Almost everybody can accept that the kitchen is a functional room (unless you do no cooking at all), but this doesn't mean that every kitchen needs to function the same way for every homeowner. If your favourite activity in the home is baking to unwind, baking with the kids, or baking to entertain guests with fabulous cakes and pastries, your kitchen has to work for you in different ways than for somebody who whips up stir-fries after work.

If baking is an activity that brings joy to your life, it's actually worth talking with an expert kitchen designer who will be able to transform your kitchen space into somewhere that facilitates your passion. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Create a low island. Kitchen islands are a common occurrence in all kinds of kitchens, and they work well as a space where you can both prepare food and entertain guests. But if you are very keen on bread making, you might want to consider having a custom made island that is a little bit lower than countertop height. This can be useful because when you are working with dough and kneading, you need to leverage your body weight to work the dough successfully, and having that extra bit of height between the counter and your upper body helps with this.

Marble counters. Although marble is expensive, it's the perfect countertop material for bread makers and home pastry chefs. When working with certain kinds of pastry, it is important to keep the ingredients cold so that you can achieve the perfect texture of pastry when it bakes, and marble is a material that actually absorbs heat from pastry dough so that it remains cool. The smooth surface also makes it easy to wipe up any dough on the counter. If your budget won't stretch to a full marble countertop, you could still think about investing in one accent piece.

Try an apron sink. Unfortunately, after all the fun of baking, there are often a lot of dirty dishes to be washed. Large cookie sheets and strangely shaped tins will often not fit into a dishwasher, and some baking kits might not be dishwasher safe, so it's important to have a cleaning area that is both functional and can hide a multitude of dishes. Deep, apron sinks are perfect because they are very large and all dirty pans can be left to soak there until it's time to wash them up. They also happen to be extremely striking and a beautiful design feature in their own right.

For more tips and ideas for making your kitchen perfect for your baking plans, work with an experienced kitchen designer

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