Is A Modular Kitchen Worth The Money?

Modular Kitchen Solutions Are Here To Stay. Read more on what makes them the hot topic of the season in Home Interior Trends of 2022

Modular kitchens are a contemporary concept in kitchen interior design. The meaning of modular kitchen is an organized setup that includes shelves, shutter units, drawers and racks. A modular kitchen makes the best use of available space in your home and offers storage convenience for living spaces of all kinds.

What Is A Modular Kitchen?

Modular kitchens are factory-made independent units that are assembled on-site. They can be personalised and customised as per your requirements at home. Modular kitchens are gaining popularity in the Indian interior design industry. On the other hand, a carpenter-made or civil kitchen is built from scratch on-site and doesn’t offer the same features like a modular kitchen.

what is modular kitchen which can be personalised and customised as per your requirements — An L-shaped modular kitchen with breakfast counter

How To Choose Between A Modular Kitchen And A Civil Kitchen

It’s easy to make the decision once you learn the benefits of modular kitchens in comparison to civil kitchens or normal carpenter-made kitchens. Here’s why a modular kitchen will be an investment you’ll cherish for a long time:

A modular kitchen can be easily dismantled and re-assembled unlike a civil kitchen which comes as a permanent fixture in your kitchen space.
Modular kitchens are factory-made. They are manufactured in state-of-the-art facilities with products, materials and finishes of the highest quality. A civil or carpenter-made kitchen cannot guarantee high-end product and furnishing quality.
Modular kitchens are highly customisable. You can choose from a large variety of finishes, materials and module types unlike a civil kitchen.
When designing a modular kitchen, you can see a 3D render of your kitchen. This makes it easy for you to visualise how your kitchen will look before it is made and delivered.
Modular kitchens offer functional storage spaces with designated spots so you are never short of storage space in your kitchen.
Modular kitchens are easier to maintain and clean due to their smooth fittings and flexible assembling and dismantling.

And if that’s not all, here are some reasons we don’t recommend a civil kitchen or a carpenter-made kitchen:

Civil kitchens are not easy to maintain and require extra care during regular cleaning.
Civil kitchens do not offer designated storage units or special features like a D or S carousel, magic corner and other functional modern kitchen elements.
Civil kitchens are susceptible to dirt, dust and weather-related wear and tear.
Civil kitchens come with few options beyond the standard cabinets and shelves. They do not include special features like a swing larder, janitor unit or a magic corner.

Modular kitchen meaning how to choose between a modular kitchen and a civil kitchen — Trendy dual-tone modular kitchen cabinets

Key Differences Between Modular Kitchens And Normal Kitchens

Modular Kitchen	Civil Kitchen
They can be easily dismantled and reassembled when you change homes	They are fixed and cannot be dismantled or reassembled when you change homes
Personalised storage options depending on your lifestyle and needs	Permanently fixed cabinets with no smart space-saving solutions
Made with the latest technology and high-quality materials, finishes and hardware	Poor quality finish with inadequately sourced materials, finishes and hardware
Scope for customisation and special features	Not versatile with limited features
Storage can be customised with special features like carousel units, magic corners, pegasus units and more	Storage is limited to enclosed cabinets and open shelves without any special features
You can review and change your kitchen in 3D designs before production	You rely on the carpenter’s drawings with no scope for changes once your kitchen is built

Key differences between what is modular kitchen and normal kitchen — Modular kitchens offer space-saving storage solutions

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Different Types Of Kitchen Layouts

A modular kitchen comes in multiple layouts and sizes. Right from a parallel and straight kitchen to U-shaped and L-shaped layouts. And that’s not all, you can also add a kitchen island counter, pantry space, a drop-down dining table or something as simple as an appliance garage. Here’s a detailed look at the various modular kitchen layouts:

Parallel Kitchen

A classic layout with counters on either side, a parallel kitchen is ideal for compact homes, small families or individual residents. You can install base and wall cabinets on both sides of this modular kitchen.

Straight Kitchen

For the tiniest of spaces like studio apartments and 1 BHK homes, a straight kitchen is a perfect choice. It takes up a single wall and is designed with a blend of base and wall units to offer maximum storage.

