Design

Materials, functionality, bespoke details: design is at the heart of a kitchen that fits perfectly with those who live in it. From choosing the most durable worktop to space-saving ideas for compact environments, this section offers advice and insights to help architects, designers and clients create spaces that combine beauty and practicality. Every element, from lighting systems to layout, contributes to a design meant to last.

Zecchinon kitchen in light matte lacquer and oak, with a large central island with a marble countertop and pendant lighting.

Designing a contemporary kitchen alcove

The kitchen alcove frames the workspace within a recessed niche, combining architectural clarity, material continuity and functional design for a refined, integrated kitchen space.

Italian kitchen design by Zecchinon featuring a white island and a fully equipped cooking area, created by Archisesto for a residential project in Chicago

Open-plan kitchen: how to design a fluid and functional space

Designing an open-plan kitchen requires fluid layouts, functional zones, and visual harmony with the living area. Avoid common pitfalls, use light separation, coherent materials, and tailored solutions for ergonomic, stylish, and convivial spaces.

White Zecchinon kitchen with a central marble island featuring a veined finish, open shelving and a utility area

The hidden kitchen that makes all the difference

A service kitchen is a discreet, functional extension of the main kitchen, offering organised storage, hidden appliances, and staging areas. It ensures visual order, practicality, and elegance, adapting to both large and compact contemporary homes.

Modern ‘quiet luxury’ style kitchen with a light-coloured stone island and full-height tall units in a dark finish; open-fronted wooden units with exposed shelving

Quiet luxury: when excess disappears

Quiet luxury kitchens embrace hidden systems, handleless surfaces, and muted finishes. A refined balance of elegance and innovation, where authentic materials and craftsmanship create interiors defined by harmony, subtlety, and timeless design.

Modern designer kitchen with a central island in Dekton Nebbia and wall units in a Caffè Oak finish, featuring illuminated recesses and built-in ovens, in Zecchinon’s contemporary bourgeois style.

How to design a kitchen with an island

More than a layout choice, the kitchen island is a living space. This article explores planning, proportions, systems and style—offering design ideas for islands that feel integrated, functional and beautiful.

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