MODULAR KITCHEN MARKET OULOOK

By LEANDRA MONTEIRO Modular kitchens incorporate convenience, efficient use of space, and allow for less timeconsuming tasks. All of these factors work well for today's fast-paced life, led by most of today's homeowners. While opting for modular kitchens, the consumers are spoilt for choice. They can choose from a number of designs and colours. Modular kitchens can be unique for each household. Equipped with the premanufactured cabinet parts, modular kitchens are simple and look elegant with top notch interior styling and designs. Elaborating on the trend, Ridhvika Chawla, Director, Hacker Kitchens India said, “Kitchens today are not just a secluded part of the house. It has become a very integrated part of the entire living concept. It is primarily an area to prepare food but in addition it is also a utility room, pantry area, crockery display unit, a bar and an area to converse and socialise. The modern kitchen is the new living room. Consumers now spend a good amount of the interior budget on having a state of the art kitchen.” Khanindra Barman, CEO & Founder, Wurfel Kuche added, “Today, the modular kitchen market is one of the fastest growing industries in the country, with a success percentage of 45 per cent every year; and an expected growth of up to ten times in the next two years. In order to supply this need, India has been importing modular kitchen and furniture from European countries - products high in quality and high in price. Wurfel intends to bridge this gap by providing worldclass European kitchens tailored for Indian homes, combined with customisable designs, at a competitive price.” “Given its massive popularity in recent times, a variety of modular kitchens are available in the market today. Some of these are U-shaped (great for space saving), Island kitchens (for big kitchen spaces), Parallel kitchens and L-shaped kitchens (for small spaces). There is also strong demand for open plan kitchens where there is no separation between the living and kitchen areas. Moreover, the concept of a kitchen bars that come with movable/ foldable countertops is also gaining steam due to the increasing need for socialization in today’s age,” shared Gita Ramanan, CEO and Co-founder at Design Café.    WHY MODULAR?

1. Expediency of storage, usage and proper space for vessels, cutlery and containers.
2. Easy transportation – Modular kitchen parts/modules are prefabricated. As a result, they can be easily transported, assembled, dismantled and reassembled at any given point of time.
3. Modular kitchen focuses on functionality and ergonomics.
4. Energy efficiency, green technology and sustainability, with a tinge of never-before used colours and combinations which makes it more fun and friendly.
5. Design and Finish - Modular kitchens are popular today because of sleek and smooth finishes.
6. A modular kitchen makes life simpler because its fittings can be detached, cleaned and attached right back

 

TECH ENABLED LIVING

Technology has entered the kitchen in full force and not just in the form of fancy gadgets and appliances. Today, you can have a kitchen with technology integrated into every function and appliance–from the faucets and refrigerators to lighting, ventilation and microwaves. Vasant Vasudeo, Managing Director, Metrika Modular Solutions elaborated, “Easy add-ons are motion senseequipped kitchen faucets that can sense the presence of hands underneath and will come on automatically or try a one-touch feature. Refrigerators that can alert you when your groceries items are running low or a coffee maker programmed to have your coffee ready when you wake up. There is also a gadget that monitors your eggs, telling you which ones are almost going bad. Do not forget to update your lighting system–allowing you to control all the lights from your smartphone or tablet.” Rahul Shrivastava, General, Manager-Kitchens Division, H&R Johnson India added, “Waterproof kitchen worktops, freestanding washing machine or dishwasher solution, Anti-fingerprint shutters, Qube metal section are new base innovations from Nobilia. “System and Design” – Standard, XL, and Maxi 3 heights provide more spaces and design elements to play with height in the kitchen. To organize the inside space in proper manner SpaceFlexx®, the exclusive organizing system for storage containers is introduced by Nobilia. Virtually every kitchen utensil can be stored in SpaceFlexx® as it has a flexible divider Nesttex® that adjusts to fit the contours and sizes of the stored goods.”  

