Urvashi Singh
If you are here to know everything about the Types of Modular Kitchen in India in 2023, you are on the right page.
Gone are the days when Indian kitchens used to have only 1 type i.e. the old regular traditional Indian kitchen. With an increase in purchasing power, modernisation of cities and most importantly, growing middle class population and their interest towards modern apartment housing, Indians have started moving towards the concept of a Modular Kitchen.
As a matter of fact, Indian modular kitchen industry is expected to reach a whopping business of $862 million by the end of 2024. Having said this, a lot of brands from Italy and Germany are benefiting from the growth in Indian modular kitchen industry.
Today in this post, we are going to review the 6 different types of Modular Kitchen in India in 2023, their pros and cons and which one will match your preferences according to your kitchen layout.
[su_note note_color=”#b7feb6″ radius=”1″]You can also check out our post on Which is the Best Kitchen Countertop Material in India in 2023 before you decide what kind of modular kitchen will suit your needs? [/su_note]
What is a Modular Kitchen?
Assume for a minute you have a Windows desktop where every part such as the monitor, RAM, CPU has been provided by the company and there is not much you can change in the desktop. There can be a possibility with this desktop that you don’t like the RAM, or the monitor’s display quality is not very good. But, there is not much you can do with this desktop. Now, on the other hand you have a choice to customise your desktop with your choice of windows, RAM, LED Monitor and everything else, wouldn’t this desktop be much better than the previous one?
Now similarly, imagine you have a traditional old school kitchen where all shelves, units and cabinets are fixed. With a layout like this, you might not be able to fully customise the kitchen according to your needs. This leads to waste of kitchen space, unplanned kitchen slots and leaves you with very limited options and choices.
This is why, the concept of modular kitchen was introduced where you can plan every nook and corner of your kitchen. For example, with a modular kitchen you can select the cabinet layouts, their size, choose from wall mounted or overhead drawers.
Modular kitchens are a great option for those who live in apartments, have small kitchens, terraced homes, etc. Depending on your budget and requirements, the cost of a fully functional kitchen design can cost above 1 lakh INR and more. This cost depends on the size of your kitchen, type of modules, cabinets, raw materials, etc.
Now, before we move on the 6 Types of Modular Kitchens in India in 2023, let’s understand Why you should have a modular kitchen in your home.
7 Reasons Why You Should Have a Modular Kitchen
1. Quality: With a modular kitchen, the choice is in your hands to pick each material, cabinet, shelf, etc. You can either pick high or average quality raw materials for your modular kitchen. On the other hand, a carpenter made traditional kitchen may not have the right quality raw materials as they invariably use only partitions to create a kitchen which may look attractive at first, but not last for long.
2. Reusability: In terms of reusability, Modular kitchens have proven to be very useful. If you have a regular kitchen, and you relocate to a new home, you will have to redesign your kitchen again which will be a waste of time and money both. Whereas, the entire purpose of creating a modular kitchen is the reusability. A modular kitchen consists of several different blocks, cabinets, shelves, etc hence unpacking and packing is not as difficult as creating a new kitchen altogether.
3. Luxury: Compare a carpenter built kitchen with any modular kitchen, and you will see a huge difference in what the modular kitchen has to offer in terms of luxury and design. After all, a lot of time is spent in the kitchen in a day which makes sense to have a kitchen where you can cook and enjoy at the same time.
4. Save Space: The most important benefit and utility of having a modular kitchen is the need for space. You will hardly see a modular kitchen which is cluttered and does not have enough space to manage things. With so many customisable options such as built-in bottle racks, plate holders, cutlery compartments, garbage holders, etc you will never run out of space with a modular kitchen. You can also hire a professional kitchen planner to design a kitchen for you as per the space and your requirements.
5. Long Lasting: One of the most difficult and common issues with a traditional kitchen is the risk of wooden cabinets being attacked by termites. All of us have been in this position at some point of time, and it is indeed a pain to unpack and pack everything while you fix the kitchen. Since a modular kitchen is designed in a way that it uses high quality plywood which is resistant to boiling water and can handle moisture very well, these kitchens are more durable and last longer than the carpenter built kitchen.
6. Easy Installation: For any wooden work that requires constant drilling and noise, it is indeed a pain and no one likes that sound too. This is not the case with a modular kitchen as all the parts and designs are made in a factory and then assembled together to form a modular kitchen. So, technically there will not be any sound pollution and installation will be an easy process and the same goes for dismantling as well, if and when required.
7. Easy to Clean and Maintain: With a super smooth and water resistant surface, the surface of a modular kitchen is very easy to clean. You can simply clean the kitchen with a piece of cloth and some detergent soap to get rid of stains and dirt.
6 Types of Modular Kitchen in India
Next time you think of designing a modular kitchen for your home, look at these 6 Types of Modular Kitchen in India, keep in mind the space you have available, type of cabinets you want, the accessories you want and you will end up having a dream modular kitchen.
