Home & Decor Kitchen & Bath

Should I panel my Refrigerator

IDS booth 2015-11

Should I panel my refrigerator? A kitchen isn’t a kitchen without appliances but before buying them, there are a few questions to consider. What company will you choose? Which fridge gives you the most storage space? How many functions does the oven have? One of the questions that have been asked more and more over the years is Stainless Steel or Panel Ready?

What does Panel Ready mean?

When an appliance is panel ready it means that you can attach a panel that matches the rest of your cabinetry to the front of the unit creating a more seamless look in your kitchen.

Here are some examples of Panel Ready appliances we’ve worked with at Bloomsbury:

IDS booth 2015-11 IDS booth 2015-12

Bloomsbury Design Show Miele Fridge units open Bloomsbury Design show booth Miele Fridge units Shanahan Liebherr fridge open

So which one do you choose?

We’ve listed some of the Pro’s and Con’s of each to help make your decision a little bit easier.

prosandcons

Whether you go with Stainless Steel or Panel Ready appliances, it is always important to make sure the appliances work for you and your space.

Your Questions Answered…

What is Panel Ready?

Panel ready or overlay appliances are designed so that the kitchen appliance (refrigerator or dishwasher) fits right into your cabinets and its door is covered with a panel that matches your cabinetry. This gives a seamless look between your appliances and cabinets so that the eye doesn’t see the difference between the appliance and cabinet door.
panel ready appliance
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How long should a dishwasher last?

Your typical dishwasher should last approximately 10 years with proper maintenance and regular cleaning. Higher end brands will last closer to 15 years and in some cases 20 years.

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Who makes panel ready dishwashers?

Panel ready dishwashers are more readily available in the marketplace today with most brands offering this options. Bosch, Miele, Thermador, Kitchen Aid, Fisher & Paykel and GE are just some of the big brands that offer panel ready dishwashers.

panel ready dishwasher
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For more great information, click here.

For more unique items for your home, click shopCHT.com.

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Rhonda Thornton, Principal of Bloomsbury Fine Cabinetry, is an accomplished Kitchen Designer with over 17 years of residential kitchen design and planning experience. Bloomsbury Fine Cabinetry is a leader in design and manufacturing of truly Custom Cabinetry, specializing in the art of Bespoke English-Style cabinetmaking, built to with stand the test of time and trends. Rhonda has collaborated on well over 500 kitchen projects and has had the privilege to contribute her expertise to some of the most stunning homes and cottages in the GTA.
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3 Comments

  • My Bloomsbury kitchen is now nearly five years old, and it continues to be the joy of each day. The panel-ready appliances have worked well for us and give an understated coherence to the kitchen. The soapstone counters have worked out well too. Just wanted to let you know how very happy we’ve been with your design–when someone asked the other day what we would have done differently in the kitchen our answer was absolutely nothing.

  • Panel ready is great for a smaller kitchen where you don’t want to break up the space and make the kitchen look choppy so hiding the appliances can really make the space look more cohesive. On the other hand if you are building a huge kitchen you might not want to play “hide the appliances” and instead get beautiful ones. My kitchen is very large and we went with a glass door Sub-zero which I absolutely love. Retro look appliances are another great alternative not mentioned here.

  • While Stainless Steel and Panel Ready are the two hottest trends in appliances at the moment, we do agree – beautiful high end appliances and retro inspired appliances are a gorgeous option as well.