Since we are on the subject of kitchen space – here is an interesting idea from German designer Kilian Schindler. His Concept Kitchen, designed for Naber, is a modular system that allows to built various configurations on the same frame. You can combine your basic worktop with either an oven, sink or storage. The basic elements are made from steel and easy to disassemble. They feature pre-drilled grid patterns for the flexible arranging of construction and storage shelves. So, if you decide to move house or remodel the existing one – there is at least one major project you can cross off your to-do your list.
A dish rack is the worst space offender in the kitchen, if you ask me. Even if it is cool and designy, it still takes a lot of precious counter real estate. The mission of this product is to change all that by eliminating the need for a dish rack altogether. Andrew Parsons of Canada’s Humber College developed a concept for Electrolux, called Breeze. It is a portable dryer that helps you quickly dry your hand washed dishes. The principle is simple – a digital pulse motor concentrates air to a thin stream that blows the plate dry when once moved through the machine. The air travels at a speed of 400 MPH (644 km/h) and leaves your dishes dry and, since you’re not using towels, bacteria free and safe. Brilliant!
Say you are a student, or a traveler, or you live in Manhattan and have a cupboard-sized kitchen… Whatever the situation might be, if you are forced to cook in a tiny space, consider CookEase by Liew Ann Lee – a compact integrated cooking system. It contains a heater and two color coated stainless steel bowls. The heater operates on magnetic induction and is made from silicone. The whole set folds into a case, that looks like a lunchbox. Portable, kind to your stomach and fun.
When the Keukenkabinet is closed, it is just a piece of furniture that is a part of living space. By opening it you crete a new space – a compact kitchen. The piece was created by Dutch designer Johanneke Procee in collaboration with Plugers & Vercoulen. The inspiration for it came during Johanneke’s trip to Sough America (I’m guessing she saw a few studio apartments here). She sensed the need for a design that can fit into confined living spaces, where cooking and sleeping is happening in the same room. ‘The compact spaces inspired me to approach the different functions a single room house needs to have from an other perspective,’ – says the designer. The end result turned out to be this elegant and functional piece. We, urban dwellers, are grateful!..
This modular, movable and foldable kitchen by Belgrade based designer Goran ‘Goci’ Bjelajac – has it all. It is fully equipped with all essentials, including fridge, oven, sink, dishwasher, and cooktop. All elements are mounted on the mobile screens, which in turn can move those elements, creating multiple shapes. Thus, you can build your kitchen according to your space needs or simply fold it and remove it from your sight when not in use. The screens allow for mounting on both sides, so you can use them as functional partitions. Ingenious.
Small Kitchen is an innovative space-saving solution from German designers Kristin Laass and Norman Ebelt. It is intended to combine all kitchen essentials – stove, cooktop, refrigerator, sink, prep surface, storage, dinning table – into a 1m² structure. All this was possible thanks the clever layered design – different parts of the Small Kitchen are rolled out to reveal the rest. Efficient and very impressive! It is hard to believe that the piece was one of the student projects presented at the DMY International Design Festival’10 in Berlin.
Appliance giant Electrolux combined brainpower with the Domus Academy in Milan in the effort to rethink kitchen experiences. Master students of the Academy were commissioned to come up with innovative designs that “consider sustainability and culture based on existing technology.” The project is called ReSource and includes nine concepts. “To re-source is to re-generate, re-energize, re-mix and re-lax,” says Bruno Lizotte, Design Manager at Electrolux, “and the appropriate space for this multi-tasking is, more than ever before, the home and its vibrant centre – the kitchen.” Check the video below to see these ideas in motion!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05BW0-X98Es]
