Appliances for the Modular Kitchen

Courtesy: Houzz

Very typical to my blog, I had reached out to people on Houzz 2 years back for info on kitchen appliances when we were finalizing the purchase of the kitchen. Instead of getting input from users of the brand that I was asking about (Hafele Nagold), I got a whole lot of unwanted advice on other brands.So no actual help. And of late, I get asked on how my purchase turned out! Clearly there is no sign of karma.

Anyways,  purchasing appliances is a personal thing and a function of need, want and affordability; choices become easier if some ground work is done earlier. This would lessen the number of options available and thus help in choosing easily  (divergence convergence theory of Design Thinking if you are interested).

The basic set of kitchen appliances that everybody has and installs in their modular kitchen are namely gas/electric hob, chimney hood, microwave and oven. The microwave is an appliance that has gained usage in the last 10 years and hence may or may not be a top choice for some. However, the oven is not really widely used in India as it is in many countries unless you bake a LOT or are interested in using it. Hence I consider this also to be an unnecessary expense. Of course that didn't stop me from getting one. In case you are interested in these appliances, then getting inbuilt versions of these are very helpful as they help in saving precious countertop space that would otherwise be utilized by a stand-alone microwave or an oven toaster grill (OTG)  or equivalent. Of course they come at a considerable price increase compared to the standalone products.

What you should know about your appliances before you  start off designing the kitchen:

Courtesy: Siemens

Hob: Do you need/want a gas hob or an electric one? You could even have an induction hob or a combination of these options. Siemens has a nice domino option of mixture of hobs, as does Bertazzoni ( at even higher prices:) ).Knowing the number of burners you might need will help in determining the size of the hob cabinet. Knowing where the hob might be positioned ( kitchen or island or peninsula) would help in planning the gas or electrical pipelines.The exact model can be chosen much later in the design phase.

Courtesy: Falmec

Chimney Hood: It is is important to know couple of things about the hood in advance so that the planning for the chimney duct can be done well ahead. It's difficult to do these later and you might have an unsightly chimney duct running across your beautiful kitchen.

Image copyright: Koel Das

Choosing a hood with a charcoal filter would help to do away with the need of the chimney duct. Of course you would end up changing the filter every few months. If the island contains the hob for cooking then the chimney and duct needs to be planned accordingly. If you wish to conceal the duct then you could pass the duct through some unused cabinets. We created a beam like structure out of gypsum to conceal the duct. An alternate option is to have an under-cabinet hood. I've even come across under-microwave hoods which I am not sure I am comfortable with. I loved the downdraft model but it took up a lot of cabinet space underneath and I did not want to lose most of my island space where I have an additional hob, so I had to give up on that beautiful idea. Once these decisions are out of your way, the number of options that you can choose from will reduce drastically. Filter the remaining options based on power, sound level, design , color and of course pricing and choosing becomes easy.

I never thought earlier that color is that important when it comes to kitchen appliances

Courtesy: Houzz

but it could help make your kitchen look nicer. Usually the preference is to have appliances in the same color or have one color that pops like a bright yellow Smeg fridge or a bright orange range cooker. Since my hob and oven were in black primarily with chrome controls, it became easier to choose a black hood from the few options. Of course I did go back and forth among models and brands for the sound level but the slight difference isn't exactly a benefit for my ears.

The appliances above are the basic ones that you will need. If you are keen or use some of the other appliances, then there are plenty that you could add to your kitchen. In-built versions of dishwashers, refrigerators to give the seamless look, wine cooler, coffee machine, warming drawers, barbecue grill, deep-fryers and perhaps more ( that I am not currently aware of ) are available to enhance your kitchen as well as your experience in it. 

