Fun fact: in the 1987 hit 'Welcome to the Jungle', Axl Rose was originally singing about kitchens. "Welcome to the kitchen," went the original demo. "We've got buns and canapes."
Well, not quite. But with kitchens increasingly becoming the heart-like hub of the family home, it is important to create a warm, welcoming environment in your kitchen, as well as having somewhere to store your knives.
That's according to Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, 'the Axl Rose of interior design', who notes that people are still decorating their kitchen in a constrained, uptight way that reflects traditional fussy values rather than embracing the contemporary beast the modern kitchen has become.
"One of the mistakes people make is that they still decorate it like a kitchen rather than like a living room," says Laurence. "I think this is leading to a whole generation of very uncomfortable living spaces.
"Rather than encouraging fractured families to spend time together in a very convivial, easygoing atmosphere, actually the teenagers can't wait to bugger off and play their stupid, pointless electronic games.
"The kitchen that works these days has to be kind of like the kitchen of the '70s - a space that felt very welcoming and warm, with wallpaper, pictures on the walls and table lights. It had a lot of chilli con carne or tomato soup in it."
And according to the interiors guru, that means kitchen islands are making a splash. Inspired by television cookery shows and dinner party revivals, they create a space for amateur Hestons to perform while providing a solid area for the kids to get their homework done.
Flexible lighting is also becoming increasingly important for keen cooks. While flush ceiling lights create the perfect fuss-free illumination over a central island, strips of LED lights under cupboards and cabinets can make it much easier to chop and prepare meats and vegetables by.
