What do you need to store in the kitchen proper? You already have crockery storage and food storage elsewhere. Just tally what you actually need to store and provide space for that. You may not need all built-in cabinets; shelves, hooks, or pegboards may do as well. And yes, the utility room is very tight....it look like just a 24 in (600 mm) wide passage? I'd scrap the sink rather than squeeze it in so tight. Do you really need separate spaces for utility, kitchen and store? If you combined these all and planned them carefully, you could have a large, very functional kitchen, at least by US standards. (Not being familiar with exact kitchen norms in India, I can't fully comment on the tradeoffs.)

Thank you Marie. I'm herewith attaching couple of pics that were taken when the house was newly constructed. I wish I could take latest ones but it is a total mess now. But you'll get a fairly better idea with an empty house. One picture, taken in long-shot, shows the lateral part of the kitchen hidden behind the shelf and Arch (I brought down this Arch now). The second one shows the kitchen door showing only part of the kitchen interior. I've annotated the pictures wherever necessary. Hope they're not distracting. As you can clearly see, this is an old-styled construction even though this house was constructed barely 6 years ago! In an attempt to make the home look contemporary, my current project involves either 1 . Bringing down the concrete shelves completely and replace them with wooden cabinets/wardrobes. I've already brought down few concrete shelves in other rooms. OR 2. Alternatively, overlaying few of existing shelves with wooden doors to cover them up. Either way, the appearance is more or less the same once the furnishing is completed. At this juncture, this decision of 'Open Versus Closed kitchen' is holding me back from proceeding to the next phase of remodeling - Dropped Ceilings.

It totally depends upon your cooking pattern. Indian cooking is more oily and tadka wala, so if its the same in your kitchen then i wouldn't suggest you to go for it. But if its not then its quiet easy and handy. Or you can have a powerful chimney and keep the shelves a little away from the cooktop.

That's a thoughtful fixture for your proble. But that's a problem solver.for your important stuff To just feel more important..You can clear away the daily doable ssuch a shoe racks bed linen and other things and your storage as an e xtension for your open area...I suggest you to consider making a table out of it or having sit behind your bed, In that way you can make uss of it in somewhat reassuring manner.