Kitchen Trends Monthly Blog – October

To integrate or not to integrate? How to apply your appliances

Designing a kitchen has 2 main functions – creating a space that looks beautiful and but that is also very functional. Your kitchen is the hardest working room in the house after all! Your appliances are integral to this but should they be integrated? That’s quite a major decision that needs taking quite early on in the kitchen planning process.

In this month’s Kitchen Trends Monthly Blog we’re looking at the pros and cons of integrated (ie built in and hidden behind doors) or free-standing appliances (visible in all their glory!).

Integrated Appliances

Pros

• Looks neater and creates a sleeker, more uniform look
• Integrated appliances may add value to your home should you sell it as they would need to be left in the property
• A kitchen with integrated appliances is often perceived to look more ‘high end’
• Noise from washing machines and tumble dryers can be reduced a little when integrated behind an additional door
• Ovens can be built in at eye level which can make using them much easier (no bending down!)
• Integrated appliances can make a small space look a little bigger as the lines are more seamless

Cons

• Integrated appliances can be more expensive so you are paying more for what is essentially an aesthetic choice
• Integrated appliances are often smaller to allow for cupboards to sit flush with the rest of the kitchen
• Should the appliance break down they can be more expensive to fix
• You wouldn’t be able to take your appliances with you should you move house
• It can be awkward, especially in a small kitchen, to have cupboard doors open while you load the washing machine/tumble dryer
• If you want integrated appliances in a new kitchen you will usually need to buy all new appliances which will add to the cost
• It can be more difficult to tell when an integrated dish washer is on so people could potentially open it mid-cycle

Free-standing Appliances

Pros

• Free-standing appliances are often cheaper than integrated ones
• Free-standing appliances are usually bigger as they don’t have to fit inside a cupboard
• Some appliances are designed as statement pieces to be seen such as American style fridge freezers
• If you move house you can take your appliances with you
• Appliances come in a much greater range of colours and styles than ever before so can be incorporated into the design of your kitchen as pieces in their own right
• Free-standing appliances create a more ‘honest’ design. Everyone knows that you have washing machines and fridges and dishwashers in a kitchen so why hide them?!
• If your existing appliances are quite new you can incorporate these into a new kitchen which is much cheaper than buying all new

Cons

• Free-standing appliances don’t look as neat and will break up the line of a kitchen
• Free-standing washing machines and dryers will be slightly louder than integrated ones which could be an issue if your kitchen is in an open plan living space

So, which is right for your kitchen? There is no right or wrong answer as everyone has different priorities and opinions. Hopefully the above check list will help you decide. Of course you could even go for a bit of both - a built-in oven at eye level and integrated washer and dryer and free-standing statement piece fridge freezer - if you want the best of both worlds!

Too expensive to buy new appliances for your new kitchen?

If you fancy integrated appliances but are worried about the cost or just fancy new ones to go with the new kitchen then the offer we currently have running may be of interest to you. Until 31^st October we are offering all appliances – integrated or free-standing – at trade prices. This is a saving of up to 35% which can make your kitchen budget go a hell of a lot further! See the offer for more details but remember, you have to order your kitchen before the end of the month.

Did we also say that if you order by the deadline you can also have your kitchen installed in time for Christmas? That’s not a bad thing either is it!