Think about your morning routine: Maybe you wake up and make coffee, have some toast, heat water to prepare oatmeal, and treat yourself to a nutritious smoothie a little bit later. Chances are you have already used four appliances before even half the day has passed. Everybody loves helpful gadgets, but with more and more devices available, the danger of cluttering your kitchen is real, precious countertop workspace gets lost, and nobody enjoys looking at a seemingly unorganized mess. Seems like there is no easy way out? Like you’d either must get rid of some of your valued helpers or awkwardly try to fit them all into tight spaces? Lucky for you, there is a solution that’s both pretty and practical: Hide your appliances in plain sight! Today I’ll show you how to conceal appliances and free up space.
For smaller appliances, it may make sense to get a garage. Just like its car-sized counterpart, this is a place to “park” your gadgets in when not in use. Depending on your type of kitchen, number of devices you wish to hide, and aesthetic and functional preferences, there is a variety of options to choose from. Here is a little overview:
The most “garagey” option. Opens and closes like an actual car garage. Can be very tall and spacious, and is easy to open, but does not blend in with the cabinetry very well.
Opens like an accordion. One of the most inconspicuous options, nobody is going to know that it’s not just a regular cabinet. Space is limited, however.
This garage slides open like a patio door. You can have it stretch it as long as you want and still be able to hide it as a backsplash. Can be maintenance intensive though.
Looks almost like a big usual cabinet, except it opens upwards. It fits in nicely, but space is limited and short people may have trouble reaching the bar to close it.
The most futuristic and spectacular option, and my personal favorite. Your appliances will stay hidden underneath a smooth surface until you press a button and they rise up.
So far so good, but what about bigger appliances you can’t just stash away in creatively hidden cabinet space? Well, there generally are two options.
Semi-integrated appliances are seamlessly built into the surface of your kitchen, but still recognizable as appliances. For example, built-in dishwashers will still have a control panel visible on the outside. This is usually the more economical (because less custom) alternative, but it does not fully remove your appliances out of view.
Fully integrated appliances on the other hand are completely camouflaged, and “hide” in plain sight. Panel fronted devices, for example, are stationed in a custom cabinet matching the style of the rest of the kitchen and have a panel in the front that looks like a cabinet door. That way even a fridge can look like the drawer you keep your plates in. Or, in our dishwasher example, you wouldn’t see any controls until you open it up.
For a spacious and organized kitchen-feel, concealing appliances works wonders. Blender, Coffee maker, microwave, refrigerator or even a sink – pretty much any kitchen device can be hidden in plain sight to maintain a clean look. If you have any more questions or need help with concealing appliances or any other remodeling topic, call Zieba Builders now at (562) 439-5294!
Zieba Builders has the experience, expertise, and passion to make your next home project a success. Ready to get started on your design & build project? Give us a call or email us today!
