Microkitchen: The Future of Urban Kitchens

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Micro Living Is On The Rise

In metropolitan areas, young single professionals are opting for smaller floor plans in exchange for greater financial freedom. Cooking one or two nights a week, these tenants enjoy entertaining guests but lack the floor plan required to do so.

The Solution

An adaptable bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen unit makes 200 square feet feel like 400. The kitchen unit slides cleanly out of the living room area, leaving an open floor plan for entertaining and relaxing.

Amenities

A magnetic drying rack and modular sliding shelving help organize the compact work surface area. A full sized sink, four burner stove, and compact oven fit seamlessly into the seven foot space, while flexible temperature drawers provide refrigerator and freezer space.

A side access panel allows the sink and trash to be accessed in open and closed states.

A simple extruded track along the backsplash allows modular accessories to be arranged by the user. This shelving stores items traditionally left of countertops such as utensils, canisters, herbs, towels, freeing up valuable counter space.

A sliding drawer allows waste to be disposed of in open and closed states. It also creates a safer way to empty trash bags by allowing the user to ergonomically slide a full bag out, rather than stress the lower back by picking it up.

The product line includes steel-bottomed shelving with magnetic canisters for above and below-shelf storage. Utensil holders, towel holders, and cutting boards extend useful space beyond just the counter tops.

Less is More

Most 200 square foot apartments feature a single bathroom and one combined living/dining/sleeping area. The room must transition between these tasks with ease.

Exploring Transformations

Through sketching various methods of combining living space and kitchen space were explored. Focusing on unique hinges and sliding panels helped shape the direction of the concept.