<p>Kitchen has become the heart of every home, conjuring up images of a cosy space where the whole family congregates to enjoy peaceful meal times. However, not everyone is fortunate enough to have a big kitchen. For those living in apartments in major cities, kitchen can be a small cubbyhole, meant only for cooking.<br /><br />Just because space is a constraint, doesn’t mean that you can’t have your dream kitchen? Prominent interior designers across the world have always advocated the art of minimalism. Creating a clutter-free and airy area that capitalises on the natural proportions of the room is paramount.<br /><br />Trendy appliances<br /><br />Design has evolved considerably in recent times. Modular kitchens are important for creating a seamless and polished look, with well-designed storage space. These days, leading kitchen appliance brands have started introducing multi-purpose products that can give a clean and streamlined look to your kitchen.<br /><br />This is vital for small kitchens, as you don’t have to buy many appliances that take up a lot of space. Some of these gadgets include the juicer-mixer-grinder, which is an essential component of any kitchen. The question is why waste kitchen space as well as the extra money to buy a separate juicer when a mixer-grinder can do the work for you easily?<br /><br />Another important gadget is a multi-utility pressure cooker. Whether you’re short on counter space or simply want a handy kitchen appliance that can be used for several tasks, a multi-cooker is a solid investment. Many offer a wide range of features such as the ability to cook rice, sauté or steam food or even make curd and oatmeal. Some multi-cookers have a large capacity, while others can cook enough food for two people.<br /><br />Smart cooking<br /><br />Preparing healthy meals invariably means that you’re going to be spending a lot of time chopping veggies. Instead of having a plethora of different knives, opt for vegetable cutters and dicers with sharp blades, that have space-friendly storage capabilities. This is going to be one of the most useful items in your kitchen.<br /><br />Kitchen appliance brands have gone a step further with the introduction of the ultimate space saving gadget, which is the microwave-pressure cooker. In India, our microwaves are not utilised for full capacity. Somehow, the concept of cooking in a microwave, which is popular in the West, is yet to take off in India. However, microwave cooking is healthy and is the perfect antidote for tiny kitchens that don’t even have a gas stove. The microwave-pressure cooker is smaller, making it easier to store and clean.<br /><br />Store it right<br /><br />Creating a minimalist look in the kitchen is possible by adding to the aesthetics of the room. It just requires smart planning and a bit of ingenuity when it comes to design and storage of gadgets.<br /><br />Designers suggest getting rid of wall-mounted cabinets, when space is a constraint. Instead opt for clean lines and angular shelves which don’t eat into an already tiny space. Experts also recommend the strategic placement of windows, which will help create a well-lit and airy kitchen. With a bit of careful consideration, kitchens can be configured to have bigger windows, which give the illusion of space, because of the sunlight that filters into the room.<br /><br />So there you have it. It is still possible to have your dream kitchen no matter how tiny the space is. You just have to get creative, use light-coloured countertops and cabinets and enjoy the multitude of dual-purpose kitchen gadgets that will really help in reducing a cluttered and messy look.<br /><br />(The author is executive vice president, TTK Prestige Ltd.)</p>
<p>Kitchen has become the heart of every home, conjuring up images of a cosy space where the whole family congregates to enjoy peaceful meal times. However, not everyone is fortunate enough to have a big kitchen. For those living in apartments in major cities, kitchen can be a small cubbyhole, meant only for cooking.<br /><br />Just because space is a constraint, doesn’t mean that you can’t have your dream kitchen? Prominent interior designers across the world have always advocated the art of minimalism. Creating a clutter-free and airy area that capitalises on the natural proportions of the room is paramount.<br /><br />Trendy appliances<br /><br />Design has evolved considerably in recent times. Modular kitchens are important for creating a seamless and polished look, with well-designed storage space. These days, leading kitchen appliance brands have started introducing multi-purpose products that can give a clean and streamlined look to your kitchen.<br /><br />This is vital for small kitchens, as you don’t have to buy many appliances that take up a lot of space. Some of these gadgets include the juicer-mixer-grinder, which is an essential component of any kitchen. The question is why waste kitchen space as well as the extra money to buy a separate juicer when a mixer-grinder can do the work for you easily?<br /><br />Another important gadget is a multi-utility pressure cooker. Whether you’re short on counter space or simply want a handy kitchen appliance that can be used for several tasks, a multi-cooker is a solid investment. Many offer a wide range of features such as the ability to cook rice, sauté or steam food or even make curd and oatmeal. Some multi-cookers have a large capacity, while others can cook enough food for two people.<br /><br />Smart cooking<br /><br />Preparing healthy meals invariably means that you’re going to be spending a lot of time chopping veggies. Instead of having a plethora of different knives, opt for vegetable cutters and dicers with sharp blades, that have space-friendly storage capabilities. This is going to be one of the most useful items in your kitchen.<br /><br />Kitchen appliance brands have gone a step further with the introduction of the ultimate space saving gadget, which is the microwave-pressure cooker. In India, our microwaves are not utilised for full capacity. Somehow, the concept of cooking in a microwave, which is popular in the West, is yet to take off in India. However, microwave cooking is healthy and is the perfect antidote for tiny kitchens that don’t even have a gas stove. The microwave-pressure cooker is smaller, making it easier to store and clean.<br /><br />Store it right<br /><br />Creating a minimalist look in the kitchen is possible by adding to the aesthetics of the room. It just requires smart planning and a bit of ingenuity when it comes to design and storage of gadgets.<br /><br />Designers suggest getting rid of wall-mounted cabinets, when space is a constraint. Instead opt for clean lines and angular shelves which don’t eat into an already tiny space. Experts also recommend the strategic placement of windows, which will help create a well-lit and airy kitchen. With a bit of careful consideration, kitchens can be configured to have bigger windows, which give the illusion of space, because of the sunlight that filters into the room.<br /><br />So there you have it. It is still possible to have your dream kitchen no matter how tiny the space is. You just have to get creative, use light-coloured countertops and cabinets and enjoy the multitude of dual-purpose kitchen gadgets that will really help in reducing a cluttered and messy look.<br /><br />(The author is executive vice president, TTK Prestige Ltd.)</p>
