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Makan Al Najah

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Building in kitchen appliances

An integrated appliance disappears into the cabinetry. It still needs air, power, water and a way out for servicing.

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Kitchen with a fluted island, white cabinetry and a dark stone splashback

Built-in appliances give a kitchen a calm, continuous front, but they are less forgiving than freestanding ones. Each appliance has a housing size, ventilation requirements and fixing details set by its manufacturer, and the cabinetry has to be designed around those exact figures. Choosing the appliance after the cabinets are made is the most common cause of a gap, a door that will not close or an oven that overheats its housing.

Element pages explain one part of a larger renovation in detail: what is being chosen, what the installation involves, and where the cost and time usually sit.

Integrated appliances also have to come out again one day for repair or replacement. Planning a service void, an isolation switch that can be reached without pulling the unit, and plumbing connections that are not buried behind fixed panels saves a lot of trouble later.

What matters most on this page

  • Appliances are chosen before cabinets

    Housing sizes and ventilation gaps come from the appliance installation guide, so the model must be fixed first.

  • Heat has to escape

    Ovens and fridges need air paths through the plinth or the top of the housing. Blocking them shortens appliance life.

  • Isolation within reach

    Each appliance should be switched off without moving it. Isolators are usually placed above the worktop or in an adjacent cupboard.

Appliance by appliance

  • Integrated fridges

    Door-on-door or sliding-hinge fixings carry the cabinet door. Heavy doors need the right hinge type to avoid sagging.

  • Built-in ovens

    Need housing ventilation and a dedicated circuit sized for the appliance. Stacked ovens need the housing designed for both.

  • Integrated dishwashers

    Sit beside the sink for short drainage runs. The door panel must clear the plinth and adjoining handles when it opens.

Before the cabinet drawings are final

  • Fix the appliance models

    Collect the installation guides and give them to whoever is designing the cabinets.

  • Check the electrical load

    Several built-in appliances may need dedicated circuits. Confirm with the electrical plan before first fix.

  • Plan for replacement

    Leave access to connections and avoid trapping an appliance behind fixed panels or a worktop upstand.

Questions we are often asked

Can a freestanding fridge be built in?

Generally not safely. Freestanding fridges are designed to release heat into open space, and boxing them in can affect performance.

What if the appliance I want is discontinued later?

Standard housing sizes help. Designing around common housing dimensions makes a future replacement easier to fit.

Do integrated appliances need different plumbing?

The connections are similar, but they need to be positioned so the appliance can slide in and out without disconnecting a fixed pipe.

Related guides

Start from kitchen renovation, browse the guides, or see all renovation and fit-out services. We work on homes and commercial premises across Dubai.

Tell us about the property

Tell us which room, which element and what is being replaced. We will confirm the measurements and the sequence that follows.

Next step

Design the cabinets around your appliances

Send the appliance models you are considering. We will check the housing, ventilation and power before the cabinet drawings are finalised.

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