Kitchens are becoming more inclusive and part of a home than ever before thanks to cutting edge designs and new age concepts.

Kitchens that flow seamlessly into the living space and ensure the home is an integrated unit is how new age kitchens are being designed. Well after all, the kitchen is the nerve center of a home where you whip up delicacies and naturally a connection to the rest of the home makes it all the more fun.

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Stainless steel appliances have been ruling charts for a long time but now there is a new trend as consumers are choosing matte black appliances. Two toned cabinets are gaining attention and kitchen concepts are now including smart storage ideas to reduce clutter and creating space for kitchen appliances. Khanindra Barman, CEO and Co-founder, Würfel Küche avers, “the newest trends are more towards having a single space. That is your kitchen, your living area, your library/study space, all being together as one space in your home. And the kitchen itself is more towards using natural raw materials which are eco-friendly and closer to nature. And the other trend inside the kitchen is to create multiple level like multiple levels for cooking, working, breakfast station and that adds a nice design element to the kitchen. “Rose gold, brass and copper finishes are here to stay as new trends. Apply them on hardware and appliances. For kitchen slabs, Korean is ruling the charts. People are opting for dark colours for slabs. For hardware, copper or steel is turning out to be consumer’s preference. For colour schemes, clients prefer solid colours with wood finishing, earthy pastel colours and are opting for minimalistic schemes,” says Sagar Datta from Casa Interio.

Material Matters

Raw materials in trend for kitchens include natural raw materials like wood or natural stone or anything that is eco-friendly. Shades of grey and natural wood are in trend. White and grey seem to be the two big cabinet colours but dark jewel tones like black, navy, emerald green and plum are also popular. “Dark kitchen cabinets can enhance kitchen space with its dramatic appearance. Material in vogue is areacrylics which comes in different colours, finishes and textures apart from this polyester paint finishes and laquered glass,” says Amardeep Gulri, Founder & Principal Architect, Deco-Arte, a bespoke interior architecture and design company. Anushka Contractor, Interior Designer, Anushka Contractor adds, “solid wood with pastel shades works for the classic traditional look while whites and greys for the modern and contemporary in acrylic finish or paint finish. The eclectic kitchen plays with colours of pop and does give a little feel of an industrial theme as well. Dark kitchens portray elegance and luxury. Neutral palette kitchens can be paired with glamourous accents or can be kept just by itself. Decor accessories like the over-sized pendant lamps for warm and inviting feel with just a few decorative accessories on shelves and countertops is in. It is all about blending functionality and style for a space which is bold and yet inviting.”

Tech Talk

Technology is making inroads into the kitchen like never before giving new age automatic options that are both convenient and practical. Neha Gandhi, Director, Stovekraft says, “we are seeing a lot of IoT enabled technologies coming into the kitchen. Also, we are seeing kitchen layout increasingly being configured for convenience. For example, appliances are being integrated into the layout of the kitchen as supposed to create an independent platform such as a microwave oven which was earlier placed on a platform are now more and more treated a built-in oven.” Technology is not just making kitchens more organized, but is helping reduce clutter. Kitchens apps and devices are increasingly being integrated with systems that can automatically synchronize data across multiple platforms. “Motion sense equipped kitchen faucets that can sense the presence of hands and work automatically, 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 are also tech innovations in the kitchen space,” opines Gulri. So get set for new age kitchens – they will make your kitchen smart and your chores smarter.

Tips for a perfect kitchen

• Make sure you plan your kitchen well in terms of its dry space and wet space.
• Customise your kitchen plan as per your utility and lifestyle.
• Ensure there is enough exhaust provision.
• Make sure you design kitchen as per Indian cooking systems and not American or European lifestyles.
• Do not use intricate designs for highlights in kitchen but stick to simple designs.
• Do not have a lot of cabinets in the kitchen.

This story first appeared in Deccan Chronicle dated 24th Dec 2018 here:

All pics courtesy Anushka Contractor