High-tech designs revamp Kenyan kitchens

Kalpesh Desai walks around his showroom at Nairobi’s Centre Point Plaza, Parklands Road, showing off his latest interior designs.

He briefly stops at a fitted kitchen design next to the window and stares at it for a while before he starts to explain the details of the white Scavolini unit with a blend of black top.

It comes with glossy white cabinets, glossed worktops and a centred cooking area and is only one of the many kitchen sets in the showroom.

Prafulchandra and Brothers Ltd are the exclusive suppliers of one of Italy’s leading kitchen design brands and in the three years they have held the franchise they have installed 12 units.

“In a layman’s term this is good since we didn’t have any basics in kitchen experience when we first started out,” said Mr Desai. Scavolini designs, just like Italian shoes, cost a fortune.

A simple unit will cost Sh400,000 and the price can go up to Sh1 million for a standard design. If shopping for a premium design, the price is upon request.

More recently as Kenyans increased their investment in real estate, or remodelled their homes, the kitchen, often referred to as the heart of a home, has gained a lot more attention.
For some it is no longer enough to buy a fridge here, a cooker there and get the local carpenter to fix some cupboards.

Deep pocketed Kenyans are opting for fitted kitchens complete with every imaginable modern gadget including counter-top cookers, dish washers, ovens, modern cabinets that blend with the homes décor.

People are willing to spend to get the right appliances, space and ambiance in this room. They will walk into the preferred kitchen suppliers’ showroom point at a unit and ask for it to be fitted, as is or with a few adjustments, in their homes.

Kitchen suppliers say the boom in the real estate market is what has necessitated their existence. Almost every apartment, upcoming international hotels and commercial buildings are asking for these units.

“There is demand in the market for quality products. Developers have also realised that people are not just buying houses. They want something more appealing,” said Foresight Group marketing manager Patrick Wabule. Foresight Group is a kitchen design firm located on Ngong Road.

Three years ago, when Prafulchandra & Brothers started the line, there were only a few players in the market among them the German firm-Nobilia, Hwan Sung, PoggenPohl and Foresight Group. Today it has grown with more than 10 players, many holding international franchises. 

Prafulchandra & Brothers like the many high end kitchen firms are dealing with well to do, travelled and deep pocketed individuals looking for befitting kitchen designs. Theirs are more quality focussed than price oriented customers.

“These are people who have been all over the world, and have read all manner of magazines,” said Mr Desai.  “The kitchen is the heart of the house. If you don’t have a proper kitchen, I don’t think you can claim to have a proper house.”

With many new developments having limited space, especially apartments, the need for more glamour in the kitchen has become a major driver of business for the suppliers.

Accessorised kitchen cabinets have become the in-thing. It ranges from colour coded cabinets with bins that open in synchrony with the drawer and close when the cabinet is pushed back, to hydraulic drawers that don’t bang, or induction hobs – countertop cooker - that don’t burn even if you place your palm on it.

The store also has products to serve the middle market, which has been vibrant due to the continued investment by the middle-class in real estate and finer furnishing.

“The market opportunity is big, but considerable chunks of the market we notice are price-oriented. This is what is taking us a step back,” said Mr Desai. 

Market segmentation in the Kitchen supply market is defined by the depth of clients’ pockets and quality.

“There is a need in the market for extremely high end kitchens,” said Mr Walube.

Kitchen firms know too well their clients disposition. They are the kind of people that walk in with a magazine in hand and ask for a duplicate of one of the designs on the glossy pages. Some want it imported right away keeping the suppliers on their toes and in business.

Mr Desai is one of the kitchen fitters challenged by client’s distinctive requests. But he is happy taking up unique demands all day long than deal with contractors.

“We would favour serving individuals because this is where we can customise Scavolini more,” said Mr Desai, adding developers go for uniform designs that sometime limit creativity and quality.

Developers have also had to adjust and offer quality kitchens as people demand for fitted kitchens.

“The one thing buyers are on the lookout for in a house is the kitchen, the master bedroom and master bath. Nobody wants to spend Sh25 million on a house without a nice kitchen,” said Mr Walube.

Foresight has fitted over 1,000 kitchen units since it was established in 2007. The units are fabricated locally sourcing some materials locally for adjustments when modifying a house or a kitchen as opposed to wholly imported kitchens that can’t be adjusted in case of building errors, said Mr Walube.

The cheapest kitchen Foresight has fitted was worth Sh110,000 in an apartment block in Kileleshwa though most costs about Sh2.5 million. The price can however rise depending on the quality of the wood, other materials and design.

HotPoint Appliances limited is one of the companies that have been fitting appliances in many homes across the country. HotPoint serves the premium market through the LG and Ariston brands of microwave, hobs, fridges, washers, coffee makers, air conditioners and much more.

They have signed deals with a number of kitchen unit firms to supply appliances as well as sell to walk in customers.

HotPoint’s product manager Raj Kanani says the premium market is booming with many home owners looking to buy the best appliances.

A double door glass fridge, one of the largest in the market, and ideal for a home with space, retails for Sh359,500, and the store has sold a few.