Maximum Minimum

Million-dollar lofts seem to receive the lion’s share of attention when it comes to kitchen design. But now a well-known manufacturer of colossal kitchens, Maistri, has cooked up a fitting solution for more modest quarters: the Pocket Kitchen. The key to the space-saving design is a customizable island that can be outfitted to include a sink, a cooktop, and a dishwasher.

“The goal was to achieve maximum use of space without compromising the aesthetic,” says Kevin Henry, executive vice president of NY Loft, which distributes the product in the United States. Made of hand-planed zebrano wood that emphasizes the unit’s slim pro­file, the cabinets can be fitted with compartments for each kitchen tool, from saucepan to teaspoon. And if that still doesn’t keep you organized, a pivoting counter for dining also flips up to conceal any mess. “The solution is not more space,” Henry says, “but better utilization of the space at hand.”