Kitchen designer 'People think kitchen designers are magicians,' laments Tommy Fong, who runs Kitench in Causeway Bay. His clients frequently overestimate what they can fit in. 'They want to have a spacious kitchen, big appliances and a huge worktop at the same time. I tell them to face reality.' How do you make the most of a small kitchen space? 'Follow a two-in-one policy. Get a microwave that comes with an oven, and a washing machine that has a drying function. Also, think carefully whether you really need a big fridge. You may fill it with food just because it's big, but a lot of times you may let the food expire.' Kitchen design no-no? 'Hong Kong people like to have everything white in the kitchen: the tiles, the fridge and the like. But in most cases, it doesn't have the right surrounding - such as a garden or skylight. This makes the kitchen look cheap. Also, don't have a 26-inch (66cm) fridge when everything else in the kitchen is thinner. This will spoil the whole look.' Favourite kitchen-design magazine? 'Der Kuchenprofi, in which I can find the latest information on kitchen exhibitions in Europe, and names of suppliers.' Country with the best kitchen designs? 'I used to like Italy. The Italians have very bold ideas and they have boundless imagination, although some designs aren't very practical. But it was a pain dealing with my Italian suppliers. They never returned calls or faxes. Now I source products from Germany, which may be a bit conservative in design, but is tops in terms of quality.' What tops your wish list? 'A Subzero refrigerator (HK$59,000-HK$81,000, from Bulthaup, Shop A, L/G Ruttonjee Centre, Duddell St, tel: 2868 0857). The fridge and the freezer have their own compressors. This means no cold air is pumped from the freezer into the fridge, and so the humidity in the fridge can be kept high to maintain food freshness. Also, the door of the fridge is installed perfectly, so if there's an electricity outage, the food will remain fresh for three to five days, as long as you don't open the door.'
