I believe we have all got to a point where the last thing we want to see when we walk into our kitchens is that dated microwave and toaster. Well, a new trend is hiding a lot more than that, it seems people are building their modern kitchens to appear to have no appliances at all.
Clean and Appealing
What would you do in the kitchen without your microwave, garbage bin, coffee maker, or dishwasher? Nervous yet or are you getting excited and ready for a kitchen remodel?
Those appliances are crucial in our daily routines, and we can not even imagine being without them.
That being said, what would life be like if these items, all of a sudden, were concealed but easily accessible, and your kitchen would remain fully functional but clean and appealing?
Whether you are struggling to find more counters space or not, we have 5 fresh ideas to hide your appliances.
1. Hide vs. Display your Fridge
Have you ever walked into a kitchen, and all you saw was a massive fridge? Big appliances often draw your eye and make the space feel more cluttered and dense.
Lately, when designing customized kitchens, interior designers recommend building custom cabinetry that will hide big appliances like these.
A built-in fridge will look similar to the design of the cupboards that surround it and your kitchen will be immediately transformed. It will offer space and obtain that clean and luxurious look.
If you want a true hidden fridge then look no further than our latest project, The Trista, where the basement bar comes equipped with a full size refrigerator. The sleek design allows it to blend right in with the cabinetry and unless you know it’s there you might not know where to grab your next drink from.
2. Dishwasher: To See or Not to See
Over the years dishwasher have been fairly easy to conceal and keep out of the way. Pick a spot to the right or left of the sink and set it between the cabinetry.
What if we could take it a step further and make it appear that the cabinetry never stops?
See that big lower cabinet to the right of the sink? It’s not a cabinet – it’s a dishwasher.
3. Trash Can: Out of Sight, Out of Mind
The trash can in your kitchen can cause multiple issues, in addition to taking up too much space. Open can might carry food odors that will spread around the house and create harmful bacteria.
Direct contact with waste can result in skin contamination or even infections. So we better hide that trash can.
Pullout bins have quite a few advantages, both in style and function.
Can you guess which drawer is for garbage?
4. Contemporary Appliance Garage
There are several ways you can approach the design of an appliance garage. Corner spaces are ideal for this because they’re not typically used for anything else.
They’re out of the way but still very accessible, and they’re very customizable. So many of us have grown up with those lazy susan drawers.
My mom used hers for baking supplies, spices, mixer and sometimes even pans. Separating the appliance garage into individual sections or having more than one is also a great idea.
But, of course, there’s no need to overthink the design. Something simple like this can work out great in most kitchens.
There are a few more details to consider when planning your appliance garage. First, if you want to close it, so the appliances are concealed, you need to choose a door type.
There are several options: rolling doors are an excellent option for casual kitchens, folding doors are great if you want your appliance garage to blend in and match the cabinetry.
Lift-up doors open and close effortlessly, and on top of that, they look very simple and clean and blend in well with the rest of the kitchen.
If your appliance doesn’t offer enough clearance for regular doors to swing open and close, consider sliding doors instead. They’re very convenient, and they go well with contemporary kitchens.
5. Hidden Microwave
Now that all the bulky appliances are hidden, let’s focus on the microwave.
Microwave use for most has decreased over the last decade. Partly because of the addition of new appliances such as air fryers and technological advances with steam and speed ovens of which provide a higher quality heat up.
Even coffee heat ups have become a thing of the past with Nespresso and Keurig machines giving you exactly what you need. Lastly, people are spending more time in the kitchen and trending towards slower and more thoughtful cooking.
Thus, creating a necessity for more space. Here’s some ideas for convenient access, but out of sight.
- place it behind the cabinet doors
- conceal it on the inner side of the kitchen island
- tuck it in under your countertop
- hide it in the drawer
- put it behind the pull-up overhead door
- slot it into the side of the pantry cabinet
- take advantage of your appliance garage
So when you start dreaming of your next kitchen remodel think, hidden doors, modern aesthetics, and microwaves nowhere to be found.
