Modular Kitchens In India

My mother's idea of a modern kitchen congers up something resembling a school kitchen, and that is a shame because a modern kitchen today has endless possibilities. There are several elements typically found in a modernly designed kitchen. The first is clean, smooth lines in everything possible especially the cabinetry and window coverings, if any are used at all. A lack of clutter and at least one element of stainless steel, usually in the appliances, counter tops, or back splashes is incorporated. As with all new home or remodeled kitchens the costs can vary enormously, thus a modern look is possible in every price range.

Cabinets and appliances are important aspects of a modern kitchen because of the visual space they occupy. Cabinet refacing, cabinet door replacements, or paint offer options for consumers who cannot afford to replace complete cabinets. Laminate finishes in bold, solid colors are a hot trend in modern kitchens and are a great way to add color, keep the lines clean, and not look busy. Glass in clear, frosted, or color in cabinetry can make a kitchen look like a dazzling showplace. Switching or adding streamlined, generally stainless steel, hardware is another modernizing feature for kitchens and the options of hardware available now is worth exploring. Stainless steel appliances are a modern kitchen standard, however, black appliances are a great option and can be more affordable. A favorite option for a truly clean appearance is appliances hidden behind matching cabinet doors.

Counter top options are a great example of how flexible modern kitchen design can be. Natural quartz, quartz composite, granite, marble, and slate are popular and beautiful slab counter top options. Tiled stone can also work in a modern kitchen but is usually best when the tiles are of a solid nature and have grout that matches. Stainless steel is a durable counter top that has a more industrial aura about it. Laminate and butcher block are relatively affordable options that have different benefits. Wood counter tops have a sense of warmth to them and can take on a variety of looks with their hue, while laminate comes in every color imaginable.

The flooring is an important aspect of a modern looking kitchen, and while there are still a lot of options, faithfulness to the visual cleanliness should be adhered to. The clean look can be achieved with bamboo, wood, or wood laminate flooring in anything that is not knotty or country in feel. Concrete flooring can have a more industrial look but is also very functional and can be softened with a perfectly, patterned rug. Options of concrete, vinyl, cork, stone or ceramic tile can all work if the colors and patterns are selected with a clear conclusion in mind.

Finally, fun, dramatic lighting of endless options, usually with silver toned or stainless steel hardware complete the modern kitchen design. One of the unsurpassed things about a modern kitchen is the plethora of design options possible. If the clean, simplistic look is what you desire, have fun selecting the elements of your modern kitchen.

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About Kitchens Because you probably will only buy a new kitchen once or twice in your life, you will need all the help you can get. Especially with the ever changing trends and the home improvement and cookery programmes on television it becomes more and more difficult to make a sound choice. This step-by-step decision planner will help you on your way to your dream kitchen. Kitchen Plan First it is important to choose whether you want a fitted kitchen or a freestanding kitchen. If you choose for a fitted kitchen, bathroom cabinets, you will make the most of your space, as all the difficult corners can be hidden and used for storage. You can choose for flat pack, rigid or custom built to suit your needs and budget. Choose a freestanding and you will get that individual and informal look you might have been looking for. You can use all kinds of furniture to create the ambiance you prefer. You will have to choose your furniture well though to create as much storage space as in a fitted kitchen. Different people have different lifestyles. It is obvious that a single person or a couple will have different expectations from their kitchen than families with growing up children. Make sure the kitchen will fulfil all your needs. Sink, preparation area and hob should never be too far apart and that the fridge should be near the entrance of the kitchen.

