Modern kitchens are all about efficiency of design and function, especially in an open-plan environment. A kitchen should be light and airy, less cluttered, well organised and simple to operate where one can move freely and tirelessly. The trend is that all appliances should be integrated and neatly fitted in the cabinetry. These days focus is on functionality and ergonomics. Also, the surfaces that one chooses depends on the cooking habits. Indian households prefer hard marble or stone due to their sturdiness.
Adding flexibility by creating appliances that can start breaking up the traditional working triangle has been essential in creating products that work with people. New-age innovative technology allows for appliances that can be distributed throughout the kitchen, responding to individual kitchen tasks, habits or functions instead of being constricted to the outdated idea of the working triangle.
As kitchens evolve to be more like lounge spaces, the technology is becoming more embedded. Illustrating using our own design philosophy, ‘The Social Kitchen’, we think the space is about the people using it. And when you think about people—their habits, the way they live and interact, and the way they create their meals—you get a richness of experience that traditional kitchen planning and appliances often ignore. The Social Kitchen is where food meets design to create clever food experiences that flip old assumptions and start new conversations.
Can you briefly discuss the latest trends in terms of:
Design: Appliances are no longer bulky and plastic. The growing trends in modern living are showing ever -increasing preference for openly configured, shareable environments that are bright and open. Home owners are looking for accessible solutions that are easy to design, customise, purchase and inhabit. The appeal of these “fluid interiors” lies in the ability to free up the flow of living across several multi-purpose spaces, with flexible functionality for having a Social Kitchen.
Materials used: Fusion of different styles and material are increasingly being experimented with. We will see a mixture of traditional materials such as wood, granite and ceramics, alongside new products such as corona, engineered stone, composite, laminates and glass in their varying forms. These provide an endless combination and a chance to combine traditional, classic looks with an elegant and modern twist.
Layout: The kitchen has relocated to the centre of the home from its past as a pokey room at the back of the house. You want to communicate how you live as much as how you cook. Our lives aren’t regulated by the same routines as in the 1950s when appliances started setting the layout of kitchens. Kitchen walls should be broken to make it a more social and central part of a family’s lives.
In terms of luxury, what can one do to glamourise the kitchen space?
Luxury doesn’t need to scream out loud. Luxury can be simplified to basic allowances like more space, ease of tasks and elevated convenience, all of which will guarantee a relaxed state of mind. A kitchen with inbuilt appliances which are sturdy and long lasting is the best way to go.
Most common requests made by clients?
Many clients visit our experience zone in Gurgaon and see the display of kitchens in a particular manner and request for a replicated model in their homes. What they do not realise is that not always can the model kitchen be copied as many factors have to be taken into consideration while designing a kitchen. A lot has to do with the space available, the shape and sizes of the shelves may not match the size of the appliances, etc, so when making such a request, factor in your home layout before you shortlist a design.
Customers also ask if the appliances can be customised. We can customise the finish of any of the appliances to match preference. We can change the stainless steel look from the outside to match the colour of your kitchen cabinets, walls, etc.
BDST: 1549 HRS, Nov-05, 2013
SIS/MZR
