There is no doubt that modular kitchens or kitchens with in-built cabinets are in vogue today. Indians are quickly latching on to this trend and most new constructions today accommodate for the floor to ceiling cabinets and contemporary fixtures. Further, many house owners are renovating their kitchen to make space for the latest that exists in the kitchen designs. Now, whether you are trying to design a new kitchen or attempting a remodeling job, it helps the interior designer and the client to keep in mind a few pointers, which will help design a kitchen that is not just good-looking but perfectly practical for its users.
A ‘client’s lifestyle’ sounds like a vague parameter to consider for a job which depends on absolutes like measurements and colors. So, let us elaborate. It is important for architects or designers, when they design a kitchen, to consider factors such as the number of people in the family, the number of people who would be using the kitchen, the frequency of use and the kind of cuisines the client cooks. Knowing this helps to accommodate for space and amenities perfectly. Further, it helps to know if the client will be staying here permanently or will be moving to a new house, a few years down the line.
There are two parts to this. One is the aesthetic style of the primary kitchen user and the second is an in-depth understanding of his or her cooking style. To design a kitchen, designers can start with mood boards, run clients through sample designs and see if they appreciate classic styles, contemporary styles or something more rustic.
Next, the designer can dig deeper into their cooking style to know about their movements and motions in the kitchen. This will help design a kitchen layout that ensures fluid movement when accessing condiments, cutlery, and other groceries. Further, you can design a kitchen trolley that allows for sequential movement such as cleaning to cutting to cooking and finally serving.
This is an important yet inconvenient aspect of kitchen design. Clients may want the moon, however, when providing design options, a designer needs to work backward from the budget and present layouts which will make sense financially. Nowadays, when trying to design a kitchen, a rich look can be achieved using alternative materials that cost less but have an external appeal of expensive cabinetry. Always, a design budget is a carefully calculated pay-off between choosing an expensive but long-lasting material or opting for affordable options that last a few years.
Every kitchen design work begins with measurements. Designers need to consider factors such as the total floor space and wall support available, whether it would be a closed or open kitchen design and the floor space required by floor standing equipment such as refrigerators and dishwashers. Seasoned designers, when they design a kitchen, also subtly consider the physical build of the kitchen users such as height, so that the user can access all cabinets of the kitchen in an easy manner. Further heights of cabinets can be adjusted so that clients do not need to bend frequently and they can swiftly move in the kitchen.
Lastly, planning a kitchen design most importantly includes planning for all the internal storage that is required. Clients have various kinds of containers, cutlery, storage jars and keepsakes which need to be accounted for when the designer designs a kitchen. Next, understanding the type of food the primary user cooks and the dishes used will help one determine the spacing for appliances required such as a convection oven, dishwasher, microwave, etc. Many designers also keep buffer storage for potential future storage requirements, which can be estimated from the client’s life plans which we discussed in the first point.
Kitchen designing is not just about producing beautiful looking kitchens but creating one that is practical and convenient. Every user is unique and uses a kitchen differently. Generally, if you simply consider this factor when you design a kitchen and keep in mind the points mentioned above, you should have the perfect kitchen for your clients, every single time.