This all will have effect on where you will plan to put your basic equipment and where the service points for water, electricity and gas will be. Keep the existing service points in mind when planning your new kitchen as rewiring and re-plumbing your kitchen will take a lot of time and money. Kitchen Design Because cabinet doors are the face of the kitchen, it will be very important that you choose a finish you want to look at for quite a number of years. Wood is one of the most popular choices. It can be used for a solid door, but veneer is a good alternative. Besides that, veneer will give more uniformity, as a piece of wood is cut in thin strips to cover all the doors. Wood itself is available in all kinds of colours, but it can also be glossed, painted, colour washed or waxed to give it the finish you prefer. Laminate cupboard doors have endless possibilities in colour, texture and shine. They are easy to clean and work well in a modern or classic kitchen alike, just as glass, whereas frosted glass works best in contemporary kitchens. A worktop will receive the most wear and tear of all the surfaces in the kitchen. It has to endure hot pots and pans, knives, water and dirt. (cheap furniture)

Therefore your worktop has to be made of the most durable material you can afford. Protect your worktop at all times from hot pans and knives by using trivets and chopping boards. Laminate is very popular for kitchens and worktops, as it is cheap and it comes in a variety of colours. It is easy to transform a kitchen just by changing the worktop. Wood is great for its character, but if used for the worktop it is highly sustainable to scratching and cutting. Oil it well to protect it from stains and it will improve in character over the years to come. Stainless steel can be shaped in any way your kitchen goes. The backsplash and the sink can be made into the same piece of steel, which makes that there are no awkward corners that will jeopardise hygiene. Granite is the most expensive material to cover your worktop with. It is highly durable, it doesn't scratch or burn and it keeps its colour. It's a natural material that will give great character to your kitchen. And last but not least, solid surfaces.

They are hardwearing, they resist scratches, scorches and heat from hot pans, and if you do damage your surface, there are repair kits available to fix it. Buying a Kitchen When you go and buy a kitchen, always make sure that you get a fully itemised costing, so that you know what to be expected to pay. Never pay the full payment for your kitchen when you place your order. Purchase from someone that offers reasonable payment terms furniture stores and make sure you know the terms and conditions. Check whether the company offers a full after sales service and inspection when fitting is completed. If any questions would arise then they can be answered on the spot and maybe immediately dealt with. Just before you decide on buying your dream kitchen, look at showroom cabinets and inspect areas that receive the heaviest wear, such as around the edges, hinges and seams, to spot any possible signs of weakness in the materials. Fully fitted showroom kitchens also give you a good idea about whether you will like certain finishes and gives you the possibility to look for different door handles, colours and materials.

Top Planning Tips

• Plan your kitchen according to your lifestyle. A family will have different expectations from a kitchen than a young couple. Keep this also in mind when planning your storage.
• Keep the existing service points in mind when planning the kitchen as rewiring and re-plumbing takes a lot of time and money.
• Think about the ventilation points when planning your kitchen. Don't plan cupboards over them.
• Decide where your sink, drainer and dishwasher need to go first as this will be the biggest unit to fit in.
• Plan the main areas (sink, food preparation and hob) close together. This will make your kitchen more efficient.
• When measuring the size of the kitchen, make sure that the exact shape of the walls is known. If there is an inwards corner in the room it will influence the shape of the worktop and the place of the wall-cupboards.
• If you decide for a two-way galley kitchen, leave enough walking space between the two galleys.
• If choosing a U-shaped kitchen, consider the floor space you will have left and maybe decide to use one of the legs of the U as a breakfast bar.
• If you like to cook with a lot of fresh vegetables or you need a big freezer, consider a big fridge/freezer at the end of your worktop for loads of storage and easy access.
• In a small and narrow kitchen you can create more space by making the wall-cupboards taller rather than having them protruding outwards. You will create more headspace and the kitchen will look wider.
• Store heavy items in the cupboards underneath the worktop.
• Store rarely used items on the highest shelves of your cupboard to keep easy accessible space free for daily use.
• Kitchens will always have drawers with all sorts of goods in it, like pens, buttons, matches and sandwich bags. To create more order, use little plastic boxes or special drawer organisers. You will find what you need much quicker.
• Store your utensils near to where you are most likely to use them. This will make your kitchen more efficient.
• Keep your worktop clutter free for a tidy look.
• To disguise a boiler you can build a spice rack in front of it. This will not take a lot of space and will be an attractive display for all your spices.
• Think about where you want your main bin to be situated. Try to integrate it in the area below the worktop to keep outlook of the kitchen clean and clutter-free.
• Don't forget to give your cookery books a place in your kitchen!

