ADVERTISEMENT
Upgrading lifestyle, the built-in way
May 23, 2021
By Remona Divekar
Built-in appliances have become a key element when it comes to designing a truly high-end kitchen to add a sleek and more cohesive look. Experts from renowned brands share with Kitchen Ideas how built-in appliances, if integrated smartly into the kitchen cabinet design, can create a delightful ambience.
In today’s fast-paced world, where everyone is racing against time, built-in appliances have become indispensable for kitchens. Premium housing lifestyle, growing disposable income and increasing customer awareness about modern kitchen appliances are some reasons believed to be driving India’s built-in kitchen appliances market.
Speaking on the effectiveness, functionality and popularity of built-in-appliances, Ridhvika Chawla, Director – Marketing, Hacker Kitchens India says, “The supplies of built-in appliances like built-in hobs, ovens and hoods are widely available in India and are gaining popularity because of their sleek designs aligned with the kitchen cabinets to give a chic look. The modules for these appliances are designed and customised in such a manner that the appliance suffers absolutely no harm and can be used efficiently. Multiple varieties are available in the built-in-category for the appliances so that the consumers get to choose from whether they want basic appliances or whether they want to upgrade to high-end appliance.”
"Built-in appliances are a very important part of the modular kitchens as over the period of time they have become Indianised whether it is the built-in fridge or oven which was not even thought of a couple of years ago and now it is an integral part of the built-in industry, apt for the Indian market."
Ridhvika Chawla
Director - Marketing
Hacker Kitchens India
The USP of these appliances is that unlike free-standing appliances, built-ins do not make the kitchens look cramped, or cluttered but provide enough space to work on. Built-in appliances are nothing but just an extension of that transition towards a more functional and ergonomic as well as visually appealing kitchen. These devices are part of the permanent construction and create a seamless appearance. Their greatest asset is they become almost invisible, allowing to focus on other design features in the room. The fact that they blend in with any home décor makes them very popular features since they also add convenience and value to the house.
Built-in appliances are housed in cabinets and provide a flawless, sophisticated and stylish appearance to the kitchen, enhancing its overall ambiance.
Architect and Interior Designer Hemanti Sutaria of Centre of Living and Planning for Tomorrow says, “The built-in appliances are extremely effective as they not only save a lot of space in kitchens but also match the units in volume, depth and overall look. They provide seamless aesthetics. Built-in appliances can be customised in any possible manner to blend well with the overall look of the kitchen. Since they are housed in cabinets, they provide a flawless, sophisticated and stylish appearance to the kitchen, enhancing its overall ambiance.”
The benefits of built-in appliances
Even though modern homes might be getting smaller, there has been a resurgence in popularity for large format appliances that do more. An integrated design ensures the kitchenette doesn’t jar with the rest of the living room.
“Yes, brands play an important role all the time because its value for money. They not only give the right hardware for the kitchens but they also give different types of shutters, panels, glasses, handles and more such.”
Hemanti Sutaria
Architect and Interior Designer
Natarajan A, Head - New Business at Whirlpool of India opines, “Modern kitchen has now become not just a necessity but also a place to show off to friends and family. Whether it’s an evening meal with kid’s friends or a house party or just a festive occasion where relatives come over, everyone wants their kitchen to be a pleasant and welcoming space while cooking. Therefore, it becomes important to maximise space in the kitchen to make it look more clean and neat. Here the role of built-in appliances comes into prominence which are real space savers with elegant designs suitable for every Indian household, customised to blend well with the overall look of the kitchen. Since they are built-in’s, these appliances do not clutter the movement path in an obtrusive manner.”
"Modern kitchen has now become not just a necessity but also a place to show off to friends and family. Therefore, it becomes important to maximise space in the kitchen to make it look more clean and neat. Here the role of built-in appliances comes into prominence"
Natarajan A
Head - New Business
Whirlpool of India
Jurgen Wolf, Managing Director, Hafele India Pvt. Ltd, views it differently, he says, “Perhaps one of the mainstay trends in modern design is where the kitchen components merge with the living space. The overall design philosophy of modern kitchens is bending towards fitted components that eventually form part of one integrated look. As a result, built-in appliances are increasingly gaining space and importance in the overall kitchen planning as they can be conveniently fitted within cabinets and do not interfere with the design and workflow of the kitchen.”
Scope of usage
Although most modern kitchens are inspired by transitional elements, they tend to have a bent towards modernity. Traditionally, built-in appliances are attached to segments like hobs, ovens and microwaves, dishwashers and washer-dryers; extended themselves to other areas of the kitchen where even refrigerators, wine cellars and extraction hoods can be fitted within the cabinets (or ceilings in case of hoods) to allow for uninterrupted uniformity in design and layout.