1. L-Shaped Modular Kitchen
L-Shaped Modular Kitchen, also known as “Open Kitchen” is one of the most common and ideal kitchen designs in India. This design is much popular and in demand due to the small kitchen spaces that Indian kitchens are generally used to.
The benefit with an L-Shaped Modular Kitchen is the wider area that you get that can accommodate the maximum number of people in the kitchen, if required. The layout of L-Shaped Modular Kitchen is spread over two adjacent walls that form a shape of the alphabet “L”.
If you look at this L-Shaped Modular Kitchen, you will see so much of space with minimalist design and maximum space. You can add more grace and elegance to this kitchen by adding a small dining table in the space available.
With this type of kitchen design, you can even segregate the kitchen area into several small sections such as cooking area, utensils area, dining area, etc.
Pros of L-Shaped Modular Kitchen
1. Most Ideal choice for small kitchens
2. Provides a wider useable area
3. Can fit a dining table in the kitchen
4. Do more with less
5. Perfect for large families or if you have more than 1 cook in the family
Cons of L-Shaped Modular Kitchen
1. Extreme cornered slabs and cabinets can be a little difficult to reach out to
2. Appliances can get too spread out
2. Parallel Shaped Modular Kitchen
All of us have heard this word “Parallel” a lot in schools while studying Math. In simple words, two lines that never meet and are at equal distance from each other are called parallel lines. On the basis of this word, Parallel kitchens were formed.
This type of modular kitchen consists of two long workstations that are parallel towards each other. Both the workstations are inclined against the walls. A lot of apartment homes where the kitchen is connected to a Utility balcony has this type of Parallel shaped modular kitchen. The passage between the two workstations allow for easy access to the Utility balcony.
Not surprisingly, a lot of Chefs call Parallel shaped modular kitchen as the most efficient layout for a kitchen. To add more value to this shape of modular kitchen, you can divide the 2 workstations into “It & Dry” spaces. You can also reduce the length of one workstation to accommodate some space for a refrigerator.
Pros of Parallel Shaped Modular Kitchen
1. Works best with the kitchens that are long and narrow
2. Most efficient form of a modular kitchen
3. Easy access to the utility balcony
4. Allows you to be creative and flexible
5. Ideal for a nuclear family with a medium sized kitchen
Cons of Parallel Shaped Modular Kitchen
1. For compact spaces, this layout might feel too cramped
2. Limited space for traffic
3. U-Shaped Modular Kitchen
Quite similar to the L-Shaped Modular kitchen, U-Shaped Modular Kitchen is also based on the looks of the alphabet “U” and is also referred at C-Shaped kitchen. With this type of modular kitchen, there are 3 workstations adjacent to each other that you can use separately for dishwashing, cooking and food preparation.
The U-Shaped layout allows for more flexibility and creates more space in the kitchen. But if you are going to go for this type of modular kitchen, be advised of the expensive set up thanks to its versatility and spacious design, but the money spent will be worth it. You can also set plenty of upper, lower cabinets and tall units in addition to plenty of counter space.
U-Shaped Modular Kitchen is an ideal setup for large families where more than 1 person is going to cook. Since this design has 3 workstations, you can have modular kitchen cabinets on all the 3 sides, thus allowing you to store more utensils and appliances.
Pros of U-Shaped Modular Kitchen
1. Allows more storage options
2. Easy traffic movement
3. Ideal for large apartments and big families
4. Flexible kitchen layout
5. Ideal for a joint family with a big sized kitchen
Cons of U-Shaped Modular Kitchen
1. Needs more floor space
2. Only works for bigger sized kitchens
4. Straight Modular Kitchen
Straight Modular kitchen is the only type of modular kitchen design that does not require a work triangle as such. As the name suggests, you can have a straight modular kitchen in a straight line whereas all the 3 essential ingredients such as cabinets, sink and fridge will be aligned on a single wall.
Families that stay in a compact apartment with limited space go for this type of modular kitchen design as you don’t need a lot of space, all you need is a single wall basis which the design of the kitchen can be formed.
The best thing about Straight Modular kitchen design is the kitchen space looks much bigger and spacious once it has been completely designed. Another advantage that you can get with the Straight Modular kitchen design is its modest design that does not alter with rest of the traffic in your apartment.
You can add more value to this kitchen design by placing a small dining table in front of the kitchen workstation. Since the entire set up for Straight Modular kitchen is inexpensive in comparison to other kitchen designs, you can add top-notch cabinets and tiles to give your kitchen a more classier look.
Pros of Straight Modular Kitchen
1. Ideal for small families with limited space
2. Perfect Open kitchen design
3. Works for large kitchen spaces too
4. Looks classy with a minimalist design
5. Low Installation cost and inexpensive setup
Cons of Straight Modular Kitchen
1. Not for bigger families with limited space
2. Offers less storage
3. May not be very convenient for the cook to move from one extreme end to another
5. Island Modular Kitchen
In general terms, an island is a piece of land surrounded by the water. Now to understand what is an Island Modular Kitchen, replace the water with your kitchen and island with a countertop, this is what an Island Modular Kitchen is.
