Minimalism and Hidden Appliances
Minimalism dates back to the 1800s when Ralph Waldo Emerson led the idea that enlightenment can be achieved through simplicity. We can now see how this little belief translated into a lifestyle that branched out to all industries. But today, we mostly associate minimalism with arts and design. The trend of hiding home appliances from plain view can ultimately be traced back to minimalism. Large appliances are concealed in walls and cabinets, while smaller devices are put inside drawers to emulate the cleanliness and simplicity of one’s home.
Although, not wanting to show electrical appliances to people can also go against the goal of minimalism. Some homeowners opt to hide their unsightly gadgets and appliances to lead guests’ attention to other aspects of their homes instead. This can involve fancy furniture or elaborate centerpieces, which minimalists would consider unnecessary in a living space.
How People Hide Their Appliances
Homeowners who are following this trend are getting more and more creative in hiding their appliances. Simple steps of matching the color of an appliance with the walls or placing it at the very corner of a room can help blend everything into a flat background. But more advanced ways of hiding certain appliances have gone into the mainstream and are now becoming normal aesthetic choices for designing the interiors of homes.
Refrigerators
Refrigerators are some of the biggest appliances in a normal household. They can take up a lot of space in the kitchen or dining area, leaving little room for other equally important appliances and furniture. Some homeowners choose to segment their refrigerators into smaller units to be put in separate places.
But refrigerators are no longer only appliances for the kitchen and dining area. They have been scaled down to fit in bedrooms for special purposes, may it be for storing food and drinks for a midnight snack or for keeping skincare products cold for a well-deserved relaxation time. To help blend in with a themed room, some refrigerators are designed to look like cabinets. Some are created to fit inside drawers, while others are even made to serve as a table.
Air Conditioning Units
Some homeowners don’t like seeing their air conditioning units, especially the ducts and wires connected to them. For the most part, the owners have to work with the air-conditioning company and an interior designer to help position the system in a space where they can hide it from sight right from the beginning of home construction. Some unnoticeable units are placed near the ceiling, while others are disguised as intricate wall cabinets and decorations to keep them accessible.
Washing Machines
Washing machines almost always look misplaced if put in a room other than the bathroom or their own specialized laundry area. But as homes become smaller and rooms merge into multipurpose areas, laundry machines are placed inside custom cabinets to avoid interrupting a room’s aesthetic. Some are stacked vertically on dryers, while others are installed conveniently under counters with a sink.
Television Screens
As the wide smart TVs are getting lighter and flatter as years go by, they are also becoming easier to conceal from view when not in use. Making the television look like one of the framed art pieces in a wall of paintings is a smart and creative way of doing it. Some are putting panels in front of it to blend in with the wall seamlessly. But others are using advanced remote-controlled mechanisms to make the concealed television appear from plain walls and furniture.
Other Electronic Devices
Many homeowners are moving towards subtlety. Some people are swapping out statement lamps and chandeliers for less obvious sources of light like recessed ceiling lights and LED strips on the corners of a room. Others are hiding their expensive microwaves, coffee makers, and blenders inside cupboards instead of displaying them. Dishwashers are being made to look like regular cabinets. Plugs and wires are also hidden by running them through holes on the sides of drawers and tables.
The Future
As mentioned, the majority of homes are now being built smaller. Seeing these innovations of hiding appliances, we can predict that even more electronics will be modified and built smaller to fit in even tinier spaces. Aside from this, minimalism might see a big rise in following. The growing number of tiny homeowners will probably opt to buy only the necessary home equipment and avoid extravagant pieces.
References:
Olick, Diana. Why houses in America are getting smaller. CNBC, 23 Aug. 2016, https://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/23/why-houses-in-america-are-getting-smaller.html. Accessed 19 Aug. 2021.
Minimalism.co. History of Minimalism: How the Minimalist Movement Happened. https://minimalism.co/articles/history-of-minimalism. Accessed 19 Aug. 2021.
Meta title: Interior Design Trends of Hidden Appliances
meta desc: More and more homeowners are hiding their appliances to make rooms look cleaner and more spacious or give more focus on statement decorative pieces. Using different methods of hiding various devices, homeowners are steadily moving back to minimalism.
