge with wood. The room faces south. I like your idea of dividing it with paint. We probably will go with white in the kitchen and then 1/2 slightly darker tones in the tv-couch area. The 'other' entrance into the dining area is narrowed by a non-structural wall, so we should remove this to open it properly or like you say, close it off. Maybe not close it off entirely as we'd lose a lot of light, but maybe put in a counter or breakfast bar if space allowed. I love your pendant light suggestions over the dining table. Details like this and a rug in the couch area will really help divide the room as at the moment it is one big cavernous space. I really can't decide yet what way the couches should face - into a tv in the corner, or out into the room like you suggest. We'll have to draw out some chalk outlines on the floor and see how much space there actually is. Colour-wise we like the idea of keeping walls and cabinets quite stark, the wood counter will add a bit of warmth, and then adding colour with couches, rugs and possibly dining chairs. I've attached a couple of pieces of furniture I like. Some may not work, but we'll figure it out.
...See More
What should we do with this fireplace?
Q
Comments (9)
That's a working fireplace isn't it? I agree that the fire surround is probably not in keeping with your tastes and would probably look perfectly at home in a rustic country cottage, but just not for you. There are several options open to you, and if your a bit handy with the DIY, none of them need to cost much, it's just a little hard work. Remove the fire surround and see what dimensions you have with the actual fireplace, it might be that you can also remove the iron plate around it, thus leaving you with a much smaller actual fire. However, be aware that it will affect, the plaster, the skirting and the hearth, as everything is currently built to home the fire surround. You could go............at that point for making good the walls and keep it simple by having a floating shelf only, or another fire surround that's simpler. Loads on Ebay! Just make sure they're suitable for a working fire!
...See More
Houzz Live Chat - Designing a Dream Kitchen, 1 pm, 15 July 2016
Q
Comments (80)
A15) @Dara Cooke: If you can't afford a quartz or granite worktop from day one then I would recommend using a laminate worktop as a temporary solution. If you don't put tiles up as a backsplash then replacing the worktops can be relatively easy in a couple of years.
...See More

Why do we design kitchens around how they look, not how they feel?

Comment

Related Discussions

COMPANY

EXPLORE HOUZZ

CONNECT WITH US