The kitchen is becoming overcrowded with too many poorly-designed appliances, an expert has said.Idris Mootee, chief executive of design firm idea couture, wrote for Blogging Innovation that designing a kitchen is an art which combines form and function while reflecting on the personality of the owner or designer.However, he suggested that such kitchen aims are being undermined by cumbersome appliances that clutter work surfaces. Mr Mootee pointed to a new design patent, filed last year by James Dyson, the inventor of the Dyson vacuum cleaner.The idea takes into account the fact that every kitchen appliance has its own unique shape which takes up space as well as protruding handles and knobs. Mr Dyson has suggested that instead, all free-standing gadgets should be made in the shape of tall cuboids that could easily be pushed together on a worktop. The controls could then be accessed on front panels so that no space at the side is wasted. This week, the business magazine Builder suggested a range of space-saving solutions which included hiding laundry appliances in cabinets and adapting kitchen-side desks for multiple uses.