Having a clever kitchen just makes sense, yet common kitchens often face the same recurring issues.
How much time do you spend in your kitchen? Whether it’s an hour or just thirty minutes, the kitchen is one of the central spaces of daily life. Functionality and ergonomics are just as important to ensure you enjoy a comfortable and efficient space.
Here, we invite you to discover 5 original ideas for a clever kitchen, 100% made by JOA. These solutions will not only improve your daily routine but also create a unique kitchen with features you may never have imagined.
1. A clever kitchen with a pantry
Where does the idea of a pantry come from? Before the French Revolution, a pantry was either a piece of furniture or a cool corner used to preserve food. Before the invention of the refrigerator, people had to find a suitable place to protect food from rodents, insects, and temperature fluctuations.
Today, anything that requires freshness is stored in the fridge. But what about everything else? Many still rely on cellars for food storage, or for the luckiest, a utility room. Others make do with just their kitchen and must find clever ways to optimize storage.
At JOA, we’ve studied these common challenges to create a truly clever kitchen solution.
The goal is to maximize space to provide ample storage. One of the most frustrating things in ordinary kitchens is having to reach to the very back of a cabinet to find an ingredient. Our solution increases storage capacity thanks to a curved design, which not only makes the furniture more spacious but also reduces visual clutter and allows for a clear overview of the contents.
As soon as this large curved door opens, it’s the cherry on top. Inside, you’ll find a beautiful space filled with shallow shelves, allowing a clear overview without the need to rummage around. No more opening every cabinet to find the sugar, with this clever kitchen storage solution, your ingredients are always easy to access.
This space can also accommodate dishes or specific appliances. The functionalities are versatile, but optimization is always the priority, no matter what is stored.
And that’s not all. Depending on the available space, this large curved door can become even more ingenious. By creating a slightly deeper structure, we can integrate small shelves on the back of the door — perfect for condiments or other compact items. The curved door is a signature feature at JOA, designed to simplify access and enhance the usability of a clever kitchen.
The rest of your kitchen cabinetry can be used to store all your other utensils, dishes, and pots, helping to clearly define different storage zones.
2. Curved drawers to make life easier
In addition to the curved pantry, we wanted to offer solutions that add even more harmony to this concept of a clever kitchen. After all, we’ve all experienced awkward corner cabinets that are difficult to use and visually unappealing.
While mechanisms and other hardware can help make tricky corners usable, we decided to transform them into curves. Instead of bending over to reach the back of a cabinet or relying on pull-out trays, we opted for drawers. The result is simple to use, pleasant, and visually appealing.
We don’t need to convince you about the ergonomics of drawers, they provide a full overview of their contents and extremely easy access. As a bonus, you can even include compartments for kitchen utensils or spices. In other words, your utensils and ingredients come to you, rather than the other way around!
With a wood or metal finish, these drawers do more than just store items, they improve the flow of the space. They allow energy to circulate, letting you move smoothly from one corner to another. This is a real advantage if you’re looking for more harmony and ease in your clever kitchen project.
While we’re mainly talking about curved drawers, these curved corners can also accommodate a sink or a cooktop at the upper level. The result is a pleasant, welcoming space to work in. In short, try it once, and you’ll want to adopt it. Come explore and test these curved corners in our showroom kitchen.
3. Lightweight hangers for a clever kitchen
Have you discovered our hanging rack system? Often used as a room divider or even as a bookshelf, this slim and elegant feature is a real asset in a clever kitchen.
It’s common to need certain utensils and tools within easy reach at key workstations, whether at the sink, on the countertop, or near the cooktop. Having the right items accessible is essential.
With our hanging rack system, you can integrate shelves either against a wall or suspended in the space. Using metal gives a minimalist style, combining sleekness with durability.
How can it be used? The possibilities are wide and versatile.
You can choose shelves to store your most frequently used condiments, for example. Why not add a hanging bar at the bottom to keep your kitchen utensils within easy reach?
In a corner of the kitchen, it’s also a great way to elevate your coffee machine or kettle along with your favorite cup. This clever kitchen idea creates a dedicated little nook while freeing up your countertop.
These hanging racks can also hold your cookbooks or decorative items, adding a personal touch to your kitchen. When suspended without a wall behind, they naturally help divide open spaces, an excellent way to define areas without blocking
light or disrupting the overall ambiance of the room.
Discover more ways to use these lines in our article on how to split a room, naturally here.
4. Integrating a table into the kitchen island
Most kitchens include a breakfast nook or a small table for intimate meals. For some, fitting a table can be a challenge, especially when space is limited.
What if we offered a kitchen island with an integrated retractable table? When the need or occasion arises, you simply pull out the table, either to reveal it or to extend it for more space.
The overall design is cohesive and offers plenty of flexible uses. The table can be fully extended from its niche when needed. During a feast, there’s no need for extra leaves! And if you suddenly need more countertop space, you can pull out exactly the length you want.
Another advantage of this clever kitchen solution is that once integrated into the island, it creates accessible storage thanks to the difference in heights. You can slide in dishes for your meal, table accessories like placemats, or even a tray with your lunch ingredients. This is your kitchen — adapt it to your lifestyle and habits.
5. A hassle-free worktop
What other ideas have we implemented for a clever kitchen? Beyond the unique design of our kitchens, we also stand out for our choice of materials. Those familiar with JOA know we favor noble, long-lasting materials. Our top choices are metal and bamboo, and for the countertops, we use stainless steel.
You might be thinking about its industrial look — and yes, there’s a reason professional kitchens favor stainless steel.
But our application in home kitchens is different. The thin 3 mm stainless steel layer we use aligns with the thickness of the metal we apply to cabinet fronts, resulting in a sleek, seamless, and visually cohesive finish.
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Additionally, stainless steel is polished before installation. Scratches are therefore minimized, but like wood, it will naturally age with your kitchen, small scratches or fingerprints become part of its character, which we fully embrace.
Another major advantage of stainless steel is, of course, its ease of maintenance and durability. It doesn’t age and requires no special treatment to preserve it. You can place hot pots directly on it without worrying about marks.
If you want a more seamless look with your sink, a stainless steel countertop allows you to weld your stainless steel sink directly in place. The result is a clean, precise finish, and you’ll never have to worry about sealing the joints again. A clever kitchen is also defined by how easy it is to maintain.
In short, stainless steel countertops are our top choice for kitchens due to their ease of maintenance, aesthetic appeal, and cost-effectiveness. They offer great flexibility in shapes and cuts, and we can even combine them with other surfaces while maintaining a seamless, intentional junction.
Of course, you’re free to choose another type of countertop, but for us, the decision is clear!
Discover our many projects for a clever, made-to-measure kitchen here.