Sure, a shiny stainless SUV of a fridge can be sexy, but it’ll quickly lose its appeal if you can’t open its door without hitting the counter opposite it. Before picking products, consult the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s “Kitchen Planning Guidelines,” available at www.nkba.org, for tips on designing a functional layout. And aim to avoid these mistakes:

1. Oversizing the island. An island countertop that’s 36 to 48 inches deep and 36 to 120 inches wide provides ample work space and enough room for an overhang for sitting. Anything deeper can be hard to use or clean. Also make sure there’s at least 42 inches between the island and surrounding cabinets; otherwise, cooks won’t be able to get by one another and the oven may bang into the cabinets or countertop opposite.

2. Not maximizing storage. It’s not just the number of linear feet of cabinets that matters, but also where you put them: 48 to 72 inches of wall cabinets for glasses, plates, and bowls above the sink and dishwasher; another 48 to 72 inches for cooking dishes and supplies near the oven; and 48 to 72 inches of base cabinets for pots and pans near the cooktop. Maximize potentially wasted space by outfitting blind corners with swing-out cookware caddies or lazy Susans, deep pantries with high-backed pull-out shelves, and drawers with full-extension glides and built-in dividers.

3. Blowing off ventilation. It’s hard to show off your cooking prowess if the smoke coming off the range or cooktop is too thick to see through. Besides improving indoor air quality, a range hood or, to a lesser extent, an over-the-range microwave oven that is vented to the outside can help exhaust heat and odors.

4. Not lighting the way. Even the brightest recessed ceiling and pendant lights tend to cast shadows when you’re working at the counter. So wire for under-cabinet halogen, xenon, or fluorescent task lights wherever you or a family member will be dicing, doing homework, or reading a recipe.

5. Leaving the garbage out. Trash and recyclables each require a 30-quart container at minimum, located ideally in a base cabinet on the side of the sink opposite the dishwasher. That way you can simply pivot as you scrape and load.