Modular kitchens are the in-thing in home design right now. But being more than just a flash in the pan, these designs easily fulfill the minimum requirement that you should be aiming for while considering to go for one, which is to be practical and comprehensive. Everybody seems to be opting for modular kitchens and the supply for different models of modular kitchens in this market far exceeds the demand. Consequently, homeowners have multiple options to pick from depending on their requirements, preference and budget.

Modular kitchens come with ample customization opportunities while making every nook and cranny serve a purpose. While technique and precision are essential to have a beautiful and luxurious kitchen set up, you can also keep in mind the following simple tips before you get started with your modular kitchen design and plan.

1. Understanding the design

Modular Kitchen comes in three basic styles:

The C-shape

L-shape

Parallel style.

You can also design a U-shaped or Island-style kitchen. These two are ideal for those who need a spacious workspace. We then look at the position of the sink, cooking area and refrigerator. Do they complement each other?

Next, we take a look at the materials. All kitchen cabinet materials are usually user-friendly, water-resistant, and heat resistant. You can choose from different materials, be it from natural or lacquered wood, combinations of wood and laminate, plain-laminate and granite, to even aluminum and marble. You can get the cabinets custom-made. Marine-ply is considered to be one of the best materials for designing kitchen cabinets because of its resistance to water.

Solid wood cabinets require care and regular polishing to retain their luster. Also, constant contact with water causes them to rot. The heat up quickly and are prone to easy rusting if they are not powder-coated.

2. The Kitchen Work Triangle

The Kitchen Work Triangle is a design guideline that always helps in planning efficient workspaces and clear lanes for movement within the kitchen. It constitutes primarily of the cooktop, sink, and refrigerator. A significant part of planning out the layout of your kitchen is deciding how to arrange these three essential kitchen items so that you can move across easily the cooking, cleaning and food storage parts without overcrowding the kitchen area.

It is recommended to draw a rough sketch of your kitchen before deciding on the type of layout you want to go for. As a general rule, it is best to leave a distance of 4 to 9 feet between each leg of the triangle.

3. Layout

Continuing from the last point, you would need to decide on a layout to design a modular kitchen for your home. Modern-day kitchens aren’t just about cooking and cleaning, but also serve as a hub that has turned out to be more multi-functional where activities such as dining, conversations and tea time get-togethers take place.

4. Choosing the ideal countertop length

For countertops, the established standard height has been set at around 32 to 33 inches. You would also need to ensure that the kitchen cabinets are not too high from the countertop or else it might prove to be quite difficult to reach the upper shelves.

These are usually designed considering the average height of people. So, like any other feature of your home, your interior designer can customize the countertop height to match the preferences of your family.

5. Deciding on a colour scheme

The colour scheme you choose can add a finishing touch to your kitchen space. It is recommended to ideally avoid using an all-white color scheme for your kitchen since this would require consistent cleaning and high maintenance. But this doesn’t mean you should not decide on any bright hues. Dark shades will trap in more heat, which could prove to be a problem during the summers. Try mixing and matching different shades or pick from a predefined set of colour combinations that any interior designer could provide for you.

6. Lighting

It is always more aesthetically-pleasing to have your kitchen lit up with natural light during the day, but please keep in mind that overhead lighting is important as well. Overhead lighting is essential for the countertop where most of the pre-cooking activities are carried out. Cabinet lights are popular due to the direct shine they put on the countertop, which is great for cooking at night.

7. Safety

Pay extra attention to your gas piping and take necessary safety measures to prevent gas leakage from the curved or sharp countertop edges. Even the flooring you choose for your kitchen must be slip-resistant while allowing you to easily clean any spills or breaks. Place your appliances closer to the switchboard, which should be at a convenient distance from the basin and the stove.

9. Utilizing corner spaces

While creating storage shelves and cabinets in the kitchen, we often forget that we can creatively introduce blind corner cabinets to ensure complete utilization of the kitchen corner space. These corner cabinets can be used for storing essential knick-knacks such as bands, clips and bags you would need to use around the kitchen while storing food items, condiments or open product packaging.