Today, the kitchen is not
merely seen as a hub of cooking and cleaning activities. It has gradually
transited into becoming the focal point of families where besides cooking,
small family meals are served, homework is done, friends are entertained and so
on. So, like in Europe, the kitchen is becoming centre of home life and
entertainment here also.
Popular options
Therefore, concepts like open
and island kitchens with a small coffee table or dining set-up are gaining
tremendous popularity worldwide. Many households in India are now adopting a
dual kitchen concept where you have a sweat-kitchen somewhere hidden at the
back of your home where heavy-duty masala cooking is done along with a
show-kitchen which is often an extension of the living room where you entertain
guests with mild cooking like tossing a salad, baking or grilling.
Colour schemes
In case of show-kitchen,
aesthetics play an important role while planning and designing the cabinetry
and storage areas within the kitchen. There has to be a singularity in colour
schemes and finishes that only make the kitchen look good but also blend in
with the overall design of the living room. This is why contemporary trends
like having elegant work-tops, efficient sink, centres, flush handles in
cabinets, built-in appliances and LED lighting in drawers and cabinets are
gaining prominence in India.
Aesthetic appeal
When the kitchen is an
extension of the living room the most important aspect that forms the basis of
designing is the colour scheme that a customer want to follow across the room. Once
this is decided, the textures and finishes for the kitchen cabinetry have to be
aligned to the selected colour scheme. Within the depths of the kitchen, the
aesthetic value of every drawer or cabinet can be further enhanced with the right
kind of functional and accent lighting – be its LED strips installed at the
base of overhead cabinets, elegant spotlights to enhance the work-top area or
efficient inner-drawer lights that operate on a highly advanced sensor system.
Layouts matter
On an average, an Indian
home-maker spends about 6 hours in a day in her kitchen, cooking – which is
much higher than the hours spent by her counterparts across the globe. And, if the
basic kitchen layout is not well planned, these hours could only increase. Working
executives, on the other hand, may face bigger challenges with time management
when the kitchen design and layout is not conductive to efficiency and does not
meet the required ergonomics. Considering these factors, the planning of a
kitchen plays a very crucial role in achieving time efficiency.
Innovation drivers
Colours, textures and materials
will change; the only constant is convenience of storing, cleaning and cooking.
Hectic schedules, environment
friendly compulsions, quick meals, health as well as convenience foods, stress
free living – these are all factors that are driving innovations in the kitchen
space.
Customized environment
While everyone expects the same
level of functionality from their kitchens, when it comes to planning and
designing, they want a specific and customized environment that best suits
their needs.
Choosing the right kitchen
hardware partner and manufacturing partner plays a very important role in delivering
a functional yet customized kitchen.
