Both the daily use and renewal of kitchens significantly contribute to the overall environmental impact of domestic buildings. To identify design implications related to circular consumption in domestic kitchens, 20 household interviews and one focus group session were performed, investigating how kitchens are used and transformed to meet households’ wants and needs. This study determined that daily kitchen resource use is greatly affected by kitchen design and that typical kitchen design generally does not promote sustainable resource use. Key factors that support minimization of resource use in the kitchen are the availability and planning of storage and workspaces. Furthermore, kitchens should be equipped with functions that enable households to use energy and water efficiently. Regarding kitchen renewal, various motivations that may initiate kitchen renovations can be summarised as follows: (1) Functional demands and changing needs, (2) aesthetic demands and changing trends, (3) obsolescence due to wear, and (4) linkage to another home renovation. This article concludes that a combination of design strategies is needed to reach a higher level of kitchen circularity. Moreover, these design strategies must be accompanied by circular business models and efforts to increase awareness of the environmental impact related to activities in and involving the kitchen.

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Kitchens are frequently altered leading to unnecessary material flows. End-users’ wishes to customise their kitchen based on their changing priorities have been recognised as one cause for frequent alterations. Complementing previous research investigating kitchen alterations, this paper focuses on the spatial characteristics of the room. Spatial characteristics have been identified as determining factors for developing circular solutions for kitchen design which could reduce the extent and impact of alterations. Eleven households in Swedish villas, apartments, and terrace houses have been interviewed about their kitchen alterations to answer the research questions: What spatial alterations do they implement? and How could the spatial design of kitchens be formulated to support a circular built environment?. The outcome of the alterations has been documented through floorplan drawings and photographs. Based on the findings exemplifying end-users’ alterations, circular design strategies are recommended for the spatial design of the kitchen. These strategies have the potential of slowing the loops by enabling end-users to reshape their kitchen without extensive alterations and decreasing resource use and waste production. In conclusion, this paper urges professionals in the kitchen industry to use the formulated circular design strategies to create a building stock that is part of a circular economy.

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