Gilma Spagnolia - Now at Discount!

Courtesy: Gilma Modular Kitchens

I visited the Gilma Spagnolia modular kitchen showroom at Indiranagar the second time. A big difference since the last time I visited it. Unlike before, they have an adept sales person who is not overtly pushy but helpful enough; a far cry from the lady I met previously. But less about the lady and her faux pas and more about the kitchens.

There are few kitchens on display with different finishes and configurations. The showroom is smaller than other brands and hence the number of kitchens on display is also lower. The positive effect of this is lesser confusion. I remember getting very confused at the Veneta Cucine and Nolte showrooms when I visited them. GilmaSpagnolia sells Italian kitchens (Spagnolia is their Italian brand) and Indian kitchens. The Indian kitchens are locally manufactured in India while the Italian kitchens are imported totally. Prices of Indian kitchens are obviously lower. I think starting price for a 10 X 8 kitchen was quoted at `3 Lakh for an Indian kitchen and `4.5 Lakh for an Italian kitchen. 

However, if you want lot of variety and colors, then the Italian kitchens are a better bet.

Courtesy: Gilma Modular Kitchens

There are a wide variety of finishes like glossy lacquer, membrane (includes a PVC foil over the MDF without edge banding), glass and wood. The doors have soft closing and better finishes.Very typically, the kitchen with a wood finish is designed in a typical country style and similar chimneys. I can’t remember the exact pricing but it is probably around `8 Lakh without appliances. While I loved most of the Italian kitchens on display, the bigger kitchens caught my fancy. One of them was a black glossy lacquer with a curved island, white glossy lacquer with a huge island and a dark wooden laminate one.

For people interested in buying a kitchen soon, the renovation of the GilmaSpagnolia showroom would be an interesting opportunity. The kitchens on display would be available at a considerable discount. In fact quite a few modular kitchen brands sell their kitchens on display at a discount. I am aware of Hacker and Nolte and now Gilma is a revelation. Of course, this will work for you only if the measurements of your kitchen space are comparable and the cabinets can be mapped into your kitchen layout.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating and in case of modular kitchens, it depends on the product and the service (design efforts, installation and after sales). While the designs and colors of the kitchens are attractive, I wasn’t very impressed with the shelving material in few of the kitchens (laminate and membrane). One can get an idea of the service from checking out  Mouthshut.com or inquiring with their past customers. The latter is preferred because most of us do not take the time to write a glowing review if satisfied. However this particular review on Mouthshut is probably enough to scare one away.

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Espiq Kuchen - German Modular Kitchen

 

Courtesy: Espiq

Espiq Kuchen is a German modular kitchen brand which is possibly new in India. Looks like they have a tie-up with an Indian partner named O'teak. However I can't really confirm these details. They have a new sales office in Ascendas mall in ITPL, Whitefiled. Unfortunately for the sales manager ( if he was one ) we managed to troop in there during one of our mall visits. For a second or 2, it seemed like we should not have entered the office. However I stubbornly continued " We have come to look at the kitchens. ". 

There wasn't much to look at honestly. Two extremely small layouts of few cupboards and modules. One of them had a counter. Just like my experience in Gilma-Spagnol, I had to ask very specific questions on what material was present. Was it veneer, or lacquer or something else. I believe the sales guy called the veneer material as wood. Of course by then I had given up hope of getting proper info. 

I proceeded to inquire about the pricing. Often pricing tells you a lot about the brand etc. That was when I faced the next bouncer of a question. " What bhk flat do you have ? If it is 2 bhk then it is Rs X Lakh and if it is 3 bhk then it is Rs Y Lakh". ( For some reason I can't remember the exact pricing. However I do remember that the kitchen for 3 bhk was priced at less than Rs 4 Lakh ). Well there wasn't much of a problem with that , except that despite the number of bedrooms, flats can have different sizes. Hence their kitchens would have different sizes. As a result, the cost would automatically differ. So  I was a bit surprised to hear fixed quotations for the different number of bedrooms. 

Finally I decided to just collect the catalog and make a quiet exit. Unfortunately they didn't have catalogs. "How am I supposed to get to see your designs to choose. You don't really have too many designs here". The guy promptly pointed me to their website www.espiq.in and handed a business card with the details. Although my hand flew out right away to collect the card, he decided to hand it to  my silent partner who was just aimlessly staring away while I carried on the conversation. Being used to such behavior, I just flicked out the card from the recipient's fingers and left with a "Thank you". Of course I can't remember what I was thanking him for. 

To be honest, I am not sure I liked the materials that I saw. Apart from the few modules and cupboards, they used an Elica chimney and professed to use Hettich fittings. I am assuming that according to the conversation customization might be limited. However the pictures on the Espiq website are rather nice. There are also some offers on total interior packages which include wardrobe, dressers, etc which might make for a good value proposition. 

Location in Bangalore:
EspiQ Kuchen
Shop N.2F22, II Floor, Ascendas Park Square Maill
ITPB, Whitefield Main Road, Bangalore 560066
Tel: 080-28026650

Website"
www.espiq.in
www.oteak.in

Email:
sales@espiq.in
sales@oteak.in

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