Modular kitchens are all about ensuring maximum utility, convenience, comfort, and easy movement, says M.L. Mahesh.
Back ache, muscle cramps, and fatigue, of which those working in the kitchen on a regular basis often complain, have a silent and unnoticed stimulant, poor ergonomics in the kitchen.
Kitchen, the only area at home where regular work is demanded, is generally found to be aesthetically hyped in all modern homes but the desirable ergonomics based on its utility are often discarded. The height of the kitchen slab may be too low or high; wall shelves may be too far and each time one has to stretch out over the wide slab to get things; refrigerator, sink, or the cooking range may be placed at odd ends which could trigger an ankle jolt every time they are crossed over; altogether demands lot of kneeling, bending, and twisting. Even a physically sound person would find it exhausting to do all these tasks, leave the elderly and the physically challenged.
The troubles narrated above could very well be addressed by a modular kitchen expert, better if the consultation is made prior to the drawing of the plan. This may possibly avoid the hassles of redesigning and dismantling the installed structures for new kitchen installations.
Modular kitchen, as the name suggests, not only involves the fixing of built-in cupboards and drawers wherever possible, placing a steel sink and glossily painting to make the kitchen sparkle in luminescence. A modular kitchen expert considers a number of factors such as available space, utility, convenience, comfort, movement, number of persons performing in the kitchen, the type of food cooked, the way it is cooked and eaten, mode of life — fast or traditional — and even the physical stature of persons working in the kitchen, before the ideal design is derived.
Good ergonomics optimises physical movement, conveniently places the frequently accessed points, and reduces the stress while everyday-kitchen activities are performed. In short, the kitchen design for an elderly vegetarian couple would differ with that of a young, working, fast-living, non-vegetarian couple. But it could be redesigned at any point of time, suiting the changed lifestyle of the inhabitants, with minimum damage, which is the biggest advantage of a modular kitchen.
A perfect modular kitchen has a working triangle; a triangle with the hob, sink, and the refrigerator as vertices, with each leg not exceeding 9 ft and 27 ft altogether, which is considered maximum. Built-in appliances such as refrigerator, oven, and dishwasher could be graciously niched within this triangle. All complementing culinary appliances now have standard built-in models suitable for modular kitchens. Earlier, corners were left vacant or unused, just to dump things which are never touched, providing a safe haven for roaches and insects. Now, suitable accessories and boxes have occupied these untouched spaces for maximum utility. Modular kitchen makes use of every inch of space, which also lessens the possibility of insects.
Modular kitchen expert B. Jayaprakash, Managing Partner, Agnikone, deciphers a practical factor in the age-old Vaasthu Sasthra. In Kerala, the wind blows from southwest or west and if kitchen is not placed in either of these two points, the entire house would be cloaked in the kitchen pong.
The presence of modular kitchen showrooms even in small towns shows that Kerala is much ahead among other Indian States in terms of market penetration, says Jayaprakash. 10 per cent to 15 per cent of the total construction cost of the house may be devoted for the kitchen to get desirable results. Proper and timely maintenance would extend the life of the kitchen to 20 to 25 years.
About 90 per cent of the modular kitchen market in the State is driven by unorganised sector which includes individual interior designers, carpenters, and aluminium fabricators. The remaining organised sector, which shows a continuous growth over the years, has about seven to eight imported international brands and a good number of national and regional brands.
Though the individual kitchen makers are found to be economical at a glance, the immediate casualty would be their uncertain after-sales service.
This article was originally published on www.thehindu.com dated May 15,2015