Matte wood floors with texture, patterned granite countertop, plenty of storage, lots of drawers, good flow, easy to clean grout in backsplash....

Hire a maid :)

Continuous surfaces (integrated sinks, backsplashes with few or no seams like back painted glass). Slab doors and drawers fronts. A

small kitchen should be easier to clean than a bigger one, all else being equal. Adequate venting to reduce grease deposition.

send the children to live with someone else LOL. Just commenting because I want to hear all the ideas too. I think the clean as you go is a big one. While I am cooking a meal, I like to have a sink filled with soapy water to wash things as I go.

Built in appliances, especially to avoid the nastiness around a range, and simple lines on cabinets to make wiping them down quicker. I’m liking the robot vacuum I just got too.

Agree with everything said, especially the induction cooktop.

I like white or very light colored cabinets because if there anything at all on the wood, a smudge, a sticky blob, etc, I see it immediately and can wipe it off. Dark cabinets hide smudges and junk and then the mess hardens and is harder to clean later when/if you notice it. I was just at my mother-in-law’s house for Thanksgiving, and I was making the meal. I had to scrub around every single drawer pull and cabinet knob for over 30 minutes before I could even start cooking. Her cabinets are medium brown, and I think she just doesn’t notice the dirt accumulation around the knobs. It was gross! And it was very difficult to clean.

I know there is more but what I have for now is -

Built in trash right next to prep area and sink.

Under-mount sink.

Larger tiles for backsplash.

Metallic knife strip on the wall or one that sits on the counter.

Command hook near your sink for the kitchen towel.

Tons of flimsy kitchen towels for clean up/drying and the laundry room near by.

Microfiber drying mat, I fold mine in half and stick it under the sink (not by chemicals) when not in use.

Minimize grooves and indents, use patterned rather than glossy surfaces, choose spotless stainless and surfaces that look better with 'patina' (i.e. brushed stainless steel).

Floor drain, stainless cabinets, and a pressure washer!

That’s what a commercial kitchen would do.

1) A big sink. I don't even mind doing the dishes anymore.

2) An induction cooktop. I have gone from rarely cleaning my gas range (yes it got gross) to wiping my induction range multiple times a day (damn cat leaves paw prints) because it's so easy.

3) Garbage drawer with knee-push mech.

4) Back-painted glass backsplash. I don't even have to use vinegar. Somehow, wiping it down with warm water cleans it well without leaving streaks or other marks. It's a dream.

5) Corian counters. Just wipe & go.

Look at your current kitchen - what are the clutter points? What’s sitting out? What things tend to accumulate? Then create a plan to resolve those. For us it’s 1) a big enough single basin sink that dirty dishes, including pans, actually fit within it, 2) a dedicated, out of sight tea station where the electric kettle, tea infusers, etc. live, 3) identifying a space that will work to put everything away that’s convenient to where it will be used - oils near the stove, baking powder near the mixing bowls, etc., and none of it sitting out.

Also minimizing the number of trips across the middle of the kitchen carrying wet or messy items should help. If all the mixing bowls and cutting boards stay over counters there is less to clean off the floor. A bad work triangle (like in my current kitchen) leads to lots of drips and spills on the floor.

Really powerful hood with correctly-sized ductwork. That way you won’t get over time a glaze of grease on the cabinets and other surfaces near your cooktop.

Furthermore, have a backsplash for just behind the range/cooktop that has no grout lines. I suggest either a stainless steel panel (quite inexpensive, and a “pro” look), or, if you have stone counters, have a slab installed just behind the range/cooktop (with tile for backsplash everywhere else). Quartz will not work for behind the range/cooktop as it is adversely affected by heat nearby.

I agree with the clean as you go. That's what we do so by the time everything is done and we've eaten there is really not a whole lot left to take care of.

Separate prep and cleanup sinks- and make the clean up sink huge with ledges and integrated drying rack. A second dishwasher if you have room. Put all your little appliances in a cabinet with plugs so they don’t sit on the counter. Pull out next to stove to hold all your utensils and knives. LVT flooring. Good hood.

