Gone are those days when your grandmother bent over a little coal stove to prepare
a delicious meal. Modern kitchens are not the dungeons, kitchens were meant to be.
Kitchens are as much a glamorous part of your home as the swanky den or your bedroom.
Modular kitchens are increasingly changing the way the Indian woman perceives this
space. They can be expanded or reduced in size, can be relocated part-by-part, have
low maintenance and high durability and require simple ground preparation and services.
Quality control is given top priority by most manufacturers and all the wood, laminates,
varnishes, lacquers, hinges and hardware used in the units are non-toxic. In India,
the most common models are the straight-line and the classic.
Modular kitchens are available in standard modules that are pre fabricated to suit
your requirement. They are available in a varied range of materials, colours and
finishes and graciously suit the modern day lifestyle. These can easily incorporate
appliances like burners, chimneys, microwaves, dishwasher and refrigerators while
other accessories like towel, spice racks and dustbins just add to the appeal of
kitchens.
In India, the modular kitchen market is dominated by companies such as Aram Cucine,
which joins existing players such as Hacker Kitchens (Germany) Scavolini and Veneta
Cucine (Italy) and Lispo (India).
Ironically, home owners are realising that it makes sense to invest in a modular
kitchen that you can buy on an "afford" basis, adding pieces as and when you have
the money. In case of damage to a unit, then only that one unit has to be repaired
or replaced.
Modernising a kitchen can take up to eight weeks. Price can range anywhere between
Rs 100,000-25 00,000 depending on the style and look, and of course the space you
have. For instance, Hacker Kitchen offers a basic 8ft x 10ft kitchen for Rs 200,000.
At the top of the scale a 15ft x 20ft kitchen could cost between Rs 15-25 lakh (1.5-2.5
million). The price also depends on the kind of accessories you may want fitted;
a chimney, for instance, could cost anywhere between Rs 5,000-Rs 90,000, a burner
by Rs 7,000-90,000.