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People, particularly younger professionals, are living closer to their place of work, opting out of the commute and in to city living. Compact living also has financial advantages making living in a central city location more affordable.
The key is smart design. Every inch counts. Everything a modern home needs must be accommodated in a smaller space, but should not clutter. Nowhere is this more important than in the kitchen. Often combined with the dining area in these apartments it is both a working and living space.
Any good kitchen designer will help you maximise the space you have, integrating built–in or built under kitchen appliances harmoniously in to the space. Advances in kitchen design and technologies have also made great leaps forward in recent years making the compact revolution even easier to achieve.
These days you have multifunctional ovens to choose from – a built-in combination steam oven is ideal for both normal conventional and steam cooking if you enjoy healthier cooking options. Cooking with steam is practically odourless, reducing the need for extraction in a smaller kitchen. With no aromas you can cook a main and a dessert at the same time without e ecting the avour of either. A steam oven can also defrost food.
Microwave technology has vastly improved too so consider a combi microwave. They don’t only serve the purpose of heating up leftovers, but are an extension of your oven and perfect for when you are entertaining guests. Fitted flush into your kitchen units, use it just like a fan oven or grill, or combine with microwave power for a succulent yet speedy and even result.
Even the sink area has been vastly improved, customising their traditional appearance to accommodate the practicalities of compact living. With integrated colanders and cutting boards that fit the bowl perfectly, the result is a valuable space saving on your kitchen work surface.
The kettle can go too as well as bottles of water that usually ll up precious fridge and cupboard space. With a 3in1
tap there is the standard hot and cold water supply but also ltered, steaming water so you can make a cup of tea straight from the tap. You can also use the steaming water to blanch vegetables or speed up boiling time on the hob.
Induction hobs are now as thin as 60mm so don’t encroach on cupboard space underneath the worktop. There are also modular hobs that are half the size of regular hobs, or configured in different ways – induction, gas or a combination of the pair.
Gone are worries about losing precious wall space to an extractor too. A downdraft extractor rises and flips whilst disappearing silently and smoothly in to the worktop. There is even a hob with the extractor built in, extracting from both sides of the hob.
And once the dinner party is over don’t miss out on the after dinner conversation – a 45cm compact dishwasher will take on the hard work. Make sure it’s a whisper quiet one though, you don’t want to miss out on any gossip!
Small does not mean cramped or badly designed, and big isn’t always beautiful, you can have every kitchen convenience… just compact!