I speak from experience- I did all of the above and though I work my kitchen hard (lots of entertaining and I cook from scratch) my kitchen looks like a model home, every day.

A place for everything and everything in its place...even if some it has to stay on the counter...

I cook quite a lot and definitely am a "clean as you go" cook. Look for convenience in your appliances and surfaces.

I agree with "clean as you go." I am in Christmas baking mode now, and I wash the huge mixing bowls and anything else I will need for the next go-round while the breads are in the oven. When I am done baking for the day, the kitchen isn't any messier than after cooking a regular dinner. And every time I use my largest two mixing bowls, I am so happy to have a dedicated space for them. They are too wide for regular cabinets, so they go in the deep cab above the fridge.

Also keeping counters as clear as possible. Cleaning around stuff/moving stuff is no fun.

Made the holiday lasagnas last weekend . Had all the mess completely cleaned up by the time the two pans made it into the oven (:

Create zones so messes don't interfere w use by multiple people. That is the whole idea of a better kitchen / drawers will make for easy retrieval and put away . deeper counters so things can be left out in the rear position. Deeper sink / get a dishwasher w good organizationn and efficient cycles to use As per your needs. To each his own re sudsy water full up in sinks . At Baking times maybe but even mixing bowls spatulas can go in dishwashers. No to white grout but hardwood floors are easier than people think . Factory finish on cabs : stain rather than paint but others desire painted cabs.....what are your worries ? good design accommodates hard use and that is what a kitchen is for.

I agree with those who say "clean as you go", but I think the question was how to design a kitchen so it's easier to keep it clean.

I like Kristen S's suggestion to look at your current kitchen and ask yourself, "Where are my clutter problems?" For me, it'd be paper and other junk piled up on the peninsula. Why? Because it's the most convenient place to drop things as people come in. I've put together a mail-coupons-bills organization system on the desk (6' away from the peninsula), but my family WILL NOT stop putting paper on the peninsula because it is the most convenient location.

You've heard lots of really good ideas (I especially like the large sink idea), but here are some new thoughts:

- Go with a smaller kitchen and a large adjacent pantry. Pantries are great for storing large pots, etc. that aren't used on a daily basis (maybe even your microwave or your stand mixer on a pull-out cart), and a smaller kitchen is easier to keep clean. Bonus: pantries are astronomically cheaper to build than kitchens.

- In your pantry, store your "occasional use items" together in plastic tubs (for example, all your cookie decorating things in one tub, canning items in another tub, cake pans in a larger basket). When you're ready to perform that particular task, you can bring out the one tub, and you'll have all you need. Easy to use organization.

- A small cleaning closet (to hold your brooms, vacuum, etc. is a great idea. Include an outlet up high in case you want a stick-broom -- and a low-down outlet in case you want a Roomba.
- Inventory what you need to store /be sure you design a place for everything you have now. It'd be so easy to forget things like tablecloths.

- I LOVE that my range has a small (maybe 1/4") raised edge all around the cooktop so that when things occasionally boil over, they don't spill to the floor.

- Go mid-tone with wood tones. Both dark-dark and white are harder to keep clean.

- Keep your door style (and knob style) simple so they won't collect dirt -- or so when you spill pancake batter on them, they won't be hard to clean.

- Fancy edges, feet and furniture-like finishes will create more cleaning. - If you have an island, don't build it too wide -- you want to be able to reach the middle for cleaning.

- Glass-front cabinets don't belong near cooktops; they'll constantly be dirty.

- Choose light fixtures that're "open" on the bottom side; this means bugs /dirt won't collect at the bottom of a glass fixture.

- Store your oils, etc. in a shallow pan. Inevitably, a drop or two of oil drips down and makes a mess on your cabinet.

- I read somewhere you should have no more than 3 things out on your countertop. That sounds unachievable to me, but I do think that minimizing things on the counter is a good idea.

- Place things that "work together" near one another; for example, you need your refrigerator, drinking glass storage and dishwasher near one another. Baking items could be placed on the other side of the kitchen away from these things.

- Think about the path between your kitchen and your trash can. Straight out back is good; through the family room isn't so good.