THE INDIAN kitchen has undergone a sea change. First and foremost is space. It is all about putting things away and out of sight and keeping things shiny and streamlined. And the pickles come in throwaway bottles and Tupperware has replaced glass bharanis. Today one blends, beats, pounds, grinds and cooks all in a jiffy with the help of kitchen appliances.
But the modern kitchen can be made as charming as your grandmother's. One only has to make optimum use of the space available.
Inexpensive makeovers
If you have built your house when modular kitchens were not available, you can still modernise without spending a fortune.
Ruthlessly de-clutter your kitchen. Take stock of the most essential things and get rid of the rest.
Existing open shelves can be refurbished for a modern look. Fit them out with thick glass doors. This prevents the grease and grime from getting to your containers.
For the shelves below the kitchen counter, plywood doors can be fitted to keep the everyday milk vessel, the ungainly pressure cooker, the frying pans and your gas cylinders out of sight.
Depending on your budget easy draw-out shelves are available in the market in various dimensions and designs.
These shelves (like those in the refrigerator) are easy to clean out. They need no paper lining and are not so prone to cockroaches.
A local carpenter can do the job for you at a reasonable rate. "I got my kitchen redone for Rs. 10,000," says Savitri Rangarajan(my friend).
More shelves
"I had just a slab with a couple of open shelves above and below the kitchen counter. I got draws fitted out below and got my wooden shelves lined with plywood and added glass doors. I have a back problem and the draws really help as I just have to slide them out without bending and lifting up heavy weights."
Tackling the job
You don't have to do the entire kitchen job at once. You can tackle the job one shelf at a time. There are shelves that come with slotted compartments to keep different sized cutlery and serving spoons and those that have the provision to keep dinner plates and others that are just right for tumblers and small bowls.
Easy to maintain
Tiling the kitchen makes cleaning and maintenance easier. At least the wall behind the cooking gas should be tiled. Tiling is a much better option than a paint job that could get splattered with oil and get dirty.
Top of the line
Imported modular kitchens are available but are very expensive. Locally made modular kitchens at a fraction of the cost can be anything upward of one and a half lakhs. The important thing to do is to ensure they are from a reliable and reputed company.
Pushpa in Kovaipudur got her kitchen remodelled four years ago incurring an expense of more than one and a half lakhs. "Unfortunately the company that sold it to us has closed down. They had provided a guarantee of ten years at the time of installation, but they exist no more," she said.
So now she has to catch hold of local carpenters to fix loose hinges, tighten screws etc.
Be careful!
Kalpana Mahesh has fitted out her brand new home with a modular kitchen at a cost of nearly Rs. 1.5 lakhs.
She has had a local company do it for her.
She is pleased with the result but says, "I have to start using it before I can say how good or convenient it is."
Expensive models
of the line modular kitchens are all the rage and even though they cost a packet they are worth the money spent on them, says Shama of Ideal Stores.
European version
"These kitchen units come with a guarantee and have the E 1 stamp, a European version of the ISI mark. When they say these units are water-resistant, they actually are water resistant. And they can be adjusted to fit any size or space."
Basic components
Shama adds that kitchens can be remodelled, anything upward of one and a half lakh rupees.
"This of course will have only a very basic component of a shelf or two or a cabinet or two. Top end ones at the entry level can be anything upward of three to four lakhs upwards, depending on individual requirement," Shama points out.
But the modern kitchen can be made as charming as your grandmother's. One only has to make optimum use of the space available.
Inexpensive makeovers
If you have built your house when modular kitchens were not available, you can still modernise without spending a fortune.
Ruthlessly de-clutter your kitchen. Take stock of the most essential things and get rid of the rest.
Existing open shelves can be refurbished for a modern look. Fit them out with thick glass doors. This prevents the grease and grime from getting to your containers.
For the shelves below the kitchen counter, plywood doors can be fitted to keep the everyday milk vessel, the ungainly pressure cooker, the frying pans and your gas cylinders out of sight.
Depending on your budget easy draw-out shelves are available in the market in various dimensions and designs.
These shelves (like those in the refrigerator) are easy to clean out. They need no paper lining and are not so prone to cockroaches.
A local carpenter can do the job for you at a reasonable rate. "I got my kitchen redone for Rs. 10,000," says Savitri Rangarajan(my friend).
More shelves
"I had just a slab with a couple of open shelves above and below the kitchen counter. I got draws fitted out below and got my wooden shelves lined with plywood and added glass doors. I have a back problem and the draws really help as I just have to slide them out without bending and lifting up heavy weights."
Tackling the job
You don't have to do the entire kitchen job at once. You can tackle the job one shelf at a time. There are shelves that come with slotted compartments to keep different sized cutlery and serving spoons and those that have the provision to keep dinner plates and others that are just right for tumblers and small bowls.
Easy to maintain
Tiling the kitchen makes cleaning and maintenance easier. At least the wall behind the cooking gas should be tiled. Tiling is a much better option than a paint job that could get splattered with oil and get dirty.
Top of the line
Imported modular kitchens are available but are very expensive. Locally made modular kitchens at a fraction of the cost can be anything upward of one and a half lakhs. The important thing to do is to ensure they are from a reliable and reputed company.
Pushpa in Kovaipudur got her kitchen remodelled four years ago incurring an expense of more than one and a half lakhs. "Unfortunately the company that sold it to us has closed down. They had provided a guarantee of ten years at the time of installation, but they exist no more," she said.
So now she has to catch hold of local carpenters to fix loose hinges, tighten screws etc.
Be careful!
Kalpana Mahesh has fitted out her brand new home with a modular kitchen at a cost of nearly Rs. 1.5 lakhs.
She has had a local company do it for her.
She is pleased with the result but says, "I have to start using it before I can say how good or convenient it is."
Expensive models
of the line modular kitchens are all the rage and even though they cost a packet they are worth the money spent on them, says Shama of Ideal Stores.
European version
"These kitchen units come with a guarantee and have the E 1 stamp, a European version of the ISI mark. When they say these units are water-resistant, they actually are water resistant. And they can be adjusted to fit any size or space."
Basic components
Shama adds that kitchens can be remodelled, anything upward of one and a half lakh rupees.
"This of course will have only a very basic component of a shelf or two or a cabinet or two. Top end ones at the entry level can be anything upward of three to four lakhs upwards, depending on individual requirement," Shama points out.
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