Courtesy: Houzz

As far as brands are concerned there are a huge number of them in the market and I am not recommending any one . I took a risk with choosing Hafele Nagold for the kitchen but so far I've had no complaints. Some of the names are highly recommended in the industry, like Siemens, Bosch, Faber, Kaff. I have heard few complaints about Kaff and more on Elica. Elica's sales stores were a disappointment to be honest and I remember one of the sales guys being creepy with no sense of personal space. I liked the Whirlpool website because it showed me the pricing unlike any of these other brands that are surviving in an ecommerce crazy world. However it doesn't have the detailed info, diagrams that you can expect on a Siemens, Faber or Elica website. Hafele Nagold website has very good photographs but isn't very detailed at least not to my liking. If you have big bucks and are interested, then you could try Gorenje, Miele , Falmec and Bertazzoni ( the last 2 being carried by Hafele India dealers). 

Happy shopping!

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Kitchen sink - plan early

There is this short poem that goes like 

" For want of a nail the shoe was lost.

  For want of a shoe the horse was lost.

  For want of a horse the rider was lost.

  For want of a rider the battle was lost.

  For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.

  And all for the want of a horseshoe nail." 

Image copyright: Koel Das

While you don't have to be poetically inclined to understand this, it actually contains an important learning. Right now it reminds me of the kitchen sink that I could not buy. And the actual reason is due to a lack of 50 mm of space. Something that the architect or whoever designed that particular space thought didn't matter. Also our kitchen designer never bothered to point out that I was ending up with a 500 mm sink cabinet than a typical 600 mm sink cabinet. If she did, I might have had the kitchen designed a bit differently.  

Unfortunately, I discovered it much  later when I set my eyes on a kitchen sink that wouldn't fit into the designated space due to a size constraint. That's when we discovered the small details. Since we did not want a sink with a drainboard, that gives us lesser options to choose from and the final reduced list contains sinks that are best used as a bar sink. The only saving grace is that we have an additional bigger sink which will take the load of all heavy duty activity and the kitchen sink will be primarily used for prep work.

Courtesy: Hafele (from iSpace)

The other takeaway from this fiasco was that even though it seems like you can think about where to place the  kitchen sink and the chimney hob a bit later in the design process, it is actually a better idea to be aware of what you need (and perhaps want) quite in the early process. That way you would be aware of the constraints of your physical space ( small corner, gas pipe can't be extended in a direction, difficulty to pass the chimney duct, etc) and try to figure out solutions to them if possible. In my case, I actually thought that choosing the kitchen sink and hob was the easiest and I could spend the least amount of time and cognitive effort on that activity. And that is very rarely true.

Also the kitchen triangle doesn't always work best when it is in the shape of a triangle. What you need to figure out is how you work in the kitchen ( or your cook does ) and then make sure the 3 elements of the triangle are suitably located. One of my neighbours discovered very early on that the location of the kitchen sink wasn't suitable and requested the builders for slight changes. As a result the kitchen sink is in a location where it would actually help. Good design and prior planning are very obviously helpful.

Courtesy : Blanco

Courtesy : Carysil

The sink that I really liked was a Blanco sink sold by Hafele in India. It has this beautiful stone like surface that is wonderful to touch. A bit of research told me that it is equally tough as well and a great material for kitchen sinks. Since the sinks available would not fit my kitchen sink cabinet, I looked at other similar alternatives and came across Tectonite from Franke , quartz sinks from Nirali, granite sinks from Carysil, quartz sinks from Futura. We were quite sold on Carysil but I don't remember exactly why we didn't finalize it for our sink. Finally we decided to go with the stainless steel options from Franke even though granite or quartz would have been a wonderful change. Also it would be good to know that interior designer Nandita Manwani mentions it is best to buy the ones with good quality which unfortunately come at a higher price.


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Veneta Cucine - Italian Modular Kitchens

This is a long due post. Veneta Cucine was one of the first modular kitchens I visited with an intention for exploration and possible purchase. When I had just started exploring modular kitchens, I  remember being  aware of Veneta Cucine and possibly 1 or 2 more. I assume that is because of their marketing efforts and top of the mind recall.

