Modular Kitchen Designs For Smart Storage
Kitchens should be designed as spaces of purpose and comfort, and not just be treated as spaces for preparing and storing food. Traditional kitchens weren’t all designed keeping in mind our ever-evolving standards of living; they were built for form, function and utility. Today, as our needs have evolved, there are a slew of designs having form, function and utility, but also aesthetics, ample room for customisation and a range of options in terms of material, finishing, colours, and themes. The range of modular designs is so wide that you can refurbish and transform any traditional kitchen to a modern, sophisticated design with ample storage, and do so with ease.
When it comes to kitchens, storage and compartmentalisation have always been common woes. With a lot of us spending more time indoors than ever before, kitchens tend to get cluttered and cleaning up messes can get exasperating. Keeping that and the ever-changing needs of a family in mind, a clear kitchen space is just what one needs.
Having multiple storage options, ample room for customisation and compartmentalisation, and designs that match today’s fast-paced yet laid back lifestyles, modular kitchen designs are gaining popularity. It’s quite amazing how by simply transforming your kitchen - the space you spend most time in, you can improve the quality of life by leaps and bounds.
Designing a modular kitchen
Compartmentalisation is key
Room for compartmentalisation is a key reason why many opt for modular kitchens over traditional designs. Traditional kitchens weren’t always designed keeping in mind our ever-changing standard of living. They were designed to accommodate the needs of the house, which were mostly food and storage to feed families. Today, with modular designs we have designated spaces for everything from ovens to oven mitts.
Due to significant innovation in the modular kitchen industry, there are a range of flexible designs, newer cabinets and storage functions to accommodate the ever-evolving needs of a kitchen. These customisable cabinets are also called modules and come in various adjustments, shapes, sizes and themes, and cater to every need.
A place for everything and everyone
Modular kitchen designs are perfect in today's contemporary setting, and not just in terms of appearance, but customisation of design and storage, and smart compartmentalisation. Whether a small or a large kitchen space, layouts can be customised with designated compartments to organise utensils, dishes, spoons, pots and pans and other kitchen essentials neatly. Some modular fittings include built-in spaces for microwaves, ovens and dishwashers, as well as dividers and separators inside drawers and cabinets for better segregation.
Kitchens are family spaces which means you need to have enough space for not just your utensils, but people too. And if you’re to maintain some order in the disarray, having a designated place for all your kitchen utensils as well as enough to accommodate people is a must and modular kitchens are a great way to achieve that.
Declutter and organise
Cabinets -
You want your kitchen cabinets to last long, or at the very least, the next decade. Opt for sturdy material for table tops and cabinets that can withstand rough & tough daily use and avoid chunky cabinets that leave barely enough room to move around.
For cabinets, durable materials like MDF, HDF and plywoods are best used as substrates as they are sturdier, tougher and more affordable than solid wood. These materials are designed to withstand rough use in kitchens and are perfect for storage cabinets. Other materials like pre-laminated BSL plywoods are also a great option for kitchen drawers and cabinets as they’re perfectly calibrated and there’s no hassle of glueing laminates over it.
Good order is the foundation of all things
Modular fittings -
With modular kitchen fittings you can organise your kitchen better with compartments for storing utensils and cutlery, magnetic knife bars, wall-hooks for utensils and mugs, pot racks and trays for pots, pans and lids, pull-out spice racks, dividers for cutlery, rolling shelves, mounted racks, as well as drawers to use up the corner spaces. After all, who doesn’t love an organised kitchen with plenty of room to cook, hang-out and walk around?
Personalise and customise
Smart design -
Smart use of space coupled with intelligent design sets modular kitchens apart from the traditional ones. Slim and slender cabinets give the illusion of a room being bigger than it actually is. So, if your kitchen is small, modular kitchens with sleek cabinets will give it a more spacious look. Sub-compartments of MDF or plywood grade and wood/ glass dividers help optimise space wherever possible. With vacant corners, you can create broad or narrow compartments for storage. Since empty spaces give the illusion of a spacious kitchen, try optimising your wall space to create more floor space. Having a sink of the same size (or, almost) as your cutting board will allow you to use the sink-space for chopping.
After finalising the substrate material, you can get to choosing decorative laminates that will compliment the decor of your house and is to your personal liking.
Aesthetics -
Apart from finding the right material for kitchen cabinets and compartmentalising drawers and cabinets, choosing the right theme, colour, size and lighting are some other key aspects to consider when designing your kitchen space.
The kitchen is the heart of the home and often a hangout spot where guests and loved ones huddle together, so much thought should be given to its design. Depending on your personal style or the theme of the rest of your house, you can opt for a vintage marble white look, vibrant wood or plywood cabinets in quirky colours, ultra modern, sleek cabinets for a sophisticated kitchen, or an ultra hippie, well-lit theme. Purposeful furniture that can merge seamlessly with your own individual style is a great opportunity to create that ‘extra’ storage for essentials.
Lastly, when designing a new kitchen space or revamping a traditional design, think long term. Keep durability and functionality at the forefront of your decision-making when it comes to designing a smart kitchen. While you need space for storage, you wouldn’t want to end up with cabinets and dividers that collapse every few months, or have unused storage draped in cobwebs due to poor planning.
