Built-in décor, built-in convenience

Thanks to the simplification of design and technological advancements, the average home is shrinking in size.

When it comes to larger homes, open plan kitchens are the norm and built-in home appliances are slowly taking over. If you are buying a new home, you have probably already chosen quite a few built-in appliances for the house plan.

Often installed in the kitchen, these devices are part of the permanent construction and create a seamless and sleek appearance. They are great space savers, unlike freestanding machines.

They create more floor space and open up the room to ease of movement. In addition, due to their solid construction, they are simple to manage and easier to maintain and operate.

They tend to be available in a variety of design styles and sizes and often come with more features and options.

Inspirations that go far beyond the bulky pro-utility ranges of the past dozen years are now endless. Increased integration is becoming a trend, not only with kitchen appliances, but also with televisions, air conditioners, and even washing machines.

No longer are panelled dishwashers and refrigerators enough for the modern kitchen; ovens, microwaves, refrigerators, and other wall-mounted appliances are becoming ideal as they are sleeker, modular, sharper, more seamless, and simpler to use.

With today’s design options, kitchen appliances have invisibly become part of the décor, blending in perfectly with the rest of the kitchen.

Intuitive touchscreen interfaces are further popularising the demand for built-in top-of-the-range appliances. New models will provide far more functionality than just pre-sets, cooking time, and mode.

“Manufacturers have gone a step ahead and are making appliances such as wall-mounted televisions that respond to voice commands.

Air conditioners have also not been left behind, with designs that not only save up to 50 per cent energy, but also are sleek and stylish and available in different types of airflows.

They also come with virus doctors that eliminate harmful air contaminants and bacteria such as the H1N1 viruses,” said Mr Ronald Arao, Samsung’s East Africa marketing manager, consumer electronics, during the unveiling of the Samsung system air conditioning at a local hotel last August 22.

All inbuilt home appliances, though, need to seamlessly flow with the interior of the home and the following pointers may help achieve that look.

The Kitchen

Open plan kitchens are great for Sunday brunch with friends or dinner with the family. They can be integrated into the living and dining areas, their décor, including that of the inbuilt appliances and cabinets used, should flow with the patterns, decorations, and intricate textures in these areas.

New offerings have provided built-in microwaves, dishwashers, ovens, and even refrigerators with convertible fridge and freezer drawer and kitchen cabinets with integrated drawers and shelves designed with cutlery boxes, spice racks, corner baskets, and tank trolleys that match.

These have transformed kitchen designs and décor, as kitchen appliances and cabinets are being designed to suit different home designs. These designs save space and time in the kitchen and conceal piping and electric cord, thus improving the general ambiance.

Gone are the days when these appliances were only either in white, beige, silver, or black. Colour designs on kitchen appliances have evolved and ones with red, green, blue, orange, and a variety of hues are commonplace.

If you wish to have a more modern kitchen, appliances in silver, grey, and other metallic shades would suffice and could be highlighted with brighter coloured drapes and wall accents. Choose furniture in neutral shades of black, white, cream, or beige.

For a more traditional or antique look, the mostly wooden interiors could be accentuated with a mix of neutral and toned down colours like white and yellow or even splashes of a lighter shade of purple, red, or green.

For kitchen appliances, choose bright or muted colours or accentuating walls and tiles. Go for kitchen counters in neutrals such as black, white, grey, cream, and brown marble to provide a balance. Appliances in indistinct hues such like white, cream, or beige could be highlighted with fiery coloured curtains or blinds, furniture, and even an accent wall.

The living room

Built-in entertainment units, bookshelves, air conditioners, and speakers are a great addition to your lounge or living room area. And, just like the kitchen, you could adopt earthy, antique, or woody colours or metallic hues like silver, bronze, or black.

Most modern living and lounge areas have built-in entertainment units in modern-look colours of silver, grey, and black and the furniture, centrepiece tables, and carpet in subdued colours.

For these areas bright shades such as blue, red, green, or even purple could be used for the drapes or even throw pillows to brighten the room.

For antique, rusty, or wooden interiors that have their built-in décor in earthy colours, jungle green, spicy red, or even yellow would subdue the earthy hues and create a harmonious flow and style in the décor.

The Bedroom

A built-in wardrobe is commonplace in most bedrooms and trends are emerging of built-in beds, especially for those where space is scarce. For these, the bed’s décor should match the inbuilt wardrobe, study, and/or dressing table and furniture and subdued by the colour of curtains, bed spreads, and wall art.

If the inbuilt bed and bedroom furniture come in a mix of rustic or metallic colours, have the draperies and curtains in brighter colours to lighten and liven up the room.