The case study contents
Five sections below. The numbers section is the useful one if you are trying to work out whether your own kitchen can hold what you need.
The brief
- A household of six, cooking three full meals a day, including heavy frying.
- Storage for a month of dry groceries plus festival-scale utensils.
- A cook who is 5 ft 1 in and a household member who is 6 ft 1 in.
- The single window could not be blocked; it is the kitchen's only ventilation.
The constraints
- A 14 in duct projection running down the main wall for its full height.
- An 11 ft by 7 ft 6 in room, which is tight for an L with a working aisle.
- The gas riser fixed at the far corner, away from where the hob wanted to be.
- A sunk-slab utility adjoining, which set the finished floor level.
What we did
- Boxed the duct into a full-height pantry, turning a projection into 18 cubic feet of storage.
- Placed the hob on the short leg, nearest the window, for cross ventilation while frying.
- Set the counter at 34 in, a compromise measured against both users, with a pull-out step.
- Ran a 900 mm chimney with a 2.4 m duct and one bend to the shaft.
- Specified BWP throughout because the utility door lets moisture into the room daily.
Numbers
- 34 running feet of internal storage achieved within an 11 ft run.
- Aisle held at 3 ft 8 in, above the 3 ft 6 in minimum for a single-cook kitchen.
- Sink-to-hob clear run of 3 ft 4 in on the long leg.
- 18 cubic feet of pantry recovered from what had been a dead duct projection.
What transfers to your project
- A duct is storage waiting to be claimed. Box it in rather than working around it.
- Set counter height to the person who cooks, and give the taller user a different task zone.
- Keep the hob near ventilation in a Mumbai kitchen; a chimney alone does not clear frying.
- Specify BWP wherever a utility or bathroom door opens into the room.
How to apply it
- Box the duct rather than working around it. A full-height pantry over a duct is storage you were not going to get otherwise.
- Put the hob near the ventilation. A chimney alone does not clear Indian frying; cross ventilation does most of the work.
- Set the counter to the cook and give the taller user a different zone rather than compromising at a height that suits neither.
- Specify BWP throughout where a utility door opens into the kitchen daily.
Three lessons that transfer
- Storage per running foot is the real measure. Thirty-four feet of internal storage in an eleven-foot run is what makes a small kitchen work.
- A single window is not negotiable. Blocking it for storage is a trade nobody is happy with by month three.
- A pull-out step costs almost nothing and makes the top shelf usable for the shorter cook.
Download the case study (PDF) →
See the photographs at marble modular kitchen, and rates on the kitchen cost page.
Frequently asked questions
How much storage should a kitchen have?+
For a household of six cooking daily, 30 to 36 running feet of internal shelf and drawer storage is the practical target. That is achievable in an 11 ft run only if tall units and the full carcass depth are used properly, which is what the duct pantry made possible here.
Where should the hob go?+
Near ventilation, with at least 12 inches of clear counter on the side away from the wall and 3 ft of uninterrupted run between hob and sink. In Mumbai, cross ventilation matters more than most kitchen plans allow for, because a chimney alone does not clear the oil from heavy frying.
What counter height for two users of different heights?+
Set it to whoever cooks most — here 34 inches for a 5 ft 1 in cook — and give the taller user a different task zone, such as a slightly higher breakfast counter or a section of the return. Splitting the difference at 35 inches suits neither person.
Why BWP throughout rather than only in wet bays?+
Because a utility door opened into this kitchen several times a day and brought humidity with it. Where a kitchen adjoins a wet utility, or is on a low floor in a damp building, the extra Rs 40 to 60 per sq ft for BWP across the whole carcass is money well spent.
What is the minimum aisle for a single-cook kitchen?+
Three feet six inches. At 3 ft 4 in you cannot open a base drawer and pass. This kitchen held 3 ft 8 in, which allowed a second person to reach the fridge while someone worked at the hob — the realistic test for an Indian family kitchen.