Essential Tips for Embedded Appliance Design

Embedded appliance design hides appliances within furniture, saving space while showcasing a stylish visual effect. This is no longer a novelty in the renovation world. However, embedding an appliance isn’t as simple as it seems—check out these common pitfalls👇

To help address common renovation challenges, today I’ll summarize some issues that often arise with embedded appliance design, so you can avoid pitfalls during your renovation. Let’s take a look~

In embedded appliance installations, 9 out of 10 failures are due to size issues.

Always determine the appliance size first, then customize the cabinet to fit these dimensions to ensure a snug fit for the embedded appliance.

Additionally, pay attention to the following details:

Appliance external dimensions must match cabinet internal dimensions

Appliances are installed inside cabinets, so when customizing cabinets, the appliance width should match the cabinet’s internal depth, while the overall cabinet width should be the internal depth plus the thickness of the material.

Distinguish between standard embedded and zero-clearance appliances

Embedded appliances can be standard embedded or zero-clearance (freestanding).

For example, standard embedded refrigerators require approximately 4cm of space on both sides for door clearance, or the refrigerator door panel must protrude from the cabinet; zero-clearance refrigerators use specially designed hinges, allowing them to be installed flush with the cabinet without affecting normal operation.

Consider the shape and thickness of appliance door panels

The thickness of appliance door panels is often overlooked, especially for front-loading washing machines, where the shape and size significantly affect the embedded effect. Thus, when installing such appliances, it’s essential to account for the door panel thickness.

Pay attention to the appliance door opening dimensions

Appliances are generally embedded in base cabinets or full-height cabinets, and the outward-opening doors will occupy hallway space, so ensure that the appliance door can open fully and that there is enough standing space for users.

After addressing size issues, it’s crucial to consider the heat dissipation of appliances.

Different appliances have varying heat dissipation methods and locations; for instance, refrigerators typically dissipate heat from the bottom or back, while steam ovens and ovens usually dissipate heat from all sides.

When reserving cabinet dimensions, maintain a gap between the appliance and cabinet, and also select heat-resistant materials for the cabinet, or add insulation materials inside the cabinet to protect it.

• Built-in Oven

It’s best to choose a front-venting oven, keeping a certain gap between the oven and cabinet for ventilation. The cabinet material should be heat-resistant, and the cabinet should not have a back panel.

If the oven is installed in a base cabinet, it should not be placed directly under the stove unless it’s an integrated stove/oven unit.

• Built-in Microwave

A microwave should maintain distance from surrounding cabinets, with at least 10cm of space above and 5cm on each side for proper ventilation.

• Built-in Disinfection Cabinet

Disinfection cabinets are typically installed directly below the stove, maintaining a gap of at least 15cm between them, and a square vent hole of 12cm should be reserved in the cabinet behind.

• Built-in Refrigerator

For standard built-in refrigerators, both sides and the back are major heat sources, so they must maintain a certain distance from the cabinet or wall. Zero-clearance refrigerators generally have front-facing low-profile ventilation, so just ensure the bottom vent is unobstructed.

It’s crucial to note that for embedded appliance designs, appliances with embedded functionality must be used; ordinary appliances cannot be substituted.

Plan the appliance layout and placement in advance to arrange the outlets accordingly.

Generally, outlets should be placed on the side or within adjacent cabinets, with pre-drilled holes in the cabinet for easy wiring, facilitating the everyday operation of appliances.

Avoid placing outlets directly behind appliances as this makes them inconvenient to operate and poses safety risks due to appliance heat affecting the outlets. Additionally, avoid having the outlet position and the power plug occupy the cabinet’s depth, which could impact the appliance’s embedded depth.

For appliances requiring water supply and drainage, it’s advisable to follow the installation diagrams in the manual for the water inlet and drainage outlet locations.

In cases where depth is limited, do not place the water inlet directly behind the appliance, as this may cause the appliance to protrude and affect the aesthetics.

Drainage outlets should not be placed directly below the appliance. If the appliance is not high enough off the ground, the drainage pipe may not properly connect to the drain, affecting drainage efficiency.

Before constructing the cabinet, ensure to reserve space based on the plumbing locations and the appliance dimensions.

*Some images are sourced from the internet; please remove if infringing.

What experiences or insights do you have regarding embedded appliance renovations? Feel free to leave a comment and share with everyone~ For embedded appliances and kitchen renovations, visit B&Q for a chance to win a gold bar or a one-year usage right for a NIO car!