One of the most clever and beautiful integrated refrigeration units I’ve seen is this one, by L.A. designer Troy Adams, whose work fuses Asian with contemporary European ideas. Adams disguised a refrigerator-freezer unit in the style of tansu – antique Japanese furniture prized for its fine carpentry and joinery, beautiful woods and metal features. Tansu pieces were often used in kitchens. Throughout our Atticmag kitchen albums you’ll find photos of integrated refrigerators and freezers – those which take panels for a custom, built-in look. Some are so well done it’s hard to tell whether you’re looking at a pantry cabinet or a fridge – they are flush (even in front) with all the other cabinetry. Others have tell-tale features such as gaps in the paneling that make them more visible. The trend today is moving towards paneling appliances, which seems inevitable with open floor-plan houses where many people want everything to conform to the overall room décor. That can be especially useful when the house or furniture has a specific, or unusual style. What make Adams' refrigeration unit stupendous is, first, the fine design and craftsmanship. What elevates it further is the installation style. Having it protrude from a plain wall as if it was an actual piece of furniture is a brilliant solution. Essentially, it makes the visual leap from appliance to kitchen furniture and pushes the integrated concept beyond what's most often used or suggested to designers by appliance companies. Some time ago, Jane T, who knows my passion for appliances, sent me photos of  two elaborate Sub Zeros with European-style faux-painted doors. The first is decorated with classical grotesque motifs and the other is Louis XVI in a provincial color. These are lovely -- and they look like armoires -- just not quite as much.  Be sure to see this one that does.

Tags: Atticmag, built in freezers, built in refrigerators, integrated refrigerators, Japanese tansu refrigerator panels, Sub Zero paneled refrigerator-freezer, Troy Adams Designs