U-Shaped Kitchen

With its counters running along three sides of the kitchen, creating the alphabet U, this modular kitchen layout is versatile and suitable for large kitchens. Apt for large families with multiple chefs at home, the U-shaped kitchen layout offers ample workspace and storage solutions without crowding the space.

L-Shaped Kitchen

Designed on two adjacent walls, an L-shaped kitchen is one of the most sought-after layouts for modern homes. It houses all essential cabinetry units and offers a seamless efficient workspace. This layout works best for homes with square kitchens or wide rectangular kitchen spaces.

Modern, Special And Smart Features Of Modular Kitchens

A modular kitchen can incorporate special functionalities and features according to your cooking needs and lifestyle. They offer multi-functional zones apart from the cooking area. These features make modular kitchens worth the investment. Here’s a quick look at some of the features you can add to your kitchen area:

Pegasus Unit

Designed for easy reach, a pegasus unit comes with a mechanism that lets you access the entire content using a pull-down tray.

Base Kitchen Unit

The base kitchen units are built below the cooktop, countertop and sink. These are the most functional spaces in the kitchen and can easily store heavier utensils and items. Here are some special features that you can incorporate in the base units of your modular kitchen:

Internal drawers: Built behind a single shutter, these internal drawers are a fine choice if you’re looking for additional storage space for your kitchen essentials.

Tandem drawers: A tandem drawer comes with an in-built organiser that allows you to seamlessly store all your pans and pots, which otherwise creep onto your counter space.

Spice pull-out: These units are specifically made to neatly organise smaller jars and spice containers.

Basket shelving unit: Easily store and access baskets of produce with these specially designed units.

Skirting drawers: Making the most of dead space under base units, skirting drawers allow you to store items like cleaning materials, paper mats, dining mats and other similar items.

Oil Pull-Out

As the name suggests, this section stores oil bottles, sauces, glass containers and bottles that are tall and can easily topple over, if placed elsewhere.

Corner Unit

Utilising your kitchen corners with smart corner units allows you to cleverly achieve additional storage space in your kitchen. A classic corner unit comprises racks or shelves. However, you can add carousels to this space to access every content in the unit. Here are a few types of corner units you can consider in your L-shaped or U-shaped kitchen:

D-carousel: This is a rotating carousel in the shape of a disc to store your everyday serveware.

S-carousel: These units swivel out of the corner space as you open the shutter. They also make more efficient use of the space as the tray’s shape is in the form of an S.

Magic corner unit: This unit is attached to the inside of the base cabinet shutters. So, on opening the unit, the storage racks come out and make for the most accessible corner unit variant.

Different Types Of Counters For A Modular Kitchen

A modular kitchen is not just limited to cabinets for smart storage. You can install different types of counters too. Here are more special additional features that can enhance the overall appeal of your modular kitchen.

Coffee and breakfast counters: As the name suggests, these are smaller-sized counters that house your breakfast or coffee essentials. Right from your favourite coffee machine to the peanut butter you absolutely cherish each day!

Kitchen island counter: Doubling up as a dining space, kitchen islands allow you to have a functional dining area and extra cooking space with added base storage units.

Multi-functional furniture: Multi-functional furniture like an appliance garage helps you have an exclusive space for storing all your appliances, namely, toaster, coffee frother, French press, and so on.

Drop-down dining table: For someone looking to save space smartly, a drop-down dining table can be a great choice. Pull down the dining table easily when needed and place it upright on the wall when you’re done

Pantry space: Often overlooked, a pantry space allows you to store not just your monthly groceries but also offers additional storage space for spare food items.

Now that you know that modular kitchens are highly customizable and worth it, you can choose to build one for yourself at home today! At Design Cafe, our modular kitchen range starts at INR 1.5 Lacs for a standard unit whilst the pricing can differ depending on the requirements of your kitchen area.

In conclusion, a modular kitchen will offer you the ergonomics and functionality of a high-end luxury kitchen space and can be personalised to suit your taste, lifestyle and household needs. Are you eyeing modular kitchen designs for your home, here’s a fun blog on how to design a low-maintenance modular kitchen for a hassle-free experience.