What Are Panel Appliances, and What Is the Average Cost?

November 30, 2020 Published by Writer Leave your thoughts

Kitchens are the heart of the home. Having a beautifully designed, pleasant kitchen space makes cooking and gathering that much more enjoyable. That’s why panel appliances have become increasingly popular over the years—this design choice allows your appliances to blend in with the rest of your cabinetry. You’re left with a sleek, uniform look.

Whether you choose to make the cabinets your kitchen’s focal point or you opt to hide your appliances away to divert attention elsewhere, panel appliances are a great way to pull a room together.

Your appliance panel style guide in Midland, MI

Here’s a closer look at what appliance panels are, how much they typically cost and how to hire a qualified contractor to install them:

Decide which appliances to hide: You can hide most major kitchen appliances behind cabinet panels, with perhaps the exception of your stove and oven. (You’ll want to leave the oven door unhindered—the window is important for monitoring what’s cooking.) Depending on your cabinet configuration and the appliances you choose, you should be able to hide your dishwasher, refrigerator, wine cooler and more. For tall appliances like refrigerators, you’ll probably want to choose a style that works well with floor-to-ceiling “cabinets.”
Choose a design style: Once you’ve decided what you want hidden and what can remain in sight, choose a cabinet style that works with your design vision. Sleek flat-front cabinets are great for modern kitchens, but there many options available for just about any design. Whether you’re going for farmhouse chic or cozy and modern, choose cabinets that will age well.
Choose your hardware: Next, you’ll need to pick your hardware. When it comes to panel appliances, you’ll need a variety of different hardware options. Choose a hardware family that comes in a bunch of different sizes. For example, your refrigerator will probably need larger elongated handles, while drawers and cabinets will use smaller drawer pulls and knobs or handles.
Pick your appliances: Finally, choose your appliances. If you’re shopping at a big box store, panel-ready appliances are often available but not on display. Ask a sales associate if they can help you find appliances that work well with panels.

Once you have these basics figured out, call your local custom cabinet maker to start the installation process.

Panel appliance costs

At Nowak Cabinets of Midland, we typically charge between $500 and $2,500 for the panels, once the appliances have been purchased and provided by the client. We measure your appliances and make custom panels to hide them.

If you’re installing all-new cabinetry at the same time, you’ll need to leave more room in your budget. However, if you’re simply installing panel fronts and refreshing your hardware, the $500 to $2,500 range is a safe estimate.

To learn more about how we install appliance panels in Midland, MI, or to get started on your own kitchen remodel, get in touch with the team at Nowak Cabinets of Midland today. We look forward to working on your kitchen project!