ABOUT BEHIND THE KITCHEN DESIGN
Practical design judgement, built from years of working in real homes.
I’m Tristan Hay. My background spans kitchen design, interior design, building, decorating and hands-on work inside people’s homes.
Behind the Kitchen Design is where I bring that experience together to help homeowners make better decisions before they spend the money.
MY BACKGROUND
I’ve seen kitchen projects from several sides.
I didn’t arrive at kitchen design from one narrow route. Over the years I’ve worked across interior design, bespoke kitchens, building, decorating and practical renovation work.
That means I’ve spent a lot of time not just looking at plans, but seeing what happens when those plans become real rooms.
You start to notice the things that drawings and showroom presentations can sometimes miss: circulation that feels tight, islands that dominate the room, storage that looks impressive but isn’t especially useful, lighting that doesn’t support how the space is used, or layouts that work on paper but feel awkward in everyday life.
WHAT EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT ME
Good design is often about the decisions nobody notices.
PROPORTION
A room feels right when the size and position of its major elements relate properly to the space around them.
CIRCULATION
A beautiful kitchen is frustrating if people are constantly squeezing past one another or crossing working areas.
PRACTICALITY
Storage, lighting and work zones need to support how the room is actually used, not simply look good on a plan.
RESTRAINT
More cabinetry, a bigger island or another feature does not automatically make a kitchen better.
Those are the kinds of decisions I focus on in Behind the Kitchen Design — practical principles that should still make sense years from now, rather than trends for the sake of trends.
WHY I CREATED BTKD
There is plenty of inspiration. There is less independent judgement.
Homeowners can find endless photographs of beautiful kitchens online. But inspiration doesn’t necessarily help you decide whether your own layout is right.
Kitchen companies understandably want to sell kitchens. Social media tends to reward whatever looks impressive. And much of the advice online doesn’t address the small practical decisions that determine how a room actually works.
Behind the Kitchen Design is intended to sit somewhere different: practical, independent advice that helps you understand the decision before you commit to it.
INDEPENDENT KITCHEN ADVICE
Want a second opinion on your own kitchen?
if you’re planning a kitchen, the Kitchen Clarity Review gives you an independent view of your design before you commit thousands of pounds to cabinetry, worktops and appliances.
I’ll look at your plans, highlight what I think is working, identify potential problems and explain what I would consider changing.