A kitchen is the most frequently and most often discussed part of interiors for any home. It is also the place where people spend the most money. There are many brands which deal only in kitchens and wardrobes etc are just add-on brands for them. When we go out to check on what are the possibilities in kitchens, we more often than not hear about Modular Kitchens. Almost everyone is selling modular kitchens. All showrooms display them. No one, in fact, speaks about anything other than modular kitchens. Then what is modular kitchen?

Modular means made in models. Generally, these modules are equal in size. Boxes are made in factory and the modules are arranged next to each other to basically make an array of boxes which act as storage. These modules can be removed at any time in the future since they are only fixed on walls using screws. They can then be transported and fixed elsewhere.

Modular kitchens have a bit of “western” feeling to them. They became a concept in Europe and USA to make cheap, reusable cabinets using particle board which will also look good.

Many people assume that modular kitchen means a kitchen with a certain look. That is not a correct meaning of modular kitchen. Looks can vary and are dependent not on the modularity but on the design.

Modular kitchens are usually made in factories with machines for cutting, edge banding, pressing etc. This ensures a clean and professional finish which does not depend on manual competence but quality of machines.

1. Quality of output: As we discussed, since the work is done in a factory, the quality of output is uniform and even.
2. Cost: Modular kitchens made in factory should cost much lesser compared to the work done on site. This is because of time saved as well as work happening in volumes. In addition, since the boxes are all the same size, they are optimized to minimize wastage which is a big drain on money in normal work.
3. Time needed: Modular kitchens are made at a very fast pace. One kitchen can actually be finished in a factory in much less than a day if everything is available.

1. Limited finishes: The biggest disadvantage of modular kitchens are the number of finishes possible. Only laminate and acrylic finish is available and at a lower budget, membrane finishes are also available. There are so many more finishes which are not available.
2. Lack of customization: Modular kitchens cannot be customized. Many brands will not even allow basic customization like change in size of boxes and charge extra for “non-standard” sizes. Since our kitchens are not made in a standard fashion, this means that there is always a compromise involved.

We discuss the difference between modular and non modular kitchen in greater detail separately.