When you add a countertop (usually small) to an existing L-shaped or Straight modular kitchen, you get an Island Modular Kitchen. This countertop, or you can say island is usually placed in the middle of the kitchen. The overlook look and feel of the Island Modular Kitchen is very classy and elegant.
You need big space for a kitchen like this, else the countertop will obstruct a lot of traffic. But if you have managed to design an Island Modular Kitchen, you can use the island or countertop to keep the gas stove, place your kitchen sink or make a food preparation counter.
One thing that you can be assured about an Island Modular Kitchen is that it will provide a very spacious and organised look to your kitchen. You will find this kitchen design a lot in the Istern countries. If you have some extra space, you can even add a dining area or a few chairs for a contemporary feel.
Pros of Island Modular Kitchen
1. Increased counter space
2. Separate and additional space for kitchen sink or gas stove
3. Looks premium and rich
4. Does not require a lot of work if you already have a straight or L-shaped kitchen
5. Allows you to face guests or family while preparing food on the island countertop
Cons of Island Modular Kitchen
1. Not meant for smaller kitchens
2. Additional cost to an already setup kitchen design
3. Takes away additional floor space
6. Peninsula Modular Kitchen
Peninsula modular kitchens are also known as G-shaped kitchens. This kitchen design was introduced in the market to overcome the flaws of an Island modular kitchen. If you look at this kitchen design, you will notice circulation in 3 sides while 1 side is attached to a wall.
Peninsula modular kitchens are often called a blend of U-shaped kitchen and Island kitchen design. This setup comes with an extra standing workspace which can be used as a secondary space for seating or any other form of entertainment.
The most important benefit that you get from a Peninsula modular kitchen is that it can be used even in smaller kitchen spaces which is an upgrade from Island Modular kitchen design. You can go for this kitchen design if you have multiple cooks in the family.
The main difference between an Island kitchen and a Peninsula kitchen design is that the extra space in a Peninsula kitchen is connected to the main counter space unlike the Island kitchen countertop which is in the middle of the kitchen and unconnected.
Pros of Peninsula Modular Kitchen
1. Suitable for smaller kitchens too
2. An upgrade to the Island modular kitchen design
3. Extra space can be used as a bar depending on your taste
4. Offers more space along the island
5. Allows you to create a separation or divider between the kitchen and rest of the living area.
Cons of Peninsula Modular Kitchen
1. Can cause traffic jams especially around the lower or corner cabinets
2. You need to have surrounding space on all the three sides to form this type of kitchen setup
3. This setup can be expensive depending on the fittings on the extra space
How to Plan the Perfect Modular Kitchen in India
Planning a modular kitchen can be an expensive affair and if you don’t do it right, you will certainly repent for the years to come. I have personally seen many people going for an exorbitant modular kitchen design without understanding the nitty-gritty and then suffering from an unplanned and not so well designed kitchen. Let’s review these easy to follow steps, so you can plan your perfect modular kitchen:
1. Layout of your Kitchen: The first step in planning your modular kitchen is to define the layout of your kitchen. Take dimensions without making any adjustments to your kitchen, check arrangement of the countertop, major appliances and location, space between each major appliance. While designing the layout, keep the “Kitchen Work Triangle” in mind which consists of your refrigerator, sink and kitchen hob. Drawing a rough sketch of what you want will help a lot. Depending on the kitchen size, you can add an island layout to give a contemporary look to your kitchen.
2. Select the Modules: It is the modules and cabinets that defines the success and expense of a modular kitchen. Each module you are going to select will either have Shelf, Drawers or Pullouts etc. Shelf modules are most affordable while pullouts are the most expensive and drawers are priced in between Shelf and Pullouts. A right balance of Shelf, Drawers or Pullouts is necessary for an ideal modular kitchen.
3. Select the Material: Choosing the material for your modular kitchen is another thing that defines the aesthetics of your kitchen. Ensure the material has been tested against the water, termites, etc. Plywood material generally lasts long and comes with warranty as well.
4. Choose the Countertop: Once you have finalised the above 3 points, it is time to choose the countertop for your modular kitchen. You can make your selection from Granite, solid surface or artificial stones. In our opinion, granite is worth the money spent and will not only last long but will also look more elegant. While you choose the countertop, also check the height of countertop which is usually decided by the average height of people in the family.
5. Choose the Appliances: By now, you are very close to design your perfect modular kitchen in India. Now, it’s the time to choose appliances such as kitchen hob, chimney, microwave, kitchen sink, faucet, etc. While you do all of this, make sure you choose the colours very carefully. While an all-white kitchen looks classy, but the way we cook the Indian food will not allow the colours to remain white after years. Plus the fact, all white colours also demands a lot of maintenance and upkeep. At the same time, dark colours will attract a lot of heat especially in summers. Ensure you choose a combination of both.
