Designing the home when building or remodeling has much to do with trends.  Innovations incorporate the needs of comfort as well as functionality and perhaps other concepts; social, environmental, et al.

Ideally, a project such as this should be framed within the scope of individual expression.  The finished product is an extension of the consumer's persona. Created through his/her tastes, needs and creativity. 

A kitchen, for example, is more than the sum of it's visual effects of cabinetry, tiles and lighting. It is the center of utmost activity, with it's own aesthetic charm, including issues of functionality, efficiency.   Any consideration thus, must include individual utilization needs, practices and preferences.  What sort of foods are to be prepared, where and how? 

For example - If there is an island, it will be used for say, preparing bread dough, processing of raw vegetables and sauces. Designing with these needs in mind, an island could accommodate a chopping block large enough for kneading, a small sink with goose-neck faucet for washing raw veggies and a small storage space to fit a 3-gallon bin of wheat flour. It might also include a pull out platform for a dough mixer, pull out drawer to keep items used for bread making. A small space below for tomato cans and sauce mixes, another drawer for paring knives, etc... An overhead rack for strainers.

Such interests taken into account leads to the concept of storing raw materials in places where they are to be used.  Point of use storage (POUS) is the concept most coveted by women. After all, She is the end user, the decider - to whom the contractor must ultimately aspire to serve.