PRODUCT UNDERSTANDINGS

The latest modular kitchen trend seen in India in terms of design, materials used and finishes are in line with exposure that users get from global markets and lifestyles. Floor cabinets are the most popular items owing to their sturdy countertops and storage and organization for everyday essentials. Next popular cabinetry is the Tall storage unit also known as utility cabinets, as they have the ability to store various items including electronics and crockeries. Furthermore, the vertical look of the product has been attracting consumers. The L-shaped modular kitchens have gained significant popularity among the growing nuclear families with limited space due to their efficient utilization of floor and flexible work zones. Usually, these products have separate parts for cooking and clean-up area. Furthermore, they easily fit into openliving floor plans as they optimize storage space. The rising middle-class population on a global level has been adopting this economical design rapidly. Technology is prompting a change in kitchen storage designs, as usage of appliances are on rise. Additions like voice activated faucets, IoT microwaves and tech infused range hood are slowly changing the face of Indian kitchens. In terms of material, wood is the most prevalent material for luxury kitchens as it can be varnished or stained in different shades as per consumers’ requirements and can blend with most of the interior designs. Over the past few years, PVC or Poly-Vinyl Chloride sheets have been gaining significant popularity as the material is strong, waterproof, termite-proof, and oil proof. These sheets are extremely strong which are made of plastic composites and available in various colors. Furthermore, this type of material is more economical as compared to other materials as it is easy to install. Therefore, the material is anticipated to witness a steady rise in demand, especially the middle-class population  

KITCHEN  TRENDS 2020

White Kitchen Cabinets & Appliances – White is the ideal color for the kitchen with pops of color coming from accessories. The bases of the kitchens are normally getting in to bright renditions. It makes the kitchen appear clean, uncluttered & un-fussy. Warm Metal Kitchen Fixtures and Accents – Adding warm-colored metals are an excellent way to give the kitchen an inviting glow. Perhaps combining brass or copper plus chrome would add visual appeal. Compact kitchen furniture – Space saving & compact furniture such as smaller dining tables, lighter chairs & small kitchen island would definitely make a kitchen fashionable. Open Kitchens – Kitchens are moving into living spaces or living spaces are moving into kitchens. This shift in structuring kitchens has come from a high level of socializing perspective. This is catching up across India – both urban and semi-urban areas. Technology – Smart technology in the kitchen place such as smartphones, induction chargers, tablet holders & brackets for laptops transform the look of a boring kitchen to making it more modern & stylish, besides bringing about a drastic improvement in a person’s lifestyle.  

CONSUMER DEMANDS & CHALLENGES

India is a country of extreme weathers and the cooking habits are different for different regions including high oil usage. So the durability of the shutter and cabinet material is of prime concern. Vaishali Lahoti Shah, Assistant. General Manager, Godrej Interio Design talking about the solutions they offer stated, “Godrej Interio kitchens are designed as per the anthropometric data of the Indian woman, keeping in mind the ergonomics. These kitchens are further designed as per storage needs and cooking styles of the Indians. We are the only brand which offers the kitchen body in Galvanized steel which prevents it from corrosion. Indian cooking is quite elaborate and requires oil/ water hence our steel carcass is ideally suited for this.” Another challenge that the industry faces is the consumers increased demand for high storage volume since multiple appliances are used for practically each need. In addition, grocery shopping habits have changed since there are multiple options are available. The sheer variety is increasing and this trend necessitates more areas being used for storage in the kitchen. Manish Dikshit, Founding Partner, Aum Architects expressing the ground reality said, “Most modular kitchens are retrofitted. The base structure is not built with precision leading to the requirement of numerous adjustments. Also, the Indian market still relies on the old school methodology of manufacturing at the site which needs to change from the customer perspective.” One of the reasons for the same as per the industry is the high price range of branded modular kitchens because of which customers often opt for personalised designs offered by local carpenters, decreasing the market share of the organised segment. Therefore, some manufacturers are introducing modular concept in wire product to customise the kitchen unit as per client’s requirement/ in a cost-effective manner.