The Studio by Nandita Manwani

Home Design Vaastu Shastra – Episode 2 – Best practices in Kitchen design

Kitchen Design, kitchen interior design, Modular Kitchens, Vaastu for Kitchen Design
One of the most tricky spaces at home in terms of design is the kitchen as it needs to be ergonomic, utilitarian, maximizing storage space as well as good looking all at the same time. The fact that the kitchen has "hot spaces", "wet spaces", "work spaces", "wash spaces"...(I guess you get the idea) complicates the design even further.I am giving below some practical best practices in kitchen design that I have learnt ...

Well….am back after a looooong break. Have been neck deep in work these past few months.One of the most tricky spaces at home in terms of design is the kitchen as it needs to be ergonomic, utilitarian, maximizing storage space as well as good looking all at the same time. The fact that the kitchen has “hot spaces”, “wet spaces”, “work spaces”, “wash spaces”…(I guess you get the idea) complicates the design even further.

I am giving below some practical best practices in kitchen design that I have learnt in the course of the last few years I have been in the field, I hope you find these useful

1. Use the right wood & material for the kitchen. For more details refer my earlier post at http://www.homedesignbangalore.com/2010/09/so-what-is-right-material-to-choose-for/

2. Ask your builder to give you a raw kitchen – with no tiling or the slab fitted  – In most cases the slab & tiles need to be changed or re-laid which ends up adding to the overall cost. Ask the builder to just hand over the tiles & the slab to you.

3. If possible ask your builder to provide tap points in the wall ” Below” the slab height. This way you will be able to pull the pipe from behind the bottom cabinets and do the sink placement according to your need & design rather than be restricted by where the builder has provided the points.

4. Place the gas cylinders in the utility and have a piped connection to the hob. This is not only safer but also gives you vital storage space inside the kitchen since the cylinders move out.

5. Always provide a loft in the kitchen….this not only provides storage space but also hides the chimney exhaust pipe.

6. When deciding on the placement of the refrigerator keep in mind whether your refrigerator is right or left handed as this affects the “ease of access” while reaching inside the fridge.

7. The above applies to placement of the Microwave as well.

8. Drawers are ideal for storing stuff for daily use as stuff in drawers is easily accessible while cabinets (palla) are ideal for storing items that are sparingly used.

9. Use corners wisely. Corners provide fairly large spaces and can be well utilized for items of long term storage like grains, spare crockery, plastics etc.

10. If you prepare non veg at home then suction capacity of the chimney should be minimum 1000 cum/hr

11. Put the water purifier alongside the “second” sink in the utility. This reduces the “wetness” of the kitchen as it moves the “extreme wet work” to the utility.

12. Preferably leave work space on either side of the hob. Avoid putting the hob next to a corner or alongside the edge of the slab.

13. Keep spaces for refrigerator/ microwave/ dishwasher etc based on exact measurements. With space too small – things will not fit & spaces too large don’t look good.

14. Never use Stainless Steel wire type cutlery unit. The cutlery keeps “peeping” out of these, obstructing the movement of the drawer

15. Plan for a hidden electric point to power the chimney as well as the hob (you may or may not know this but ignition systems of most hobs available in India are electrically powered – not battery powered)

Thats all that I can think of at the moment…will welcome any bouquets or brickbats.

 
Happy home making
Signing off
Nandita

10 thoughts on “Home Design Vaastu Shastra – Episode 2 – Best practices in Kitchen design”

  1. Hi Nandita, for hob's ignition system, where should we place the socket. how much height below the counter and which position- exactly below the hob or besides that? thanks.

  2. Hi Nandita, I have to provide chimneys for 3 kitchens(2 for tenants,1for self use) which brand and suction capacity should I decide?All My kitchens are in the front of the house so chimney exaust would be about 10ft from the hob. Also advise on which hob is good for a joint family of 6 adults with lots of non veg. Cooking taking place.

  3. If you are preparing non veg then the suction capacity should be min 1000 Cum/hr as mentioned in the post above.
    I will recommend a 3 burner hob (4 burners are inconvenient to work on) – In terms of quality most brands are good. In terms of after sales I have found Faber to be a shade better.

  4. How do i plan to connect aquaguard to water dispenser in fridge ?
    Aquaguard is in utility and fridge is in kitchen ..seperated by 10 feet.

