Make every inch count when planning kitchen

Last week I looked at one-room living as a whole. This week I'm going to examine the special needs of the most important room - the kitchen.

If you own a studio apartment and the kitchen needs remodelling, think small and efficient. A well-planned, small kitchen should run like a ship's galley -everything should have place called home.

First, evaluate your cooking habits. How often do you cook? Answering these questions will help you and your kitchen designer put together a design tailored to your needs.

Regardless of your habits, however, you still need the basics - a fridge, sink and stove. Where every inch counts, look to smaller units rather than the standard-sized appliances.

For example, if cooking is not your forte and you use the fridge to hold milk and condiments, look to a bar fridge that can fit .under your countertop.

If, on the other hand, you love to cook but can't spare the space for a standard-sized fridge. Look into Miele appliances, available at such stores as Universal Appliances on Bank Street and high-end kitchen-design show.rooms.

This company has a built:in 60-centimetre fridge that fits right into a tall cabinet. At about $1,700, it costs more than .a standard fridge, but it's not only compact, it disappears from sight. Perfect for an open-concept kitchen.

Choose a deep single sink over a double sink or a sink-and a-half. When every inch of countertop is a commodity, this will work in your favor. To further increase your sink's efficiency, have it fitted with a slide-over chopping board and drainage rack.

Instead of making space for a stove, even a compact one, opt for a two-ring gas hob with a metal cover. When not in use, it can act as extra counter space.

Wall ovens are easier to access in small spaces and leave room for extra storage below and above. Have the microwave installed directly above the oven.

Again, European appliances, such as Miele, are more compact. An added advantage with Miele is that the oven is flush with the cabinets unlike most North American appliances.

Need more storage than the linear footage of cabinets can afford to give you? Look up! For those of you with high ceilings, hang a horizontal metal grid overhead for hanging pots, pans and baskets.

If you're neat and orderly, individually lined baskets are also a nice touch for open shelving. If you're not neat and tidy and you have a galley-like kitchen framed by two walls, either change your habits or be creative.

Think of a way to hide your kitchen while respecting your style, Look into decorative roller blinds, pleated shades.

A more permanent solution, if space allows, is to add a narrow island with a raised bar top, thus blocking the view of any mess.

A small kitchen can be made to run just as efficiently as a large one if carefully planned. True, there's less space, but that's part of the style of oneroom living. It's simply a different mind set.