You know that moment when you are stirring a pot of sauce and have to do a little ballet to grab the salt from behind the toaster? That was my kitchen for three years. I thought I just needed to organize better. But the truth is, a functional kitchen is not about having more counter space. It is about how the room works when you have to feed a family, store a vacuum cleaner, and still have a place to sit down for a quick coffee. I learned this the hard way when I moved into a 45-square-meter apartment with a kitchen that doubled as a hallway. The stove was six steps from the sink, but there was no landing space for a hot pan. Every meal felt like a strategy game. What I eventually understood is that the layout and the furniture you choose for the surrounding living area are just as important as the cabinets themselves.

In that tiny layout, I had to make tough choices.