Space is of the utmost importance when it comes to interior designing. And when it comes to kitchens, it’s even more important. Because, when you are cooking in the kitchen, you need to have a place for everything so that everything is in its place.
Here is where the Modular Kitchen comes in.
Modular kitchen is where modules of cabinets which provide storage space and hold appliances, together make the kitchen space more ergonomic.
Modular kitchens might benefit you if you live in a house with a small kitchen. Modular kitchens are completely customizable down to every aspect of the place. And the best thing about it is that you can modify the kitchen at a later stage by just removing the modules that you want to replace. The rest of the kitchen would remain untouched. Functionality, durability and convenience are the reasons why people choose modular kitchens over the traditional ones. Without further ado, here’s our guide to buying a modular kitchen.
Layout and size
The layout and shape have everything to do with the effective usage of space. You need to consider the location of the doors and windows of the room before you can give shape to the kitchen. Plumbing points and electricals outlets must also be taken into account at the earlier stages of selecting a kitchen layout so as to allocate space for the sink and other appliances respectively.
There are 6 types of Modular Kitchens –
Straight
Parallel
L shaped
U shaped
Peninsula
Island
The most common kitchen shapes are Parallel and L-shaped. Different shapes for Different Tastes. The layout has been finalized, now you move over to the next step.
Appliances
After you’ve decided what shape kitchen you are going ahead with, you need to take into account all the appliances that you’ll be needing in the kitchen. The placement of these appliances will help you in saving space for other use.
Generally, kitchen sinks are not given much attention. There are many types of sinks that have come into the market. Sinks with partitions, sinks with a hose spray, sinks with different drain. You can select one which suits the requirement of your family for improved function and convenience.
Before deciding the placement of the stove, you must estimate the height of your kitchen cabinets (especially the tall units) above it. Getting a stove hob which is stainless steel or made of tempered glass is advisable, giving you a heat and corrosion resistant surface. And to go along with it, granite is believed to be the ideal material for the countertop,
You can stack up your appliances to effectively save space. Appliances like an oven, microwave and grill can be placed on top of one another. A perfect way to make more room for storage. Refrigerators have their own designated space.
In Indian kitchens, where ‘tadka’ is added almost every day, getting a chimney is highly advisable. It will suck out all the smoke and steam coming from the stove and filter out the oil and grease in the mesh panels. No more teary eyes, no more oily walls and cabinets. Just fresh air for you.
You can start thinking about the storage once you have your appliances sorted out.
Shelves and Cabinets
One of the best things about modular kitchen is that you can choose the height and depth of the cabinets and shelves as everything is customizable. Customized height of the cabinets will help you avoid backache.
There are 2 types of cabinets in the kitchen, named after the area where it’s placed. Floor units and Wall units.
Floor units –
Floor units, also known as Base units, are the main storage spaces which are used for heavy cooking/kitchen equipment. These units always come under the cooktop and near the stove.
Rotating corner units can be used to keep the cutlery.
Wall units –
Wall units are the storage spaces used to keep the dishes and the kitchen equipment. Remember to allocate some room for the chimney before you do that for the wall units. Getting pull-up cabinets and sliding cabinets will give you a better open-close mechanism which would make the kitchen more ergonomic. You can choose to have either transparent shutters, closed shutters or you could keep the shelf open.
Usually, transparent shutters are used for the lower wall shelves so you could see which ingredient is stored where.
Tall Unit-
Tall storage units will help you to keep the essentials handy and also give a sleeker look. Brooms and other cleaning supplies will also need a tall cabinet, though a closed one. When it comes to the materials for the cabinets, you have many options. Stained wood hides the spots and the dirt. Solid wood is considered to be very durable. Wooden veneer gives a classy and uniform feel. Melamine is a material that needs almost no maintenance. Stainless steel is also very durable and corrosion proof. Laminates have many styles that you can choose from.
Once you have decided what goes where you can start with the lighting.
Lighting
In interior lighting, there are two purposes to lighting and thus, two types. Task lighting and Accent lighting. Task lighting is used to illuminate the kitchen as a whole and also the countertops so as to have ample lighting to perform the actual tasks of the kitchen. Accent lighting is used to highlight the features of the kitchen.
Under-cabinet lighting is a common type of lighting and has now become a must-have in modular kitchens.
The two types of kitchen under-cabinet lighting are –
Strip Lights –
Strip lights help in providing a smooth ambient look to the kitchen, while also illuminating the countertops. If you pick LED strips over tube lights, then it won’t be a suitable fit for cooking, especially chopping.
Spot Lights –
They are round or oval in shape. They provide strong beams of light making it a better option than strip lighting for cooking purposes. It’s also a good option to highlight the transparent shelves. It’s very easy to get a customizable modular kitchen installed once you have all the right information.
And now that you have gone through the guide, we hope you’ve got some clarity into modular kitchens. It’s not a hard and fast rule to follow this order. You can think about the storage of the kitchen before appliances if your main requirement is more cabinets. To each their own.
But there is one thing that you should always remember. Home is where the heart is, but the kitchen is where the soul is!
Good luck!
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