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Choosing Your Kitchen Appliances: A Kitchen Designer’s Guide
Appliances are not the first thing most people think of when renovating their kitchen However, it is indeed the first aspect to look into!
Text: Marie-Charles Pelletier
When building or renovating a kitchen, appliances are often overlooked in the early stages of a project, taking a back seat to choices like cabinetry, countertops, and materials.
Yet, they directly influence how you use and design the space, dictating everything from cabinet dimensions and traffic flow to ventilation, countertop height, and where the electrical outlets go.
Beyond performance, the way appliances are integrated also contributes to the kitchen’s overall visual cohesion. At EuroCucina 2026, the international showcase for kitchen design, this philosophy was front and centre: appliances are becoming more discreet, favouring clean, continuous lines and incorporating technologies designed to simplify everyday use without compromising ergonomics.
Here are four key elements that deserve special attention during the kitchen design phase: the refrigerator, cooking appliances, the range hood, and the dishwasher.
Step 1: Choosing an integrated refrigerator for your kitchen
The refrigerator is often the largest appliance in the kitchen and has a significant impact on its overall look. Today, two main approaches dominate high-end kitchen design.
A built-in refrigerator can be concealed behind panels that match your cabinetry. It disappears into a wall of cabinets, preserving the kitchen’s visual continuity.
Column-style refrigerators and freezers offer separate units for fresh and frozen food. This configuration provides greater flexibility, allowing you to choose the storage capacity you need and position the units side by side or in different parts of the kitchen to suit your daily routines. It can also make food easier to access, with storage organized at convenient heights.
In either case, integrating the appliances creates a minimalist kitchen with a calmer look.
However, the choice must be made during the design phase. Dimensions, capacity, door swing, and required clearances all directly influence the layout. You must also account for the specific model’s ventilation requirements and any installation constraints.
Step 2: Choosing cooking technology that suits your daily life
Contemporary kitchens increasingly favour induction cooktops, built-in ovens, and integrated appliances. Their discreet design helps maintain clean, uninterrupted lines throughout the space while delivering high performance.
Induction cooking offers several distinct advantages:
- Precision: Power levels respond quickly to adjustments, giving you greater control over the cooking process.
- Comfort: Heat is generated directly in the cookware, limiting the amount of heat released into the room.
- Easy cleaning: The smooth surface is easy to wipe clean, with no grates or exposed elements to work around.
- Discreet integration: The cooktop blends into the countertop, creating a more uniform look across your work surface.
The choice between a freestanding range and a separate cooktop paired with a built-in oven ultimately depends on the available space and your cooking style.
If you often entertain or enjoy preparing elaborate meals, pairing an induction cooktop with a double or steam oven expands your cooking options and makes it easier to prepare several dishes at once. A warming drawer can complement this setup, keeping food at the right temperature until you are ready to serve.
Separating the cooktop from the oven also allows you to install the oven in a tall cabinet, at a height that reduces bending and improves everyday comfort.
A countertop microwave can take up valuable space and add visual clutter. Built into a tall or base cabinet, it remains accessible while freeing up room for food preparation.
Appliance height, proximity to prep areas, and the clearance needed to open doors are all details that contribute to a functional, ergonomic kitchen.
Step 3: Creating a sleeker kitchen with an integrated range hood
Long considered a purely functional element, the range hood now plays a more deliberate role in kitchen design.
While essential for venting steam, odours, and airborne particles produced during cooking, modern hoods are designed to be more discreet. Whether integrated into the kitchen’s architecture or concealed within a cabinet or enclosure, they can give the space a lighter, more open feel without compromising performance.
Key factors to consider include:
- Ventilation capacity: Airflow—measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM)—should match your cooking needs while accounting for noise levels and building constraints. If you cook frequently or often use several burners at once, a higher-capacity hood (e.g., 600 CFM) may be needed. High-capacity models may also require a make-up air system. If you live in a condo, check any ventilation restrictions before choosing a model.
- Cooking appliance: Gas, electric, and induction appliances have different ventilation needs. Your choice of range hood should reflect both the type of appliance you use and your cooking habits.
- Placement: Whether installed against a wall or above an island, the range hood must be positioned to effectively capture cooking fumes and steam.
- Type of hood: From wall-mounted and built-in units to island-mounted (suspended) or under-cabinet models, each configuration has its own characteristics. A hood’s effectiveness depends on its design, its suitability for the cooking appliance, and the layout of the exhaust ductwork.
Whether you choose a hood concealed within cabinetry or a ventilation system integrated into the cooktop, the right option depends on the kitchen’s layout, your cooking habits, and the look you want to achieve.
Step 4. Choosing a quiet, integrated dishwasher
In a kitchen that opens onto a living or dining area, dishwasher noise becomes particularly important. It can disrupt a meal, a conversation, or a quiet evening. A model rated at 48 decibels or less is generally considered quiet, though perceived noise levels will also vary depending on the cycle, the installation, and the surrounding environment.
Water quality is another factor to consider. Hard water, rich in minerals, can lead to limescale buildup and leave spots on dishes. If this is an issue in your home, consider a model with a built-in water softener that uses dishwasher salt to help maintain cleaning performance and reduce mineral buildup.
A front panel that matches your cabinetry allows the dishwasher to blend discreetly into the kitchen, maintaining a cohesive look.
Since most built-in models are 24 inches wide, you don’t need to finalize your choice during the initial kitchen design phase. However, it should be confirmed before the custom panels are manufactured.
A successful kitchen design comes down to thoughtful choices that make the space more pleasant to live in. An appliance positioned at just the right height, a quiet range hood, a refrigerator suited to your household’s needs—these are the details that enhance your daily life, day after day, meal after meal.
At Ateliers Jacob, our kitchen designers will guide you through each of these decisions, helping you create a space where the layout, materials, and appliances come together to form a kitchen that is as beautiful as it is functional.
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