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Appliances, especially in kitchen spaces and balconies, often occupy a lot of space, regardless of size. A clutter of appliances scattered on countertops or along walls makes the space feel chaotic and uncomfortable. To solve this problem, embedded design comes into play, cleverly hiding appliances inside cabinets or walls, making the overall space more tidy and organized. So, what key factors need to be considered to achieve this embedded appliance design?
1. What is “Embedded Appliance” Design
It refers to the installation of commonly used household appliances, such as refrigerators, ovens, steam ovens, microwaves, sterilizers, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, televisions, etc., all embedded within custom cabinetry or walls.
This saves space, enhances the overall coherence of the space, makes it look fresher, neater, and more aesthetically pleasing, significantly improving the usability of the space and reducing waste.
2. Preconditions for “Embedded Appliance” Design
Embedded appliance design is not suitable for all spaces, so practical considerations must be made during design. To achieve embedded appliance design, the following conditions must be met:
1. Sufficient Space Area
Generally, balcony spaces often adopt embedded designs, integrating washing machines, dryers, and sinks into custom cabinetry, ensuring sufficient space.
Importantly, this embedded design should effectively hide kitchen appliances without altering the space structure, ensuring that they do not occupy valuable countertop or floor space when not in use. Through clever layout, the kitchen’s functionality can be maximized, allowing for a more fluid space while maintaining overall beauty and comfort.
Ultimately, embedded appliance design still requires occupying the kitchen’s space area. The space for appliance doors to open and for standing individuals must be sufficiently sized. Therefore, if the kitchen space itself is limited, including storage and hallway space, then implementing embedded appliance design may be restricted.
2. Sufficient Client Budget
Embedded appliance design involves both the appliances themselves and the custom cabinetry, and the overall cost is usually much higher than that of non-embedded design solutions. Therefore, the key to realizing this design concept lies in whether the client’s budget is sufficiently ample.
3. Appliance Dimensions and After-Sales Service
Embedded appliances differ from traditional appliances and require specialized installation. During this process, special attention must be paid to the size relationship between the appliances and the cabinets. Accurate measurements and reasonable designs are key to ensuring that the appliances can be perfectly embedded in the cabinets. Any dimensional deviation may prevent installation, affecting overall aesthetics and functionality.
On the other hand, after-sales service is also crucial. Designers and manufacturers should consider the convenience of later maintenance and upkeep when selecting and installing embedded appliances. Retaining necessary maintenance space and easy disassembly methods can reduce maintenance costs and improve efficiency.
3. Design Size Requirements
Embedded appliance design involves two main aspects of size consideration: the cabinets and the appliances.
1. Cabinet Size Requirements
When considering cabinet size design, the opening size of the appliances and the standing dimensions of individuals must be fully considered. Typically, appliances are embedded in base cabinets or full-height cabinets, with a standard cabinet depth of about 600mm. After arranging the cabinets, it is essential to ensure sufficient passage space, with a corridor width of at least 1200mm.
When designing cabinets for embedded appliances, it is necessary to consider the outward opening of the appliances, typically with an opening size of over 500mm. To ensure that there is still sufficient passage space when opening, the corridor width should be at least 1200mm. Additionally, to ensure that individuals have enough standing space after opening, the corridor width should ideally reach at least 600mm. Passage width ≥ appliance opening size + standing dimensions.
2. Appliance Size Requirements
Before designing cabinets, it is crucial to determine the types and dimensions of the appliances to be embedded, allowing for corresponding reservations during the cabinet production stage, including the advance planning of electrical outlets.
4. Heat Dissipation and Electrical Design Requirements
1. Heat Dissipation Design Requirements
When using embedded appliances within closed cabinetry, heat dissipation is a critical factor that requires special attention. Good heat dissipation design helps maintain the normal operating temperature of the appliances, prolongs their lifespan, and ensures safety.