Courtesy: Veneta Cucine

The initial visit and follow-up was good. Although I had walked in without an appointment, I was guided around by an able sales manager . Of all the modular kitchens I have visited , I must say that  I liked her personality and attitude the best. She had this overall vibe of genuine interest without overselling or being snooty like few others; which is a pity because we did not make the final buy and also we came across one serious negative feedback on Mouthshut.com. Recently I also came across few others, which would obviously be worrying to any customer looking to purchase. Thankfully there is some semblance of response from Veneta Cucine on some of these reviews. However, these responses should have been there on the site well before and for all the feedback against genuine purchases.

While the whole world and its businesses are going digital it is ironic to see several brands being

Courtesy: Veneta Cucine

unable to use digital well. Just setting up a Twitter handle or a Facebook page doesn’t cut it. Do you actively manage it? And by that I don’t mean posting pretty pictures and garnering likes from your own team. It means being able to respond to new customers for their queries and helping older customers with their feedback and issues. Not responding and ignoring a customer would scare off other potentials and being defensive in your response would not really help. If I feel that you as a brand and a vendor will not support me during my time of need then I am really better off without hiring you by making a purchase. As far as modular kitchens are concerned this is a space where a lot of improvement needs to be made. But it’s heartening to see the new startups like Capricoast, HomeLane figure out customer acquisition and handling the digital space a bit better than their older counterparts. I was also pleased to see Espiq Kuchen reaching out to an aggrieved customer on my blog.

Anyhow I digress. The sales manager showed us the different models, shutter finishes and explained

Courtesy: Veneta Cucine

how some design elements could help us. Of all the Italian kitchens that I have viewed, Veneta Cucine probably has a larger variety of colors available and that is attractive to many Indian customers. I remember seeing an edgy design in lavender, a nice one in lime green and one shade which looked like a mix of ochre yellow and orange. Unlike the German or Northern European brands which tend to restrict themselves mostly to white and wooden finishes, the range of colors available among Italian brands is usually higher. So if this is of considerable importance to you, you might want to restrict your search to them. As far as material is concerned, the usual laminate ( and mono-faced lacquer), PVC  high gloss , lacquer & veneer, tempered lacquered glass and solid wood options are available in increasing order of price.

One of the constraints of ordering with Veneta Cucine is that you need to purchase the kitchen appliances ( hob, oven, chimney hood, sink and faucet) from their in-house brand VC Plus. They do work with other brands Foster , Smeg, Falmec, Electrolux, Siemens, Whirlpool but it is possible that the price of VC Plus will be lower than all of these brands. Whirlpool could be lower actually. Their Indian website lists prices of appliances which is a dream because I do not need to visit their store, call up or email to inquire prices. Wish other brands would be smart enough to do that. The sink and faucet cannot be purchased from external brands. What I do not recall is whether customers can purchase appliance brands outside the list of names mentioned above.

Courtesy: Veneta Cucine

 Veneta Cucine charges an upfront price of 10,000/- for a quotation with design. This is absorbed/refunded ( please check ) in the final price if you purchase your kitchen from them. This is the norm with several modular kitchen brands. If you are checking out few brands, you obviously cannot be spending 10k at every store. Hence, the workaround would be to take a print-out of your floor plan, ask for average/starting prices of cabinets ( base, wall, tall/midi units) and few other stuff that you will definitely need, when you are getting the sales pitch/tour. Also ask them to look at your floor plan and give you a rough estimate and then add the cost of appliances (usually around 1.5L, countertop (30-40k) and any accessories). For us the initial quote was highest among others and as a result we never went back for a detailed quote. However, there is always a possibility to ask the designer to match your budget.

People generally tend to post their feedback usually in extreme of circumstances and more when they have had a negative experience and in rare occasions, when they have had a positive experience beyond expectation. What we do not know is the percentage of these failings. If you knew that Vendor 1 performed miserably 10 times for 100 sales and Vendor 2 performed badly once for 10 overall transactions, whom would you choose? There is no easy answer unfortunately.

Location in Bangalore

Veneta Cucine is located in Indiranagar and Jayanagar. Check out the exact location here.

