Contemporary and Minimalistic

December 11, 2023

Sanjitha Suresh

The USP of this kitchen is its functionality along with the ample storage provided to fit the users’ needs and its minimal look

This 145 sft kitchen is part of a residence in Eastern Mumbai suburbs, designed by Mumbai-based design firm Studio SGA. This kitchen is visually connected to the look and feel of the entire house. “The brief requirement of this kitchen was to provide a lot of storage and it was to be easily operable also. And, since, the clients are working individuals, the kitchen required to be almost maintenance-free. We had to make provision of close storages for most of the items so that the kitchen will be neat and clean,” shares Sukhada Gawankar, Principal Architect, Studio SGA.

According to Sukhada, with the world moving its pace towards technology and a growing sense of minimalism, a contemporary or classic-style kitchen will be the most suitable choice in an Indian context. “In this kitchen, according to the client’s requirement, we wanted to keep everything hidden and concealed. So, we went for the contemporary look and feel which gave us the freedom to make storage that will look seamless and merge with the aesthetic of everything else in the kitchen and in turn, merge with the theme of the rest of the house.”

With the world moving its pace towards technology and a growing sense of minimalism, a contemporary or classic-style kitchen is the most suitable choice in an Indian context. Photo Courtesy: Studio SGA

The Layout

The size of the kitchen is about 10’ X 14’ which is a good size for a kitchen in comparison with the other kitchen sizes in Mumbai. It also connects to the house help’s room in which the architect has provided a bigger sink to wash utensils and it has a dishwasher. “It is a freshly built project in a recently built home. The reason why this layout looks long and narrow is because the kitchen is accessed via its corner from the living room,” states Sukhada.

She further adds, “We have given a big L-shape platform which acts like a main workable platform along with a small round sink which provides the drinkable water which can also be used to cook. We have planned another bigger sink for washing utensils a little away from the main platform. Next to the tall unit which contains OTG and microwave, there’s one foldable table which fulfils the requirement of our client who loves to bake cakes and cookies.”

While deciding on the shape of the kitchen, Sukhada has considered the fact that the kitchen needs to be operated from multiple doors as well as retain the full height existing window for natural light and air circulation. “For this particular site, taking an L-shape kitchen was beneficial because we were able to hide the DB position behind the door after the L-counter ends. We designed camouflaged shutters around DB board so that when the kitchen door is closed it seems like a storage unit and when the kitchen door is open it is hidden behind the door,” explains the architect.

The design uses camouflaged shutters around the DB board so that when the kitchen door is closed it seems like a storage unit and when the kitchen door is open it is hidden behind the door. Photo Courtesy: Studio SGA

Appliances, Colour Palette and Materials

The entire home is designed with a subtle pastel colour palette with main Lasa white marble flooring. “The kitchen flooring and overall look and feel had to go in a flow with the living room’s vibes. The black handles, glass profiles and appliances add the highlighter lines to this neat and minimal look of the kitchen,” states Sukhada.

Talking about the appliances used, she shares, “We have selected built-in OTG, microwave and hob from Elica to make it look sleek and minimalistic. In all types of kitchens, we prefer built-in appliances as they provide a very elegant, neat look while being installed flushed with the furniture.”

The flooring tiles are full body matte finish vitrified tiles of 2 ft x 4 ft size complementing the countertop. “The countertop and dado are by Simpolo platform slabs. We wanted to achieve a clean and neat look so we have chosen plain laminate. To give the visual texture, we have chosen counter and dado material in a complementing colour with the laminate with small chips,” informs Sukhada.

For the backsplash, the architect has chosen to continue the countertop material itself to achieve a minimal look for the kitchen. “We didn’t want to add another tactile or visual texture. So, we avoided another material there.”

"In this kitchen, according to the client’s requirement, we wanted to keep everything hidden and concealed. So, we went for the contemporary look and feel which gave us the freedom to make storage that will look seamless and merge with the aesthetic of everything else in the kitchen and in turn, merge with the theme of the rest of the house."

Sukhada Gawankar

Principal Architect, Studio SGA