Last updated on December 17th, 2021
Planning a new kitchen or remodeling your old one? Have you decided then, if you’d like your kitchen appliances to be built into the kitchen design, or would you rather have them free-standing?
We hope to make this choice easier for you with this blog by outlining the Pros and Cons of both design styles. Read on to see what would work best for you.
What Are Built-In Or Integrated Kitchen appliances?
Built-in kitchen appliances are housed inside kitchen cabinets, giving your kitchen a seamless and modern appearance. This means – no more unattractive appliances (often in different colors) standing out in different parts of the kitchen! It really isn’t a wonder why more and more people are choosing to have their kitchen appliances built right into the kitchen cabinetry.
Let’s now have a quick look at their pros and cons!
Built-In Appliances: The Pros
1. The most obvious advantage of built-in appliances is the consistency in the aesthetics of your kitchen with all appliances hidden away seamlessly behind cupboards and doors.
2. Unlike free-standing appliances that can be bulky and sometimes even dictate the layout of your working space in the kitchen, built-in appliances preserve your sense of space as they are built to adapt to the areas you have, as per your comfort.
3. Built-in kitchen appliances are ergonomic as they are compact, easy to use, and safe. They also reduce the time you spend on cooking and cleaning.
4. Built-in kitchen appliances are suitable for large and small kitchens alike. They are quite versatile in this aspect.
5. If you decide to integrate your kitchen appliances into your kitchen, it can add value if you plan to sell your home, as there might be buyers who would want a ready-to-use kitchen.
6. Built-in appliances such as washing machines, dryers, and dishwashers can be way quieter behind a cabinet door, than their free-standing counterparts.
Built-In Appliances: The Cons
1. Since built-in appliances are integrated into your home, you may be forced to leave them behind if you decide to move house.
2. Changing kitchen design or moving cabinets is difficult with built-in appliances.
3. Built-in kitchen appliances and their installation can be expensive and you might end up paying more for them compared to their free-standing versions with the same specifications.
4. Built-in appliances are harder to repair than free-standing ones.
5. Built-in appliances are harder to change if you plan for an upgrade, down the line.
6. Built-in appliances tend to be smaller than free-standing ones, as the units that they are built into, also take up valuable space.
7. Built-in appliances tend to use more energy. Built-in refrigerators, for instance, need more powerful cooling systems.
What’s Right For You?
The most important thing you’ll need to think of when deciding between built-in or free-standing units is the shape and size of your kitchen. If your kitchen is small, integrating all your appliances inside cabinets can help give your kitchen a streamlined and uncluttered appearance. But if your kitchen is large, in an older property, and has an odd shape, you may want to go in for free-standing appliances, probably with a vintage appearance.
Here’s wishing that you have fun on the journey to making your dream kitchen a reality!
