These homeowners chose a panel-ready dishwasher for the kitchen island. This allows the dishwasher to blend in with the cabinetry and the island as a whole to be the focal point rather than the dishwasher. A panel-ready dishwasher is specifically designed to accommodate a panel applied to the door front while keeping the door flush with the adjacent cabinets. It is personal preference whether you have your appliances displayed in your kitchen for what they represent or whether you like the more seamless look of cabinetry with various appliances hidden behind panels.
A semi-integrated dishwasher displays the control panels at the top of the dishwasher, while the rest of the dishwasher is concealed by your kitchen cabinetry. A fully-integrated dishwasher is completely concealed by your kitchen cabinetry, with the control panel situated at the top of the dishwasher inside the door.
While on the subject of dishwashing, here is an interesting article on the Dishwasher vs. Hand-Washing Debate
