Kitchens that don’t look like kitchens, and kitchen areas that seamlessly integrate into the rest of the home design and décor continue to rise in popularity.

It’s a matter of saving space and even saving “face” for those who prefer their public dining/entertaining area to be clutter-free.

Certainly we will continue to see the open kitchen that spills out into the living area, bringing cook and guest together. And the kitchen that boldly shows its appliances in bright colors or dramatic gleaming stainless appears to be an enduring trend.

But, the hidden kitchen is taking its place as a viable style with a number of variations on a theme.

Dine in style with an on the-wall, out-of-the way kitchen – appliances are flush or tucked behind light wood doors that match the dining table paneling. A bold yellow wall and modern chandelier-style lighting add to the feeling that this is not your mom’s kitchen.

It’s all on the wall in this modern sleek food preparation center pictured above. Close the doors and all you see is a clean expanse of rich wood. The room below is clearly a well-equipped “cook’s” kitchen, and yet it retains a second identity as a gracious entertainment center boasting rich wood cabinetry, and the “fine furniture” look of a marble-topped island. 

Kitchen cabinetry can “conceal” any number of large and small appliances. A media cabinet can be opened as needed, then disappear behind doors.  And the beauty of a hidden kitchen is that it can work equally well with modern, transitional or classic traditional design styles.

Then there are degrees of “concealment” that can create a softer kitchen profile without masking a traditional kitchen look. For example, soft touch cabinet doors eliminate visible cabinet hardware.

An integrated lighting system offered by Neff of Chicago provides a continuous finished bottom of the wall cabinet, eliminating visible light valances. That’s made possible by an overlay door style that eliminates the visible seams of inset doors.