  5. No magic possible here Alex, you will need to drag a pipe all the way from the Aquaguard to the fridge. The Aquaguard folks may be able to provide good looking thin pipe for the same

    Rgds
    NM

  6. Nandita, we have a sink in kitchen and one in utlity. We were thinking of instaling under the counter water purifier and that too in the kitchen sink. Reason being else we have to go to utlity everytime we want to drink/cook. I just read "Put the water purifier alongside the "second" sink in the utility". Wondering if its better to have it in kitchen or outside

  7. The recommendation to put the water purifier in the utility was really to (1) put the water purifier in a "wet" area and (2) in conditions when the purifier is used 3 or 4 times a day to fill up containers/ bottles for water storage & cooking.

    The above does not apply for an Under Counter model because that allows an "always on" supply. You should hence install the same inside the Kitchen.

    Thanks for asking as it helps clarify for the other readers as well

    Rgds
    NM

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Articles

An interior Designers perspective, home interior best practices, Interior design best practices in Bangalore, Interior Design Masterclass, Interior Design Trends

Interior Design and the Pandemic

The Pandemic has brought profound changes to the way people live – be it the requirement of constant sanitization, the

Elder Friendly Home Design, Newspapers

Is your home Elder Friendly? Home Design makeovers to make your home safe for the elderly

News of senior citizens tripping, falling and injuring themselves at home is nowadays something that one hears of quite often.

Designing hi end homes, Interior Designers in Bangalore

A Car is not “Just” a Car – The element of “Design” in Interior Design

The thought and the topic of this post came up during a recent drive to Ooty with my sister’s family.

Lacquered Glass finish

Lacquered Glass finish shutters for Home Interiors

The interest in Lacquered glass shutters for home interiors seems to have picked up lately in Bangalore. I’ve had a

Interior design, Sliding Door Wardrobe, Sliding Wardrobe Design, Sliding Wardrobes, Sliding Wardrobes Bangalore

Sliding Wardrobes – “Do it right the first time”

Sliding door wardrobes seem to be the in thing nowadays especially because they help save valuable space in small rooms
Interior cost in Bangalore, Interior Costs in Bangalore, Interior Design Cost in Bangalore, Interior Designers in Bangalore

Costing your Woodwork – Do It Yourself Tips

"So how much will it cost"??? -- Usually the first question that I get from prospects. While for exact costs
Environment,Interior Design Best Practices

Interior Design for Total Environment Homes

In all Total Environment projects across Bangalore, you will notice a set of general principles around which their homes are

A couple of my home interior design projects featured in Homify Magazine

A couple of my Home interior projects were recently featured by Homify magazine. Do please see them in the links

Sliding Wardrobes, the studio sliding wardrobe bangalore

The Studio Range of Wardrobes – Frequently Asked Questions

I have been getting a number of questions from you on the Studio Range of Wardrobes post the launch &

Furniture for Home Interiors – The Build versus Buy dilemma & the changing role of the Interior Designer.

With the unorganized furniture retail market in India touching approx. $20 Billion, early bird online furniture retailers like Pepperfry, Urban

Home Interior Designers, Home Interior Photographs Bangalore

Home Interiors – New Photographs

Some new photographs of latest projects   TV Unit Modular Kitchen – Left Side Modular Kitchen – Right Side Angry

Best of Houzz

The Best of Houzz 2019 Award – Thank you for all your support

Last week we were notified by the Houzz team that we have been awarded the Best of Houzz in both

Home Renovation

A Home to Redesign, Renovate and Refurbish

Life stage based interior design is a concept that I have discussed on this blog multiple times but it will
Interior Designers in Bangalore

New Q&A Module for you to ask your questions

This blog today hosts over 3500 Q&A on home interiors under different posts. For some of the more popular posts

home lighting, LED Lighting, LED Lighting Bangalore, lighting for home

Lighting Design for Homes – Interior Design Done Right

Lighting Design fundamentally determines the personality of the space and how people perceive it, feel in it and how they
Interior Designer,interior designer in bangalore

The Interior Designer Called Pinterest

Over the last few months, I have had several conversations with customers about Pinterest. The most interesting one was with

Houzz Magazine

One of our Interior Design Projects in Bangalore featured by Houzz Magazine

One of our projects was recently featured by Houzz Magazine. Read all about it here 30 Kitchen Cabinets With Contrasting

Interior Design

“Save the best for last” … this is not about the song, it has everything to do with Interior Design

Interiors and Interior Design is usually the last item on the home buying list. Once the bank, builder and broker
flooring options, Home Interior Designers, which floor type to choose, wooden flooring

Flooring Options For Home Interiors

I recently received a question from one of the readers of this blog on flooring options and recommendations and realised

Related Articles

Scroll to Top
Thank you icon

Thanks for your Interest

We will get back to you on this shortly