Kitchens today are much more than just rooms used for cooking. They are innovatively designed spaces that can be employed for dining, relaxing, entertaining as well as cooking. Across the world, the general economic status of people is also gradually rising. These factors have led to an increased popularity and preference for luxury kitchens, even in modestly sized homes. To understand the components that actually make these kitchens luxurious and explore luxury kitchen designs that are trending today, continue reading.
What Exactly is a Luxury Kitchen?
Typically, a luxury kitchen refers to one which is extravagant in nature and much more expensive than a normal kitchen to build. They are statement spaces built with sophistication and innovation in mind. However, their cost of execution is not their only defining feature, but other factors also indicate luxury, such as:
- Optimised Planning: Luxury kitchenettes have efficient plans that optimise working conditions and allow smooth movements.
- Premium Materials: Extremely durable, strong, resistant and visually beautiful materials (often customised) characterise these kitchens.
- High-End Appliances: A modern luxury kitchen includes high-end appliances that not only look better, but can also perform tasks more efficiently than normal ones.
Components of Luxury Kitchens
Although luxury kitchenettes are generally customised, a few common features typically persist. Some of these are:
Customised Smart Storage Solutions
Every storage cabinet, including wall, base and loft units; drawers and tall units, is usually custom designed to suit the user and project needs. These cabinets are made with premium materials (like teak or cherry wood) and superior finishes (like veneers or laminates) in luxury kitchen interiors. A few common elements are:
- Soft-close drawers
- Pull-out spice racks, cutlery drawers and concealed waste basket fittings
- Rotatable, pull-out or detachable corner units
- Integrated light fittings
Concealed or Built-In Appliances
All electrical appliances, including hobs, stoves, chimneys, dishwashers, ovens, coffee makers and refrigerators, have designated spaces in contemporary luxury kitchens, giving them a built-in appearance that optimises functionality. Typically, there is also a provision to conceal many of these appliances with cleverly designed pull-out or rolling shutters.
Additional Counter Space
Apart from the kitchen countertop that is mainly used for cooking processes, additional counter spaces are also provided for breakfast counters, island counters, coffee stations, bars and other such areas. These spaces in fancy kitchens are made with materials like Italian marble, solid wood and granite with high-end finishes, enabling the kitchen to be used for multiple functions like dining and entertaining.
Statement Pieces
- Custom Splashbacks: The wall space behind a stove/hob in a kitchen is called a splashback. In luxury kitchen units, splashbacks are often customised by using unique materials or finishes to create eye-catching elements.
- Natural Stone and Wood: Premium quality natural stones (like Italian Marble and Onyx) and wood (like Teak and Mahogany) are often used to design monolithic structures like island counters and bar units.
- Seating Features: Luxury contemporary kitchens usually include seating features like chairs and window seats that provide a respite from cooking and/or can be used for eating and preparing food. These seats are finished with customised upholstery and textured fabrics.
Hidden or Accentuated Switchboards
The types of switches and switch design adopted in a premium modular kitchen are from superior brands like Schneider and Legrand. These switches are either cleverly hidden among kitchen panelling or highlighted by using premium materials and designs. Flush-type switches with glass, metallic or matte finishes are generally used as statement elements themselves.
Smart Systems
Home automation systems guided by voice assistants and sensor-based technologies are very common in luxury modular kitchens. These devices offer a hands-free operation that makes the cooking process easier and more efficient. A few typical examples of these systems are:
- Smart lights that can operate on the basis of motion or voice sensors or be set to suit personalised timelines.
- Smart refrigerators that can track usage patterns and quantities of products stored, advising users on when to buy or throw away items.
- Smart ovens and stoves with built-in recipes and cooking modes.
- Dishwashers with automated cycles to optimise energy efficiency and water usage.
- Energy monitors which track daily and periodic usage patterns, suggest changes for optimising energy efficiency and thus reduce utility bills.
Tips for Luxury Kitchen Designs
Planning and Zoning
For effective kitchen planning, divide your kitchen into zones where different kinds of activities take place- such as wet, dry and semi-dry; cooking, storage, baking, barbecuing, cleaning and preparatory spaces. The kitchen triangle is a common tool used for creating zones, however, this tool might not work as efficiently for upscale kitchen designs with an area larger than 250 sq ft. Instead, create zones based on your individual working processes in the kitchen. This will lead to smoother, faster and more efficient processes.