Email:

support@ccindia.net

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Sleek Modular Kitchens

I chanced upon a second setup of Sleek modular kitchens and was wondering about what they were doing differently. How is it that the 2-3 people who sit around the kitchens are totally disinterested in any sort of customer interaction and hence any opportunity for leads and subsequent conversion. I assume it relates to the way their incentive is structured and after my repeated experience, I am obviously curious.

Copyright: Sleek modular kitchen

The funny thing is that my first visit to Sleek kitchens was very similar. It was at a different HomeStop outlet ( maybe Sleek has worked some arrangement with HomeStop though I doubt that gives them any projects automatically) and there were 2 men and a woman working on their laptops. We were exploring around and were months away from deciding which brand to go ahead. 

I looked around, pulled some drawers and checked the kitchens. Then men didn't bother and the woman glanced. I was wondering when someone would come around and explain what they offered etc. So I tried giving the " I am interested, please come and explain looks." I was really surprised but since I wanted to know the type of finish used in one and the approximate price, I went up to the guy sitting closest to the kitchens and asked him. Few questions ahead, I realized that he neither had sufficient knowledge and nor was he interested. After I explicitly asked him to show us around, and he reluctantly got up, the woman thankfully took over. She was the Sales Manager and adept in her knowledge of the kitchens and everything around it. She took our contact details, sent me approximate quotations and even pursued me for a while. 

However, I also remember a defensive attitude during the follow-ups. "I called because you said you might decide in few months". Really?? If I want the customer to buy the modular kitchen from my brand, I will call because I want to convert them and not because of any other reason. As far as the brand is concerned, if I was a decision making authority I would actually just keep 1 knowledgeable sales person around and remove the unfriendly fixtures to some other office location. Judging from Mouthshut, I am not the only person who feels the same.

The experience continued with the website. I tried to download the catalogue unsuccessfully  by entering my details several times. And I was unable to get a catalogue emailed to myself. While the website looks great, I actually don't know why they maintain several websites like  http://www.sleekworld.com, http://sleekworld.co.in and http://sleekkitchens.com/modular-kitchen. I am hoping they stopped at 3 and there aren't more lurking around.

Copyright : Sleek modular kitchen

As quoted, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I did get some help in the form of a friend  who had purchased their Sleek modular kitchens. While the kitchen was very nice and he is happy , I got to know that the overall experience was not smooth. The different folks who take care of the various activities weren't in sync. He also had to  call some senior folks to get work done in time. However they did take care of damaged modules and that sounds like a life-saver. If interested, one can get an idea of their positive customer experiences on their website. If you do order a Sleek modular kitchen, my friend's advice is try to figure who will be the team servicing you and get some references.

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Italian modular kitchens from Scavolini

Courtesy: Scavolini

In my search for other stuff related to house interiors, I usually chance upon different stores who also take care of modular kitchens. A lot of these stores have come up ( or have been advertised or known to me ) slightly after the long search for a modular kitchen brand ended. While it is a shame that I wasn't able to look at all of these before, it could also be a blessing in disguise. Too much of choice confuses most humans (including myself) and I doubt I would have been able to take a good decision. Also dear partner would have finally protested at the "torture" of accompanying me everywhere and trying to smile through everything. One such brand was Scavolini. I remember searching for it initially, ending up at another store on Inner Ring Road and finally giving up.

In Bangalore, Sai Gallerium is the dealer for Scavolini kitchens. Sai is already well known for their collection of imported tiles and accessories. They store numerous other brands and we managed to have look at a Versace dining table along with huge mirror and decor elements full of bling along with it. Since the Facebook page for Scavolini by Sai has started posting from Jan 2015 I assume they have been set up some time before it.

We managed to have a cursory look at the kitchens and I liked the one with a mossy green

Courtesy: Scavolini

lacquer wall cabinets and dark wood base cabinets. And as in all Italian kitchens, there are numerous colours like orange, pink, purple and others available. However what I was really floored by was the Caesarstone countertop one of the kitchens. Unfortunately these are pricier than the usual granite and Corian countertops but are less porous and hence vulnerable to stains, visible seams than a granite countertops. Caesarstone is not 100% natural like a granite in case that matters for you. In India, Hafele is the official partner for Caesarstone brand but a lot of modular kitchen brands, including Scavolini also offer this as an option for the countertop.

