How to maximise space in a family kitchen in Hong Kong
3 minutes
Hong Kong, China
In the lively metropolis of Hong Kong, a young family set out to find a new home. When their third child, little Andrea, was born, they needed more space.
The old kitchen was a source of enormous stress
"More than anything else, the kitchen in our old apartment really stressed me out," explains Ruby Ha. "Everything was crammed in. I barely had a worktop. I always had to tidy away the cooking utensils I'd used before I could move on to the next thing." Three months and ten viewings later, they had found the ideal apartment: "We really wanted to make the most out of the five square metres that we had available for our new kitchen," explains her husband, 39-year-old marketing employee Ivan Yim.
Old kitchen BEFORE
Feng shui for well-being
Before Ruby and Ivan signed on the dotted line, they had their prospective apartment vetted by a feng shui master. He gave them some good advice for the new kitchen plan. "In Chinese culture, the oven and the sink cannot be next to or opposite one another," explains the 38-year-old nurse. According to the Chinese art of arranging objects and space to achieve harmony within your home, this would risk disturbing the balance of family life.
"The feng shui master confirmed that the apartment was a good fit for our family, which meant that we could start the refurbishment with confidence."
In China, it is not uncommon to consult a feng shui master before renovating an apartment.
Fantastic solutions for a small kitchen
The average kitchen in the Chinese metropolis measures 3-5 sq. metres, which does not make planning any easier. The family's kitchen designer overcame the spatial challenges by coming up with a U-shaped kitchen. "The main problem with the old kitchen was the lack of storage space. This solution provides an adequate worktop as well as space for food and cooking utensils," explains Isaac To, who was responsible for kitchen planning.
In the old kitchen, there was not enough space, and everything was all over the place. The new kitchen is tidy and organised.
Making clever use of every last centimetre
The SPACE TOWER larder unit featuring five drawers that can be opened individually provides that long-awaited storage space and helps to create different zones in the kitchen. In addition to the larder area, there is a zone for crockery, a sink area and a worktop that is as big as it possibly could be. There is also a cooking zone: "I like that the kitchen planner included so many pull-outs," says Ruby with a smile. "Despite all the baby stuff for our third child, the kitchen isn't overflowing."
It's all about the opening action
"Some drawers even open electrically," raves technophile Ivan. "It's particularly practical if your hands are full. I just touch them with my foot or toe." In the wall cabinet, AVENTOS lift systems provide the family with unrestricted access without the risk of hitting their heads. They open upwards so there are no open doors to get in the way of cooking.
Linear design and practical functionality: handle-less fronts open at a touch thanks to SERVO-DRIVE
Cooking becomes a family affair
"In the old kitchen, I'd only ever really cook on weekends or during holidays because it was so impractical," confides nurse Ruby. The 38-year-old adds: "And that's despite the fact that I like to cook and it's important to me that my kids eat healthily. Since we redesigned our small kitchen, there's even enough room for five-year-old Elaina and three-year-old Serena to help too." The girls really enjoy cooking with their mum. The whole family feels right at home in the new apartment and the practical kitchen has a lot to do with it: "We couldn't be happier with our new home," concludes Ruby.
The new kitchen is a hit with all ages
All advantages at a glance
-
The U-shape of the kitchen creates storage space and provides room for a worktop
-
Pull-outs in the base cabinet provide easy access and clear visibility
-
The SPACE TOWER larder unit replaces a pantry
-
Wall cabinet lift systems ensure that fronts move up and out of the user's way
-
Thanks to SERVO-DRIVE, pull-outs open electrically at a single touch