Design Style and Colour Palettes
To create elegant luxury modern kitchen designs, adopt specific design styles and/or colour palettes, such as:
- Modernist: A Modernist kitchen has clean, sharp lines and uses monochromatic colour tones in shades of white and black.
- Mid-Century Modern: The Mid-Century Modern style is similar to the Modernist style, but uses a few bright colours as highlights.
- Industrial: Industrial style kitchens focus on functionality and have minimal clutter, with all the components finished in different shades of grey.
- Traditional or Region-Specific: Use elements of vernacular architecture (such as Rajasthani jharokhas or Kerala-style wooden furniture) as an ode to the local architectural history.
- Pastel Colours: Currently, light pastel colours like mint green, baby blue, lavender and peach are trending in luxury kitchen interior design. Use these colours with gold accents to create a very soothing kitchen atmosphere.
- Eclecticism: This is a style with no defined characteristics, but mixes different design styles to produce a personalised effect. Bright colours and bold patterns are generally used in this style. The 70-20-10 rule (70% dominant tone- a soft neutral, 20% secondary colour- a deep tone, and 10% accent-metallic or bold) can be used as an effective tool to guide such designs.
Design Details
A fancy kitchen design includes many small details that enhance its appearance. Some such details that can be incorporated without making the project too expensive are:
- Handle-less Cabinets: Modern luxury kitchen cabinets are often handle-less. Instead, they use recessed profiles, magnetic mechanisms and push-to-open fittings that produce a minimalist, clean finish. If handles are necessary, use customised and/or innovative designs like knobs and rings to enhance the luxury factor.
- Recessed Skirting: Skirting in kitchens is generally installed 2-3” behind the base of the cabinets. However, recessing it further can make the base units look like they are floating, creating a beautiful illusionary effect. This recession can also simplify cleaning processes.
- Glass Cabinets: The use of different types of glass—such as fluted, frosted, coloured and panelled—with backlights for wall units is currently trending. These upscale kitchen cabinets can be used to display decorative items or boast organised storage shelves.
- Full-Height Tiles: The typical height of interior wall tile cladding in kitchens is 7 feet. However, extending this height to touch the ceiling can create a seamless finish with no ugly wall-tile joints. If the normal height is maintained, these joints can be finished with mouldings, coping or wainscoting to obtain a better aesthetic.
- Treated Ceilings: Finish the ceilings with woodwork (panels, rafters or non-structural beams), gypsum plaster false ceilings, ceiling panelling or textured paints. Incorporating skylights can also add more character to the kitchen ceiling.
Layered Lighting
Include different types of lighting in the kitchen, such as ambient lights (in the ceiling), task lights (on walls), pendant lights (above island counters), accent lights (around statement pieces) and strip lights (below wall units of kitchen cabinets and in the ceiling). This will allow the kitchen to adapt itself to various forms of usage as required, creating different moods and ambiences at different times. However, all the lighting fixtures installed must be cohesive with the overall home lighting design.
Cost of Luxury Kitchens
The cost of a luxury kitchen design depends on several factors like:
- Materials and finishes used
- Brand and type of hardware fittings
- Kitchen size and layout
- Design complexity
- In-built appliances required
- Smart systems adopted
However, the general prices of a luxury kitchen in India may vary from ₹7000 – ₹25,000/ sq ft. This means that a minimally sized kitchen with an area of 65 sq ft will cost at least ₹4.5 lakhs, while a medium sized kitchen with an area of 120 sq ft will cost at least ₹8.4 lakhs. For a more detailed understanding of how costs are calculated, check out our blog on modular kitchen cost.
Building Luxury Modern Kitchen Designs
Contemporary luxury in modern kitchen designs is a very personalised aspect, as opinions and tastes of each person can vary widely. Brick & Bolt, a leading tech-enabled construction company in India, provides end-to-end services based on detailed discussions and in-depth studies of individual needs and desires. 7000+ homes have been completed by the company, each with customised floor plans that have assured client satisfaction. To get your dream luxury kitchen designed by proven experts in the field, get in touch with Brick & Bolt today!