There is no dearth of advice on how a kitchen should be designed. From the precise height of the cabinets to the colors that do and don't belong together, everyone has their opinion on what's best.

Some design rules are meant to be broken. But some aren't—especially in the kitchen. Kitchens are not only expensive to build and remodel, but they also need to be the most functional room in the home ...

In the 1920s, home-efficiency experts declared a triangle arrangement of sink, stove and refrigerator the sine qua non of functional kitchen design. A century on, that old formula is still often cited ...