My learnings from the European Kitchen Design blog made me think that Scavolini would be on the pricier side and I still don't have solid data to confirm or reject that. However, I got to know that a very basic kitchen starts at 2.5L but it would be best to visit Sai Gallerium, have a look and discuss with the designers if possible.

Sai Gallerium is present at 100 Feet Road Indirangar, Banashankari and Banaswadi. You can look up their addresses and contact numbers at their Contact page.

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Renting furniture not Kitchens

This blog is/was about my tryst with modular kitchens. But the tryst now seems to extend to other furniture required for the new house. Since the only essential furniture missing from our collection is a wardrobe, we have been trying to look at options. As usual, I am not fond of most of what I see around. The ones that catch my fancy are going to eat into the budget for other items. Also there is the dilemma of "to hire an interior designer or not". Since I am aware that few areas of the house will have complicated carpentry and decor, I am in favour of hiring a designer who can deal with the carpenters and anybody else. However, many interior designers  prefer a full turnkey project as opposed to working on few specific areas. So the conflicts continue and dear partner thinks the easy way out, is to invest in nothing at all till we are decided and have greater liquidity.  I haven't disagreed but that hasn't stopped me from doing my homework or getting aggressive with my short-term investments.

Copyright : Furlenco

Nevertheless, quite some time back, I  came across a 'startup' for renting out furniture, Furlenco, when it was possibly still named as RentUrDuniya . These days, the term startup seems to be used very freely and I am not too keen when people use this term to define new companies that provide existing solutions with a user interface. However, the world doesn't care for my opinions or for Neil Blumenthal's opinion ( co-CEO and co-founder of Warby Parker) . Neither do venture capitalists and their assorted ilk who pour in truckloads of money to hedge their investments and make sure that they do not miss out on the next big thing. 

Irrespective of definitions and reasons behind funding, what actually matters in the real

Copyright : Furlenco

world is whether something is useful and I think Furlenco is. It helps to solve a common problem in  cities like Bangalore which is home to increasing number of students, professionals and expats. If they do things correctly and deliver great customer experience from start to end in terms of product and service they should turn out to be very successful. Right now Furlenco offers limited furniture in Living, Dining, Bedrooms and I am hoping they increase the categories and specifics ( remember I needed a wardrobe). I thought I read about an experience centre or something like that but I can't seem to find that info again. However, the pricing is worth testing it out and if the furniture turns out 90% like what it appears on the website then, my not so low expectations will be met. 

Copyright : Pepperfry

The catty comment on the gap between seeing the furniture on websites vs seeing the furniture in real life is from my own experience. After furniture buying moved online, lazy souls like myself heaved a sigh of relief. Nice furniture at okayish prices, in fact some seemed to be a steal at the prices they were advertised. So I spent time gazing on UrbanLadder, Pepperfry and FabFurnish. Recently I managed to visit a small retail store of FabFurnish and realized with deep sadness in my heart, that a lot of the furniture on display aren't as nice as they appear on the websites. A lot, not all. Any bias towards UrbanLadder is due to their well-designed website which has limited number of options ( choice overwhelms and confuses users ) and also because I feel they have taken the time to scale up well too.

Anyhow, I am digressing. Coming back to rentals, Furlenco isn't the first company to offer rentals. There are plenty of shops in Frazer Town, Shivajinagar where you can do the same. If you prefer shopping online, then some companies like Home Essentials,  RentalWala ( not only furniture), Rentongo, RFC Rentals, Rentech Designs also provide an interface for customers. I am yet to come across modular kitchens that are rented out though I don't see why some enterprising team/company can't make it work; especially since modular kitchens on display can be bought off ( and at discount ) if they match your general layout or if you can make it work.

If you have used any furniture rental company, it would be helpful to know about your experience.