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Ergonomics, or “human factors”, is the science of designing equipment, the workplace and even the job to fit the worker. It covers a broad spectrum of factors that make up the fit between humans and work. Ergonomic research enables designers to create equipment better suited to the human form so that it puts less stress on the body, as well as controlling external factors such as light, temperature and noise so workers can be at their most productive for longer.
Ergonomics also covers the presentation of information to the worker. By studying the way the data is presented, ergonomic researchers can improve the presentation, recognition and retention of the information being presented.
The five main principles of ergonomics are:
* safety
* comfort
* ease of use
* productivity and performance
* aesthetics
These principles can be broken down into three areas:
Physical ergonomics
Physical ergonomics is concerned with the way the body interacts with the workers’ tools (anything from shovels to chairs to personal computers) and their effects on the body such as posture, musculoskeletal disorders, repetitive disorders, workplace layout and workplace health and safety.
Cognitive Ergonimics
Cognitive Ergonomics relates to the way the mind processes information it is presented with and associated motor functions, memory usage, decision-making and other mental workloads. Study of these factors and the interation between humans and the data presentation can improve everything from the placement of signs, the visibilty and recognition and retention of the data and areas such as Human Computer Interaction (HCI) to improve everything from operating systems to websites.
Organizational Ergonomics
Organizational Ergonomics is concerned with optimizing the workplace, everything from teamwork to assessing teleworking and quality management.
Ergonomics was pioneered by the Greeks but was transformed into a science by Frederick Winslow Taylor in the late 19th Century when he pioneered his “Scientific Management” method to discover the most efficient method for carrying out a specified task. Using his method, Taylor set out to discover the optimum way to shovel coal by experimenting with shovels of incrementally reduced size and weight until the fastest shovelling rate was achieved. In the early 1900s these methods were expanded into “time and motion studies” which help to eliminate unneccessary steps in a given process.
Ergonomics took another leap forward during World War II as the demands on the human body from the first real mechanised war took it’s toll on the mind and the body. Attempts to reduce the phenomenon of “pilot error” by the U.S. Army led to changes in the layout and design of cockpit interiors and the theories behind the changes spread to other branches of the armed forces.
The information age put different demands on ergonomic research with everything from computers, mice, chairs, joysticks and more needing to be designed. A high profile example of ergonomic designing improving the HCI of a games console is the Wii remote control, specifically designed to be simple to use, easy to hold and not tiring to use.
How does egonomics improve Health and Safety in the workplace?
Ergonomics in the workplace can reduce the potential for accidents, injury and ill health and improve productivity and performance. Accidents can be reduced by through better design of controls. If, for example, a switch on a control board is switched on accidentally it may mean the switch should be moved to prevent accidental operation. This is ergonomics in action.
Ill health or injury can be prevented by ensuring there is adequate lighting in all areas and that such lighting does not cause glare or causes eye strain due to low light levels. If, for example, an operator’s mouse is positioned too far away and requires repeated streaching movements to reach then this could lead to Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI). Re-arranging the operator’s work area so the mouse and other frequently used items are within easy reach can prevent such injuries. A computer operator’s chair must also be adjustable to the correct height for the operator to prevent hunching, should provide lumbar or lower back supportand enable the operator to sit at a comfortable distance from the screen and keyboard.
Ergonomic principles even extend to a worker’s shift patterns. Shifts should have enough time betwen them to enable the worker to recover fully, attend to domestic responsibilities and prevent workers from doing excessive overtime. This means workers are rested, alert, and less likely to have an accident or fall ill.
There are several ways you can identify an ergonomic problem, from simple observation and common sense through to risk assessments or simple checklists. We recommend several methods are used to cover all eventualities.
If you think you have identified an ergonomic problem there are several things you should do to solve it.
* Look for causes and solutions. Minor alterations could make a big difference and do not need to be expensive.
* Talk to employees and take suggestions from them. The workers actually performing the task usually have the best insights into how a job can be improved.
* Ask a qualified ergonomics expert.
* Consult the HSE website for guidance material on ergonomics.
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