Disappearing Act: 15 Minimalist Hidden Kitchens

It makes so much sense: kitchens hidden behind accordion doors, sliding doors, cabinet doors—anything it takes to keep the clutter out of sight when space is tight. Here are 15 we love from the Remodelista archives:

Above: In A Scottish Fisherman’s Cottage Gets an Update, With Make-Do-And-Mend Spirit, the petite kitchen is concealed behind the folding doors at right. Photograph by Alexander Baxter.
Above: In a house in Porto transformed into studio apartments by Portuguese firm Fala Atelier, plywood cabinets conceal everything, including the compact kitchen.
Above: A freestanding take: the AM 01 Kitchen, designed by Atelier Mendini for Sanwa Company, fits in a two-doored cabinet. See Kitchen of the Week: Tiny Kitchens from Japan, Micro Apartment Edition.
Above: To conserve space (and hide clutter) in a 290-square-foot apartment, sliding track doors conceal a sink, refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, oven, and induction range when not in use. See Kitchen of the Week: A Shape-Shifting Studio Apartment in London.
Above: The same kitchen, neatly tucked away.
Above: In this small flat by Studio Bazi, sleek wooden doors conceal a tiny kitchen (at left) and a laundry setup (at right). See The Secret Apartment: A Hyperefficient Flat with Stealth Storage (and a Hidden Kitchen), over on The Organized Home. Photograph by Polina Poludkina.
Above: The Tivali Kitchen from Dada in Italy is tucked behind folding doors.
Above: A small kitchen concealed behind slatted doors in a musician’s apartment in Basel, Switzerland, designed by Buol & Zünd. Photograph by Michael Fritschi of Foto-werk.
Above: A minimalist kitchen in an apartment in Cadaqués, Spain, designed by Francesc Rifé Studio. Photograph courtesy of Francesc Rifé Studio.
Above: The Hidden Kitchen by German company Warendorf has an electronic panel that lifts at the push of a button.
Above: A kitchen tucked away in an Ikea unit at Masseria Alchimia in Puglia.
Above: All appliances are concealed behind full-length oak cabinet doors in this kitchen by Danish company Kobenhavns Mobelsnedkeri.
Above: French architect Olivier Chabaud concealed an entire kitchen behind folding doors in this country house.
Above: A small kitchen concealed behind folding doors in a project by Gray Organschi Architecture. Photograph by Mark Mahaney.
Above: Pocket doors conceal shelving and small appliances in the Noe Valley kitchen of Robert Edmonds and Vivian Lee of Edmonds + Lee Architects.
Above: German kitchen line Bulthaup offers kitchens in cabinets: one conceals pantry goods; the other, appliances. See Good Küchen: 9 German Kitchen Systems.

For more inspiration, go to Kitchens and Small-Space Living. Getting ready to redo your kitchen? Read our Remodeling 101 posts.

Or find small-space solutions:

• Expert Advice: 12 Tips for Making a Small Bedroom Look Bigger
• The Modern Caravan: A Vintage Airstream Transformed
• 9 Small-Space Ideas to Steal from a Tiny Paris Apartment

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on October 22, 2012, as part of our Small Living issue.