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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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Nolte Home Studio -German Modular Kitchens

Courtesy: HomeStudioIndia

 I finally managed to visit one of my favorite modular kitchen brands, Nolte. Among all the kitchen brands that I have come across, the German brands stand out by their simplicity in design and adherence to function than form. I would have loved to check out some Scandinavian brands but I don't think we have any in Bangalore (yet). I use the word "yet" because Ikea is apparently looking at Bangalore as a possible location; and when it does I am sure to pounce on its collection with much awaited glee.

Anyhow, the front desk is well- managed. On informing that we were looking around for modular kitchens, me and my silently admiring partner were taken around the studio by an experienced professional. Nolte has fewer models on display than Cucine Lube and Veneta Cucine but more than Haecker. It also has lesser options available. However the samples of finishes for wood, stone countertops are all available. So you can see what you get. And I honestly think that is great. 

Among the different finishes, I actually loved the different lacquer finishes especially the glossy ones. I think there was one with 15 (?) coats which looked almost the same as glass finishes. Wasn't very impressed with their vintage designs too. 

Courtesy: HomeStudioIndia

I am hoping the designers who come up with the initial and final designs are as experienced as the sales personnel. The ones I viewed looked tad young for me to spend my money on them.  Sorry if I sound biased but that's the way it is. The fact that we were exploring Nolte as a brand almost 9 months before we could actually place an order doesn't sit very well with most stores. Nolte Studio wasn't very different about it. However they agreed to do a basic quote if we sent our floor plan in CAD format. Unfortunately in our case the architects are not going to release the CAD format. So they have to make do with the PDF format. In such a scenario, Nolte wanted to go to the site and do the measurements to come up with the basic design. Currently I am not sure whether that comes under the paid consultation or the basic free quotation providing. Either ways, if we go ahead with Nolte, I am actually fine with it. 

However I have to admit, Veneta Cucine impressed me more in the communications department. Their sales person followed up very regularly with me, provided basic quotations across different finishes and has communicated even after. While I am yet to short list my top 3, the solid stuff of Nolte makes it an easy entrant of this list. With that quality, I probably would not mind going for an entry - level modular kitchen with some basic finishes that I can change later at some point in time. Although this doesn't fall under kitchens, Nolte also provides some basic furniture. Needless to say their quality as very good as well. 

On design, product Nolte scores high. They are definitely low on the number of choices that are available to you for selection, In terms of finishes, colors, etc. Unfortunately I still don't have a lot of info on how as a dealer/distributor, the Bangalore centre performs. And according to the European Kitchen Design blog, one should finalize a modular kitchen based on affordability ( obviously), brand, design, and finally dealer/distributor. This is where a design consultant would come in handy. If you have used  Nolte for your kitchen in Bangalore do drop me a note. I would love to get in touch and know about your experiences. Or if you had a look at it, considered it but selected some other brand, that would provide useful information as well. 

Update: 
We went to Nolte again. It was one of the 3 brands that our builder was working with to offer modular kitchens in our apartments. We had seen the mockups built by Nolte and the other two brands. To be real honest we were least excited with the mockup by Nolte. But we thought we could ask for modifications and get it to a desirable state. 

When we reached Nolte we did offer our requirements for modifications. However, a little bit into the process we realized that there were too many constraints due to Nolte's setup with the builder. So we thought maybe it was a better idea to get the kitchen done later and at retail prices. We couldn't see how  the design changes were being made in real time and hence visualize how the price was changing. So this made it all the more difficult to get a sense of the design changes vs prices.  

The sales person reminded us many a time that prices of Nolte kitchens start at `800,000 and hence it seemed like we were getting a big favour from them. Of course he forgot to specify that we were getting a sub-brand of Nolte, named Nolte Express and hence the prices were considerably lower. Additionally they had come  up with a basic design which didn't make things  and hence the choice of kitchen brand any better.  Despite all of that and the fact that he was insistent that we do not try to go for a different price brand i.e. Nolte, he did spend time in explaining  and displaying stuff. Nevertheless the entire experience and follow-up was a major put off.  We somehow never received the revised quotes and I have no idea why. Considering that we had almost mentally planned to go ahead with Nolte, months before the builder actually came up with the options, the entire experience was an unpleasant surprise. However it did help to make our choices easier. 

