Kitchen Nano Garden is as fresh as it gets
Kitchen design is about to get a little more interesting. With emphasis on eco-friendly environments, eating locally grown and organic vegetables, Hyundai has produced a remarkable product called the Kitchen Nano Garden.
Heat, rocky ground, space restraints and lack of rain/water are a few of the challenges we face in Las Vegas when it comes to growing a garden. With the invention of the new Kitchen Nano Garden we will soon be able to beat these desert obstacles and grow fresh herbs and vegetables in our own kitchens, in a neat and orderly way.
Can you imagine walking over to your own refrigeratorlike garden, cutting your lettuce and onions to make your very own home-grown salad? What about cutting your basil or parsley fresh for this evening’s meal? And don’t forget to cut a few fresh flowers for your table! Fresh, convenient and healthy!
Recently, Hyundai’s Kitchen Nano Garden won a silver prize at the Fast Company 2010 International Design Excellence Award (http://www.idsa.org/content/content1/kitchen-nano-garden).
It seems like something from a futuristic movie, but the Kitchen Nano Garden is real and has wonderful benefits. Because it uses hydroponics to grow your garden, there is no need for dirt, harmful fertilizers or pesticides. The unit is a natural air purifier – a fragrant bonus and always a welcome addition to a kitchen or small space.
Its stacked, vertical design allows more growing space per square foot of floor space. The glass-walled refrigeratorlike appliance has movable shelves and hooks up to your plumbing. Recycling the used water and leftovers from your sink provide water and nutrients to the hydroponics. The LED lighting promotes plant growth.
“Light, water and nutrient supply is controllable, so users can decide the growth speed. It also lets users know when to provide water or nutrients to the plants,” states the company.
A touch panel makes it convenient for today’s busy lifestyles.
Hydroponic growing has been around for a long time. However, much of it comes with laborious setup and awkward equipment strewn about. When I saw this modern and convenient way to keep all the muss and fuss in one place, in the kitchen, I was excited about the possibilities. Although there is no news as to when the Kitchen Nano Garden will be made available to homeowners, I for one will be watching for opportunities to incorporate this technology into future kitchen designs.
Cindy Payne is a certified interior designer with more than 25 years of experience, a member of the American Society of Interior Designers, as well as a licensed contractor. E-mail questions to her at deardesigner@projectdesigninteriors.com or send them to her at Project Design Interiors, 2620 S. Maryland Parkway, Suite 189, Las Vegas, NV 89109. She can be reached online at www.projectdesigninteriors.com.