This Savvy, Sleek Fridge Is Revolutionizing Food Storage

Long recognized as a pioneer in cutting-edge kitchen design, Fisher & Paykel is once again leading the pack with its award-winning appliances. Founded in 1934, the New Zealand–based company has recently revealed its latest product line, the Integrated Column Refrigerator and Freezer series, which has quickly racked up accolades from designers and architects worldwide.

"There’s nothing on the market like this currently," describes Jessica Jones, principal interior designer of Jess Jones Design Group in Orange County, California. "While traditional refrigeration used to be bulky and didn’t really have a whole lot of flair, this contemporary line allows for seamless integration where the appliances can be hidden or showcased, depending on what you want in your design."

Yet, the Column Refrigeration series has not only been designed to fit beautifully in your kitchen. As Shane Rehm, the vice president of product at Fisher & Paykel, discusses, another key feature that sets the line apart is its Variable Temperature Zone (VTZ) technology. Rehm, who was previously chief engineer of the Columns project, explains how this innovative advancement allows you to control and adjust the temperature of separate storage zones independently, all at the touch of a button.

Designed with three different food modes on each side, this unique flexibility ensures that everything from farmers’ market produce to fresh fish (and even your favorite bottle of sauvignon blanc) is stored at optimal temperatures. On top of creating an elegant, versatile refrigerator that adapts to different patterns of use in consumers’ lives, "our goal is to keep food very happy," Rehm adds.

And thanks to Fisher & Paykel’s ActiveSmart™ Foodcare technology, any stored food can stay fresher (and happier) for longer periods of time, essentially combating food wastage. 

"All Column appliances have active smart refrigeration systems, which have sensors and softwares to detect both the kitchen environment, as well as the number of door openings that go on," explains Rehm. "So if you go away on holiday or simply overnight, it detects that the product is not being used and readjusts optimization." This advanced technology intelligently adapts to daily use, allowing the refrigerator to automatically adjust its own temperature, airflow, and humidity accordingly. More so, because the system only cools and defrosts as needed, it can also reduce your overall energy consumption significantly. 

Just as with the innovative engineering behind the Column Refrigeration series, equal attention has been dedicated to the design of the interiors. Featuring a wide range of glass shelves with metal trim that are all illuminated by distributed LED lighting—along with a full extension of metal shelf runners that makes for easy entertaining—the top panel lighting creates a bright, welcoming glow throughout.

On the exterior, the Column models have been strategically crafted to have only ⅛" gaps around them so they can fit flush with cabinetry for consistent lines, leaving no visible hinges or grilles. Available in various widths, you can seamlessly customize the overall size, and also choose between various skins, panels, and handles to match your refrigerator to existing cabinetry, or make a bolder statement with stainless steel. 

With its sleek, high-quality materials and unique personalization, the Integrated Column Refrigeration might just be the coolest appliances Fisher & Paykel have designed yet—pun intended.