"The integration of all home appliances with smart devices like phones, computers and tablets is on the brink of realisation. We are already riding the wave of digitalization and the inclusion of savvy control mechanisms that run the entire home (including appliances and security systems) is not far away."
Jurgen Wolf
Managing Director
Hafele India
Also, technically advanced features incorporated into smart control systems for handling and operating such appliances have become as easy as the touch or swipe of a finger. This is the reason why many homeowners are looking for appliances that test the limits of innovation that are not only streamlined but also design-conscious. Aesthetic with solid functionality, equipped to offer cutting-edge technology that will go that extra mile to help produce only the best end results in the simplest and most time-efficient manner possible are the most sought-after qualities.
Gunjan Srivastava, MD and CEO, BSH Household Appliances affirms, “The advent of smartphones has simplified things in the built-in-appliance category. Appliances equipped with in-built functions such as voice control in the various appliances, specially designed for the premium households, is gaining significant importance.” He further adds, “With the overall design expectations of ‘less is more' in almost any living trend, built-in appliances are also adopting new technologies to repackage themselves in sleeker designs with better-integrated functions and numerous possibilities in operation. When it comes to kitchen appliances, functionality continues to reign supreme.”
Unlike free-standing appliances, built-ins do not make the kitchens look cramped, or cluttered but provide enough space to work on. Built-in appliances are nothing but an extension of that transition towards a more functional and ergonomic as well as visually appealing kitchen.
Impact of changing consumer lifestyles
Healthy eating and living is the new definition of today’s discerning consumer’s lifestyle. The demand for kitchen appliances is expected to grow on account of more disposable income and affluent consumers who are fairly young and love to cook and have the willingness to invest and spend on quality appliances for their kitchens to bring the desired benefits in their lives. ‘They are willing to spend more for enhanced comfort today’.
Srivastava observes, “Consumer lifestyles are moving towards quick-fix solutions that can be integrated into their busy routines. Hence more city-dwellers are getting attracted to any chance or trend that pulls them out of their sedentary lifestyle. It moves them in the direction of ‘healthy living’ resulting in the built-in appliances capable of quick operative functions that can save preferences so that users don’t have to spend too much time interacting with the appliance.”
“We see that the built-in kitchen appliance market is growing with a healthy double-digit growth and we expect the growth to continue for the coming 5-10 years as the trends are in the favour.”
Gunjan Srivastava
MD & CEO
BSH Household Appliances
Rising prominence in hypermarkets and supermarkets
“The Indian retail sector is going through a transformation and witnessing a significant change in its growth and investment pattern. The growing penetration of hypermarkets and supermarkets in India is playing a crucial role in creating awareness amongst consumers. This growing awareness has propelled the consumers to look at glamorising their kitchens with svelte and sleek gadgets that are cleverly woven into the cabinetry, yet are highly functional in nature,” opines Natrajan.
Wolf agrees, “70% of the market is growing with a healthy double-digit growth so there is an evolution of the market and there will be more and people coming into the fully integrated kitchen space. Online space will also increase in the kitchen segment. Already there are online players delving into the kitchen segment for built-in appliances as packages or otherwise. Going forward this segment will also increase. People who are interested in buying Built-in appliances can visit these stores, experience them and place their order at the same place.”
Future Ahead
High-end consumers are seeking lifestyle-based home products today more than ever. Built-in appliance purchase is complex and requires high involvement of both the consumer and the retailer. Since built-in appliances are high-value purchases, people tend to think more than once before buying these products. The same is the case with execution. Since every kitchen is different in size and space, it takes time in installing the kitchen appliances according to the size and need of the consumer.
The advent of smartphones has simplified things in the built-in-appliance category. Appliances are equipped with in-built functions such as voice control in the various appliances specially designed for the premium households, is gaining significant importance.
The kitchen and cooking sector has evolved significantly in recent years where hobs, both gas and electric, are arousing more and more interest and new technologies for cooking, such as induction, hobs and hoods are finding a growing number of admirers. In addition, manufacturers of major appliance brands have conceived new devices that meet the need of consumers to live better. For example, visually integrated devices in built-in refrigerators allow installing custom door panels to match the cabinetry. Counter-depth refrigerators are popular appliances for new kitchens. Their appeal is they save precious aisle space by sitting flush with the cabinets rather than sticking out. When it comes to separate built-in ovens and cooktops, it can be installed on a gas cooktop and electric wall oven.
Today, the consumers in India are demanding distinctive and high-quality products that are westernised in their appearance and are highly functional. The growth in this segment in the Indian market is tremendous, considering the modern Indian consumers’ outlook with a complete range of premium built-in appliances with world-class technology and superior looks. Today, it is essential to keep pace with the changes taking place and to do what is required to anticipate the market trends, proposing effective solutions that are satisfactory for the end consumer. There is no shortage of options for stylish, functional built-in appliances.
Related Articles
Advertisement