Understanding Embedded Appliance Design

Author | Haozi

Proofreader | Danjuan

Design Consultant | Chen Damao

Especially in kitchen spaces and balconies, regardless of the size of the appliances, they can take up a lot of space. Cluttered appliances placed on the countertop or on the floor against the wall can make the space look very messy and uncomfortable. Thus, the embedded design solves this pain point by hiding all appliances inside cabinets or walls.

So, how should this embedded appliance design be done? What factors need to be considered?

This article focuses on the following aspects:

How to do embedded appliance design?

1. What is embedded design?

2. Prerequisites for embedded appliance design

3. Dimensional requirements for embedded appliances

4. Design requirements for heat dissipation and water and electricity

What is embedded appliance design?

It refers to integrating commonly used household appliances, such as refrigerators, ovens, steamers, microwaves, sterilizers, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, televisions, etc., all into custom cabinets or walls.

Thus, it saves space, making the entire space appear more cohesive, cleaner, and aesthetically pleasing, greatly improving the usability of the space and reducing waste.

Prerequisites for embedded appliance design

Embedded appliance design is not suitable for all spaces, and all designs should be practical. The design of embedded appliances needs to meet these conditions:

1. Sufficient space area

Generally speaking, balcony spaces mostly adopt embedded designs, integrating washing machines, dryers, and sinks into custom cabinets.

The main issue is the kitchen space. Embedded appliances are not about tearing down part of the wall to shove appliances in, but about flexibly arranging the positions of appliances from a holistic perspective.

Essentially, it still occupies the kitchen’s space area. The appliance doors and standing space for people require sufficient dimensions. Therefore, if the kitchen is too small and lacks sufficient storage and passage space, it will not be possible to design embedded appliances.

2. Sufficient customer budget

Embedding appliances, both for the appliances themselves and for custom cabinets, has a significantly higher overall cost than non-embedded designs. Therefore, to truly implement this, it still depends on whether the customer’s budget is sufficient.

3. Appliance dimensions and after-sales service

Embedded appliances differ from regular appliances; they require installation. It is essential to pay attention to the dimensional relationship between the appliances and cabinets; otherwise, they may not fit. Additionally, after-sales service must be considered for future maintenance and care.

Dimensional requirements for embedded appliances

Embedded appliances need to consider dimensions mainly in two aspects: cabinets and appliances.

1) Cabinet size requirements

When designing cabinet sizes, the opening size of the appliances and the standing dimensions of people must be considered. Appliances are generally embedded in base cabinets or top cabinets, with a conventional cabinet depth of about 600mm. After arranging the cabinets, a passage size of ≥1200mm must be ensured.

Embedded appliances generally have outward-opening doors, which will take up passage space when opened. The door opening size is approximately 500mm or more, so after opening, there must be sufficient standing space for people, generally at least 600mm in width. Therefore, when making embedded appliance cabinets, the passage area size must reach at least 1200mm.

Passage area width ≥ appliance door opening size + standing space

2) Appliance size requirements

As for which appliances need to be embedded, including the dimensions of embedded appliances, everything must be determined in advance before making cabinets, to ensure that the cabinets reserve the correct dimensions, as well as the proper placement of water and electrical sockets.

Design requirements for heat dissipation and water and electricity

1) Heat dissipation design requirements

One crucial factor for these embedded appliances is heat dissipation, especially since they are in a closed cabinet, which slows down the heat dissipation rate and affects efficiency.

On the other hand, high temperatures can negatively impact the cabinet itself. Different appliances have different heat dissipation methods and locations. Some dissipate heat from the back or bottom, while others do so from all sides. Therefore, this must be considered during the design.

The core logic of heat dissipation is: keep a distance between the appliances and the cabinet while protecting the cabinet.

Thus, when reserving cabinet dimensions, ensure that there is a certain distance between the appliances and the cabinet. Additionally, for the cabinet materials, it is essential to select materials that can withstand high temperatures and deformation, rather than the usual materials used for wardrobes and TV cabinets. Alternatively, heat-insulating boards can be arranged inside the cabinet to extend the appliance’s lifespan and protect the cabinet.

Different appliances also have different heat dissipation measures and requirements

01. Oven

If the oven is to be embedded, it is best to choose an oven with front heat dissipation, and the cabinet where the oven is installed should not have a back panel. Maintain a certain gap between the oven and the cabinet to achieve ventilation and heat dissipation. The cabinet material should be heat-resistant.

If the oven is installed in a base cabinet, it should not be placed directly under the gas stove, as both the gas stove and the oven have high heat dissipation requirements. Placing them together can damage the appliances and pose safety risks such as explosions.

02. Microwave

The heat dissipation logic for microwaves is similar; they need to maintain distance from surrounding cabinets. There should be at least a 100mm gap above the microwave and 50mm on each side to achieve ventilation and heat dissipation. When choosing a microwave, select a front heat-dissipating type.

03. Sterilizer

Sterilizers are generally installed directly below the stove, maintaining a gap of ≥150mm between them, and a square ventilation hole of 120mm should be reserved on the back cabinet for ventilation and heat dissipation.

04. Refrigerator

Embedded refrigerators have significant heat dissipation sources on their sides and back, so there must be a certain distance between them and the cabinets or walls, with a minimum gap of 100mm.

2) Water and electricity design requirementsDesign requirements

01. Arrangement of sockets

It is necessary to consider the layout and placement of appliances in advance to arrange and design the sockets. Generally, sockets should be placed on the side or in adjacent cabinets (pre-drilled holes are needed) and should avoid being placed directly behind the appliances.

Why is this important? Imagine if the appliance dissipates heat from the back, and the socket is also behind it, this can damage the appliance and pose safety hazards.

From a dimensional perspective, if the socket is placed behind the appliance, the socket and plug have a certain thickness, which takes up some depth of the embedded appliance. This causes the appliance to protrude from the cabinet, severely affecting the aesthetic appearance.

02. Arrangement of water supply and drainage

Before making the cabinets, reserve the positions of the water supply and drainage pipes according to the locations of the appliances, and remember not to place the water inlet directly behind the appliances, as this can also cause the appliance to protrude, affecting aesthetics. The floor drain should not be placed directly below the appliance, affecting drainage; it should be arranged beside the appliance.

. END .

If you find this article helpful!

Please give a 【like】【view】!

Help us by adding a star to our public account!

For reprinting this article

Please reply 【reprint】 in the public account backend

▼ ClickRead the original text to enter the Brain Cell Design Knowledge Platform!