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Can A Dream Kitchen Be Small?
April 18, 2023
Shweta Ramsay
Every inch counts when making the most of a small kitchen space. Designers are adopting creative solutions to make a small kitchen an efficient one. Shweta Ramsay finds out more.
The growing population, coupled with housing shortages, are changing the way urban planners, architects, builders and interior designers and decorators are thinking about living spaces. Kitchens are getting more and more compact. Yet, no compromise is being made on their aesthetic appeal and functionality. If anything else, today the kitchen has truly come of age.
The trend that the kitchen is often the hub of the family and it is the place to gather, cook, eat, laugh, do homework or pay bills, and share in special moments together is debatable in fast-paced modern cities. In fact, some studies indicate that with the increase in young affluent people with higher disposable income living alone, there is a demand for small attractive kitchens.
The kitchen has today transformed into a compact luxury space. These young professionals hardly eat at home or cook daily. However, they want to have a modern kitchen with all the latest gadgets. They want to make a statement with their sleek kitchens. Cool appliances such as wine chillers, fridges and concealed storage make it all easy.
With smart layouts and clever storage solutions, a small kitchen can be transformed into a dream kitchen without sacrificing style or functionality. Photo Courtesy: Mikael Cho on Unsplash
Today, in big cities multiple high-rise apartments be it with the studio, 1bhk or 2bhk are mushrooming rapidly. This has led to a reduction in the kitchen space compared to the way homes were built in the previous decades. But the aspirations of people haven't changed. Clients still want a dream kitchen that is fitted with all modern-day appliances in their tiny abode. These new luxury apartments have a dedicated carpet area of about 60-80 sq ft solely for the kitchen. When space is limited, it takes smart planning to create a multifunctional and aesthetically appealing kitchen. In such a scenario how do designers come up with an attractive compact kitchen plan that doesn't compromise on aesthetics? Is it even possible to have a dream kitchen this small?
According to Tushar Desai, Principal Architect, Tushar Desai Associates a dream kitchen can small kitchen provided all design issues are thought through and resolved such that there is a place for everything with modern hardware it is eminently possible to achieve a very high degree of efficiency without comprising on aesthetic or sense of space.
Often, a small kitchen pushes designers to be more creative and innovative. Milind Mohan Pai, Chief Architect, Milind Pai Architect & Interior Designer exclaimed, “It’s very challenging to make a small kitchen into a dream kitchen and a lot of intelligent planning is required with maybe a few compromises.”
In a small kitchen, the biggest challenge is storage and getting rid of clutter. Concealed cabinets can be used for storage. They also give the kitchen a sleek look.
Kapil Tapadia
Partner
Advantage Architecture
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Due to the small space many people today also have started opting for modular kitchens. In the days of the modular kitchen, many believe that the creativity of designers is affected.
Modular kitchens are available today with a huge array of fixtures and fittings at the client’s disposal, added to the sophistication of looks and use. Today’s designer has no choice but to adapt to the technologies of the latest Hardware at your disposal both in the Indian and Imported Range. Also, there is a wide range of finishes and colours available. Finishes like Acrylic, Glass, PU, Laminate, and PVC foils give an exotic feel to the designs if matched with equally exotic wall cladding materials and Tops materials now available.
A modular kitchen in fact aids the creativity of designers by making possible what was earlier not possible. “Through its varied offering with respect to hardware, mix and match surfaces and storage systems modular kitchen offers compact solutions. In fact, modular kitchen enables a designer to create great aesthetic while giving extra-ordinary efficiency of usage,” said Desai.
Free-standing kitchen cabinets give you an option to reposition them anytime based on your comfort. Photo Courtesy: Vaishali – Chief Designer Cuisine Regal