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From the see-through plastic canoe to real-life transparent aluminum (not to mention light-transmitting concrete and translucent wood paneling), there seems to be no end to exploring the potential of partial invisibility for everyday materials … but why stop with vehicles and walls? These (un)domestic(ated) designs illustrate strange possibilities for home appliances, fixtures and furnishings that may make you see (through) them in a new light.

See-Through Refrigerator: It sounds like a good idea at first – after all, you can just look and see from outside what is available like in the frozen food section at the grocery store. But you may not want to give up on the good old pull-handle method for viewing your food just yet. Consider, for example, just how much even the slightest dirt, mess or spill would show through … let alone a few rotten eggs or fruits.

See-Through Washing Machine: Another neat invention at a glance, but the most important part you want to see when doing the laundry is in the middle where your clothes are spinning themselves clean … so why add the extra transparency for parts that serve no function? Nifty, maybe, but still somewhat useless.

See-Through Bread Toaster: Now we seem to be getting somewhere! Instead of wondering just how dark and crispy your toast is getting ,you could actually watch it warm up and take it out before it overheats and blackens.

See-Through Bath Tub: Particularly with the lines on the sides to show your water use, you can actually use the transparent nature of this tub to select a preferred depth for bathing (and remember it for next time more easily as well). But that is not the main intention: it is a reminder of just how much water we really do use each time. (Flore de Crombrugghe)

See-Through Clothing Iron: Almost certainly the best (questions of melting plastic or custom-cut glass aside) and saved for last, a see-through iron would be a wonderful gadget to own – no more worrying about whether you left it too long in one spot. (Dong-Seok Lee & Ji-Hyung Jung)