5 Parallel Modular Kitchen Designs for Your Home

Admin Dec. 25, 2025

At Garrison Grove, we suggest kitchen designs based on the length and width of your kitchen, how frequently you cook, and of course, your personal preferences. Parallel modular kitchen designs make most sense for rectangular kitchens that are 7 to 9 feet wide.

They offer:

efficient workflow for frequent cooks as you prep, cook, and wash,
maximized storage space with full base units on both sides, tall units that don’t choke movement, and separate spaces for dry, wet, and appliance storage,
a clutter-free look (important especially in apartments with open kitchen layouts), and
enough space for two or more people to work in the kitchen easily.

Frequent cooks who prioritize ease of cooking over Pinterest-type photos love parallel kitchen designs. Mumbaikars love our practical parallel modular kitchen designs as they offer maximum storage in minimum area, ease of working where everything is within reach and bending and moving around is greatly reduced, and great longevity.

Here are five of our top-picked parallel modular kitchen designs that are quite practical as well as attractive:

1. The Classic Workhorse Parallel Kitchen

The classic workhorse parallel kitchen layout is so efficient that it has been a top choice of our clients for several years in a row. In this design, one side is used for cooking while the other side is used for prepping and as storage.

On the cooking side, we design space for hob and chimney, storage space for oils, spices and condiments, and base units for pots and pans. On the other side, there’s usually a tall pantry, space for a refrigerator, and enough counter space for chopping and kneading.

Our Garrison Grove modular kitchen designers usually keep all the heavy hardware on the prep side while using handleless wardrobe shutters on the cooking side - to avoid accidental knee bumps as you move around your kitchen. Also, we keep the size of drawers according to the bottle heights, pots, and pans that will be kept in them.

In Mumbai, we almost always design taller units in kitchens with ventilation gaps and slots to avoid humidity spoiling your spices and condiments.

2. Parallel Kitchen with Maximum Storage Space

Sometimes clients do not cook that frequently but want to use their kitchen space to store things like dry goods and appliances. In such cases, we often dedicate one full-wall to tall units, such as for pantry, built-in oven, and concealed utility cabinet or broom unit. The opposite side is cleaner and leaner with sink, dishwasher, and minimal base storage units.

With added vertical storage space, we can cut down on clutter considerably. Families with several small appliances or where people groceries in bulk love storage-first modular parallel kitchen designs.

Our modular kitchen design specialists often recommend light laminates or matte finishes for tall cabinets in such types of parallel kitchens.

3. Parallel Kitchen with Breakfast Counter

In open kitchen layouts or narrow kitchens, parallel kitchens can be modified to make it feel more functional and social. One side can be used as a full kitchen and the other side can have just a shallow counter or a breakfast ledge. If you do not have a separate dining area, this counter can work as your eating area - perfect for couples or families with young kids.

The depth of the shallow counter should not be more than 12 to 15 inches - perfect for tea or quick meals or perhaps working on a laptop. Bar stools can be added too. Our modular kitchen design experts can adjust counter heights according to your needs, install concealed charging points in the counter, and use finishes that gel well with your living space interiors.

4. Parallel Kitchen with Separate Wet and Dry Zones

This type of parallel kitchen design has two separate zones:

One side is the Wet Zone, where you have the sink, dishwasher, cleaning supplies, and pull-out trash units.
The other side is the Dry Zone. This is where you cook. It has your hob, oven, place to keep your spices, and drawers and storage space for pots and pans and other things.

For homes where frequent and heavy cooking is common, this arrangement makes cleaning easier. It keeps the mess and splashes under control.

We strictly recommend waterproof boards and aluminum profiles & shutters for wet zones in this type of modular kitchen design.

5. Compact Parallel Kitchen for Small Homes

Small homes are challenging and they require better planning. Small parallel kitchens can only have shallow drawers and space needs to be highly optimized. We place tall units at the far end of small kitchens and often use pull-out baskets instead of shelves.

The idea is to keep the walking space clear and make the kitchen feel larger than it really is.

These types of modular kitchens are most popular in compact homes and studio apartments. We recommend a single color palette for such kitchens to make it look visually spacious.

Do you need help with deciding the dimensions, materials, or designs of your modular parallel kitchen? Talk to our experts today

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