What Are Integrated Appliance Cabinets?
Integrated appliance cabinets are the units that hide your oven, fridge freezer, dishwasher and other machines behind matching kitchen doors, so the whole room reads as one continuous run of furniture. Instead of a stainless steel fridge or a white dishwasher breaking up the line of the kitchen, every appliance sits behind a door in the same colour and finish as the cupboards around it.
There are two ways an appliance can be integrated. Some sit inside a dedicated cabinet, known as an integrated appliance housing, which holds the machine at the right height and leaves room for ventilation. Others, such as most dishwashers and washing machines, slot into a gap between base units and simply carry a kitchen door fixed to their own front. Knowing which type you are dealing with is the first step to ordering the right cabinets.
Why Choose Integrated Appliances?
The main reason is appearance. A fully integrated kitchen looks calm and uncluttered, which suits modern handleless designs as well as classic shaker kitchens. Integration also gives you more freedom with layout, because an appliance hidden behind a door does not need to match anything else in the room.
There are practical benefits too. Housings protect the sides of appliances, reduce noise slightly and make the kitchen easier to keep clean, as there are fewer exposed gaps for crumbs and dust. The trade-off is that integrated appliances usually cost a little more than freestanding models, and they must be matched carefully to the cabinet sizes you choose.
Types of Appliance Housing
Built-Under Oven Housing
A built under oven housing sits in the base run, below the worktop, with the hob directly above. It is the most common way to fit a single oven in a UK kitchen because it keeps the oven and hob together and uses no extra wall space. A good oven housing unit at this level holds the oven securely and leaves room for air to circulate behind it.
Our Under Oven Housing Unit is 600mm wide, 720mm high and 560mm deep, with an open back that allows ventilation and easy access to the power supply. It includes a fixed shelf for the oven to sit on, and it assembles in around two minutes. Doors are sold separately, so you can finish the front to match the rest of your kitchen, usually with a drawer front or an oven filler above or below the oven. Many of our door ranges include a 110 x 596mm oven filler for exactly this job.
Tall Oven Housing
A tall oven housing unit lifts the oven to chest height, so you can check food and lift heavy dishes without bending. It also frees up the base run below the hob for deep pan drawers. Tall housings are the usual choice for a built-in single oven at eye level, a double oven, or an oven with a compact microwave or warming drawer above it. If you are weighing up the two positions, our guide to tall units vs base units explains where each one works best.
Integrated Fridge Freezer Housing
An integrated fridge freezer housing, sometimes called a fridge cabinet, is a tall cabinet that holds the appliance and supports the kitchen door on its front. Integrated fridge freezers come in 70/30 and 50/50 splits, and each model has its own recess height, so always check the appliance’s installation sheet before choosing a cabinet. The cabinet door is joined to the appliance door using either sliding brackets or a fixed door-on-door system, which affects how smoothly it opens.
Above the fridge freezer you will often have a small gap up to the line of the wall units. A Fridge Freezer Bridging Unit fills that space neatly. Ours takes a 283mm door, is 300mm deep and comes in widths from 600mm to 1000mm, giving you extra storage for trays and occasional items. A standard 360mm-high bridging unit is also available for spaces above other tall units or across alcoves.
Integrated Dishwashers and Laundry Appliances
Integrated dishwashers do not need a carcass. They sit in a gap between base units, and a kitchen door is screwed directly to the front of the machine. Full-size models need a 600mm gap and slimline models a 450mm gap, so plan your base run around the width you need. The integrated dishwasher door should match the height of the doors either side, which is why the appliance has adjustable feet and a hinge system designed to carry a decor panel.
Integrated washing machines and washer dryers work in a similar way, usually fitted in a utility room or at the end of a kitchen run near the plumbing. Check whether the model needs a door fixed to the front or a full-height door hung on the adjoining cabinet.
Microwave and Compact Appliance Housings
Built-in microwaves, combination ovens and coffee machines usually sit in a tall housing above a main oven, or in a shorter housing at eye level. Some people choose a built-in microwave housing within a run of wall units, but you must check the appliance is designed for that position and that the cabinet can carry its weight and provide enough ventilation.
How to Plan Integrated Appliance Cabinets
Start With the Appliances
Choose your appliances, or at least their sizes, before you order any cabinets. Every integrated appliance comes with an installation sheet giving the niche dimensions, ventilation requirements and door fixing method. Your cabinets need to match those figures, not the other way round.
Check Widths and Depths
Most UK kitchen appliance housing units follow the 600mm width standard, and our Under Oven Housing Unit is 560mm deep, a depth that suits most integrated appliances designed for standard kitchens. Narrower appliances, such as 450mm slimline dishwashers, need a matching gap in the base run. Our guide to choosing base units explains how widths add up along a run and where appliances usually sit.
Plan Ventilation
Appliances produce heat, and fridges in particular need air to flow around them. Open-back housings help, as do vented plinths and gaps at the top of tall units where the manufacturer asks for them. Never block a vent to make the kitchen look tidier, because it can shorten the life of the appliance.
Think About Workflow
Place the fridge near the start of the preparation area, the dishwasher next to the sink and the oven close to the hob. Leave enough worktop beside each appliance to put things down, and make sure appliance doors do not clash with drawers or doors on adjoining units when they open.
Matching Doors to Your Appliance Cabinets
The doors are what make an integrated kitchen look integrated. Whatever range you choose, order the appliance doors, oven fillers and drawer fronts in the same colour and finish as the rest of the kitchen. If you are using handleless doors, make sure the appliance door has the same grip detail, so the lines run straight across the room. Fridge freezer doors and dishwasher doors are fixed to the appliance, so check their weight against the hinge or bracket limits given by the manufacturer.
Where to Buy Integrated Appliance Cabinets
Aspin Collins supplies kitchen carcasses, doors and finishing components for UK homes, with fast delivery across the country. Browse our base cabinets, including the Under Oven Housing Unit, and pair them with doors from any of our ranges to create a fully integrated kitchen. If you would like help working out sizes for a specific appliance, call our team on 0161 465 4007 with the model number to hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the difference between integrated and built-in appliances?
Built-in appliances, such as ovens, are fixed into a cabinet but still show their own front. Integrated appliances, such as fridges and dishwashers, are hidden completely behind a kitchen door that matches the surrounding cabinets.
2. What size cabinet do I need for a built-under oven?
Most built-under single ovens fit a 600mm wide base housing. Our Under Oven Housing Unit is 600mm wide, 720mm high and 560mm deep, but always check the oven’s installation sheet first.
3. Do integrated dishwashers need a cabinet?
No, integrated dishwashers sit in a 600mm or 450mm gap between base units without a carcass. A kitchen door is fixed directly to the front of the machine, matched to the doors either side.
4. What goes above an integrated fridge freezer?
A bridging unit usually fills the space between the top of the fridge freezer housing and the line of the wall units. Our Fridge Freezer Bridging Unit takes a 283mm door and is 300mm deep.
5. Do appliance housings need ventilation?
Yes, most appliances need airflow to work safely and efficiently. Open-back housings, vented plinths and top gaps help, but always follow the ventilation requirements in the appliance manufacturer’s installation guide.
6. Can I use my existing kitchen doors on integrated appliances?
Often yes, as long as the door is the right size and weight for the appliance’s hinge or bracket system. Many people order new doors and oven fillers in the same range to keep the kitchen matching.