On the other hand, high temperatures can also have significant negative impacts on the cabinetry itself. Different appliances have different heat dissipation methods and locations; some dissipate heat from the rear or bottom, while others implement all-around dissipation. Therefore, careful consideration must be made during the design process based on this.
The core logic of heat dissipation is to maintain a distance between the appliances and the cabinetry while ensuring effective protection for the cabinetry.
Therefore, when reserving cabinet dimensions, it is essential to ensure that there is sufficient distance between the appliances and the cabinetry. On the other hand, when selecting cabinet materials, it should not use conventional materials like those used for wardrobes and TV cabinets, but rather materials that are heat-resistant and deformation-resistant. Alternatively, insulation boards can be arranged within the cabinetry, which not only extends the lifespan of the appliances but also provides some protection for the cabinetry.
Different appliances have different heat dissipation measures and requirements
Oven
If you want to make the oven embedded, it is best to choose a front-venting oven model, and when installing the oven in the cabinet, avoid making a back panel to ensure there is some gap distance between the oven and the cabinetry to promote ventilation and heat dissipation. When selecting cabinet materials, it is essential to use heat-resistant materials to ensure that the cabinetry does not easily get damaged in high-temperature environments.
When installing the oven in the base cabinet, it should absolutely not be placed under the gas stove. Both the gas stove and the oven have high heat dissipation requirements, and placing them together may not only damage the appliances but also increase safety risks, potentially leading to explosions and other serious incidents.
Microwave
The heat dissipation logic of a microwave is similar to that of an oven, requiring a certain distance from the surrounding cabinetry. In the installation of the microwave, it is recommended to maintain at least 100mm distance between the microwave and the cabinetry above, and 50mm distance on both sides to ensure ventilation and heat dissipation.
Sterilizer
The sterilizer is typically installed directly below the stove, and it needs to maintain at least 150mm of gap distance from the stove. It is recommended to reserve a square ventilation hole with a side length of about 120mm on the cabinetry behind the sterilizer to ensure effective ventilation and heat dissipation.
Refrigerator
The heat dissipation of embedded refrigerators primarily focuses on the sides and the rear. To ensure good heat dissipation, it is recommended to maintain at least 100mm of gap distance between the embedded refrigerator and the cabinetry or wall on both sides and the rear. This design can effectively prevent heat accumulation, ensuring that the refrigerator operates normally and prolonging the equipment’s lifespan. Ensuring surrounding ventilation and heat dissipation conditions when installing embedded refrigerators is crucial to providing the best working environment.
2. Water and Electricity Design Requirements
For Socket Arrangement
Considering the arrangement and placement of appliances in advance, and reasonably planning the location of sockets is crucial for the overall convenience, safety, and aesthetic and practical layout of the appliances.
Placing sockets on the side of the appliances or inside adjacent cabinetry, by pre-drilling holes, not only facilitates plugging and unplugging but also avoids placing them directly behind the appliances, helping to maintain a reasonable distance, avoiding excessive bending of power cords, and improving user experience.
From a dimensional perspective, placing sockets directly behind appliances may lead to some aesthetic issues. Since sockets and plugs have a certain thickness, they occupy part of the appliance’s depth, making the appliance protrude visually and not coordinate well with the cabinetry, affecting overall aesthetic effect.
Water Supply and Drainage Arrangement
When designing cabinetry, it is essential to consider the location of water supply and drainage pipes in advance, as well as the dimensions of the appliances, and reasonably reserve space before producing the cabinetry. In limited-depth situations, avoid placing the water inlet and sockets directly behind the appliances to prevent them from protruding, affecting overall aesthetics.
Similarly, the position of the floor drain should also avoid being placed directly below the appliances to prevent drainage functionality issues; it is best to arrange it beside the appliances. Such careful planning helps ensure that the cabinetry achieves the best balance in functionality and aesthetic design, enhancing the overall user experience.
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*The article represents the author’s independent viewpoint and does not reflect the position of Jin Zhao.