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Haecker Kitchens - German Modular Kitchens

My plan of visiting Hacker Kitchens on a Saturday has been repeatedly postponed over

Courtesy: Hacker India

several months, thanks to the typical trials and tribulations of us as a working couple. The only day of a weekend where you can get any work done is a Saturday. As a result, higher priorities take over and it doesn't help that looking at modular kitchens doesn't fall into " things to do" for my partner who is usually affable to shopping ( possibly because I have low patience for the exercise of shopping itself ). 

The interest in going to see Hacker kitchens was higher because in Bangalore they are housed with a whole lot of other brands under Trisha Interiors. Trisha also has furniture by Hülsta, a Hafele Design studio, furniture by Rolf Benz and few other imported brands of lighting, fixtures, etc. I liked some of the lighting installations a lot and might go back to them. The fixtures were nice but honestly I wasn't very interested at this point. The furniture designs were nice, not wow. I think I might like the designs by Ebony Gautier even better. But then Hülsta uses HDF instead of MDF like Gautier and that probably makes a difference to the overall strength of the product. 

At one point of time, I also felt that the furniture show cased by Nolte and CC India might have felt a bit more sturdy and strong. Pricing was way higher for a comparable size of furniture. Of course if one is interested a discount on furniture existing in the store ( amounting to a clearance I suppose ) could be worked out. However as the sales guy repeatedly mentioned that I should check out the website and if I like a design, then we can place an order ; which gets transferred to Germany from when actual manufacturing starts. Time of delivery is same as modular kitchens,  which is 3 months. 

My visit to Hacker Kitchens particularly was extremely disappointing. Maybe I shouldn't have given out info that we were just exploring and were recommended to check out Hacker. There were 2 sales girls available. The one who started giving a demo seemed to have lesser knowledge than me. While the next one was better, it didn't help that she kept showing some detailed features without focusing on the basics - finish, design , materials.  A clear difference from my experience at Nolté Home Studio and at Veneta Cucine. It didn't help that there were not a lot of models on display. There was 1 entry level model. 2 of the other 5/6 models were very nice, but extremely at the higher end of the range but the design was guaranteed to raise eyeballs. I believe I wasn't even shown ALL the models. 

Courtesy: Trisha Interiors

Visiting a couple of stores, and researching has led me to be able to estimate the basic price of most models. Either the sales girl exaggerated the prices extremely high or Hacker models are very high-priced. I was given pricing of 15 Lakhs for a laminated kitchen set which should not have been more than 6-7L. A wonderful bridge kitchen was supposed to be 45L. While I can't debate the latter, I can definitely debate the former price. From the little demo that I got, I wasn't even sure if they were comparable in quality to the Veneta Cucine models I was shown. For sake of research and brand value , I'll assume that they were. And for some reason, my dear partner took to the brand or like me , he has a positive bias towards German brands. 

Finally getting the door bitch treatment while being handed a brochure instead of the catalog didn't also work well with me. Apparently Hacker cannot also provide basic quotations even after sending the floor plan by email. You need to attend a presentation and I assume that falls under the initial paid design consultation. While Hacker is a reputed brand, I still don't have info of Trisha Interiors as a dealer. With a bad experience initially , I might override my partner 's positive evaluation of the brand on this one. Let's see. 

With the location of Trisha Interiors bang in the centre of the city, I presume that it has provided interior solutions to a host of people. While the greater number of clients would probably be the moneyed business community, it would really help to get information on Trisha's delivery capabilities. Else I don't have a lot of inputs yet to enter this brand my top 3.

Hacker location in Bangalore:
TRISHA, 1A CASTLE STREET, ASHOK NAGAR, BANGALORE-560025
Tel : +91-80-41131769/70, Mob : +91-9740999350,
Email:hacker@trisha.co.in

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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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