My impending kitchen renovation is still top of my mind. But as we start looking into our first steps (like new appliances) we’re turning from the fun of inspiration to the hard task of making some real decisions. What a bummer! That’s why today I’m asking for your help on the first big decision that we need to make: what to do with the fridge wall.
This is the biggest pain point in our current kitchen (at least other than the handles in the middle of the cabinet doors, which pain me deeply). It is our main pantry storage space, but it totally doesn’t work. The shelves are deep. They have to be tall (so you can reach the back given how deep they are) but that also means that they’re inefficient on space.
Also, the fridge juts out into the kitchen like it doesn’t belong, dominating the view.
In a relatively small kitchen like this one which is open to the rest of the house, we really can’t afford to waste storage space or have such an unpleasant view!
We’re keeping the appliances in just about the same place, and buying a new fridge and stove is one of the first decisions we’re going to make so we can build around them. However, I don’t want to pull the trigger on buying a new fridge without at least knowing the overall plan for this wall.
A lovely commenter (hi Lisa!) suggested claiming some extra space by taking over the hallway behind the fridge to push it back and also create some extra closet space. An awesome idea, but not one that will work with our floor plan, unfortunately, as that hallway is the main thoroughfare to the rest of the house and that doorway to the hall gets a lot of traffic.
However, that idea made me realize that there are probably a lot of other things I could consider in the kitchen layout and the use of this wall in particular, so before locking it in I wanted to open up that question for advice. I have a few initial ideas that I’d love you to weigh in on, and then would like to hear whether you can think of anything else in the comments!
Option 1: Wall Cabinet
My most likely path is to simply rebuild the current configuration but much nicer, with a built-in fridge and a full height cabinet built in next to it with sliding shelves and maybe even the microwave built in. This would probably maximize storage (yay) but may come with some of the same challenges as we have now (i.e., storage that is hard to access and use). It could also look bulky.
Option 2: Cabinets and Mini-Counter
Another option I’m considering is similar but a slight variation: to accomplish a cabinet wall with a base cabinet and then small counter with cabinets above it. This would give more surface space and would even open up some cool appliance storage – the option of an appliance “garage.” However, it might look odd/busy there, and be a little harder to pull off right.
Option 3: Free Standing Piece
The final option I’ve considered is trying to find a free-standing piece to fit into that space, giving me the look that I so love from my inspiration images. This would then probably have to be paired with open shelving over the fridge, and require that we buy a nicer fridge that doesn’t need to be built in to look OK, AND be dependent on finding the right piece. But wouldn’t it look awesome?
So that is what is on my mind as I consider what to do in this spot, but I am sure that you have other ideas! Please let me know what you think of my ideas below and give me more to think about in the comments!
Personally, I would do Option 1 with full extension drawers. I would also put a cabinet-installed microwave in over there, and a small island for additional storage (and to keep children and their toys from running into the working kitchen area, this is a problem I have quite a bit). Hrm, going back and looking at other photos, maybe your space is too small for an island. Still, Option 1 with drawers. Over the refrigerator is the perfect spot for storing baking sheets and dishes on their sides.
Honestly, I wouldn’t worry about the refrigerator too much, when I look at photos of your kitchen my eye is drawn to that beautiful window. If you make the stove area more of a focal point, and get a fridge that blends with the kitchen design more, you probably won’t even notice it.
Since I know you love the idea of option #3, what if you could make that work with the existing cabinet. It might be easier to find new doors for the existing cabinet than a whole furniture piece that fit. You could make the doors overlay the entire cabinet so you couldn’t see the box behind, that is, a frameless cabinet look. You could do 4 doors, 2 solid doors on the bottom half with pullouts on the shelves to make the pantry storage more useful, and 2 glass panel doors on the upper section for dishes, glasses, more decorative storage. These doors could be a different wood stain or a different paint color to make them appear like a totally separate piece in your kitchen, viola, a “freestanding” piece similar to your vision but potentially much easier to accomplish.
Plus, since there is a toe-kick space below this cabinet, you could put 2 furniture feet under it to make it look even more like a piece of furniture.
I say go with the look you love. The others are boring. 🙂
Can you combine the idea of having a small counter with the free standing look? Like maybe a waist high antique piece with counter on top, and built in above? At least I do believe that having a counter right next to the refrigerator is terribly convenient!! That makes me prefer option 2, but I do encourage your creative antique look also.
Really good idea!
Do you actually need the doorway next to the fridge from the kitchen to the hall? You could close that off and extend counter/cabinets that way. Would also give you room to get a wider fridge. Counter depth fridges are nice, but if they aren’t at least 36″ wide can feel very small inside.
And another REALLY good idea!
Not sure I understand your concern with problems accessing storage with pullout shelves. They are FANTASTIC! If you move the fridge more to the middle of that wall you might be able to still have both cabinets (one ea side) while getting the built in look. BTW aren’t newer refrigerators slightly smaller externally than older ones? Lastly, can’t urge you enough to consider a top refrigerator/bottom freezer. Doesn’t have to be French Door.
My idea is similar. By switching the cabinets and the fridge, you could install pantry cabinets with full-height pull-outs that you could access from both sides. This would bean you would be looking at the side of the cabinet instead of the side of the fridge, and you could do some kind of paneled detail. If you did this with your existing fridge, you would want to change the door swing and double-check that the other cabinets would still be able to open cleanly. You can also count me in the group that thinks that if you need extra kitchen space, you could close the door directly into the hallway and use the dining room door instead, giving you more potential linear feet of cabinets. Of course, I also detest long hallways, so on that front it wouldn’t be so great.
I agree with Eric about the doorway next to the fridge, it looks from the plan as though that is space that could be utilised as part of the kitchen which would extend/open things up and possibly give more storage.
I would definitely go with Option 3!
I went back n looked at floor plan….I agree with others…is there a reason you cant extend the fridge wall down to the larger opening? It would add over 5′ of cabs n counters..that would be huge for you…
I always prefer to have a counter next to the refrigerator even if it’s quite small. Something to put things down on when you take them out is a great convenience, so I favor Option 2.
I really urge you guys to meet with a kitchen designer. preliminary ones are free at Lowe’s. It seems like your biggest issue you have with your kitchen is walking into that big wall of fridge when you enter, and a designer can help you figure out a way around that without having to do too much structurally. A fridge may fit on the back wall, for example. I agree with the others about closing up that small doorway.
Hi I do like the wall cabinet scenario. it looks quite nice. I too have a small kitchen and wanted more counter space. I used a micro-wave that is over the stove to save space and that has the fan. I have the rolling rack drawer cabinet as my pantry which I totally love!!!!!! The cabinet over my fridge now has dividers and I use it for all my baking sheets,platters and various pans. Now that once awkward cabinet above the fridge is useful. It took me forever to find a counter depth fridge that wasn’t mammoth. I wanted the french door style because then only a small door is opening into the hallway. I found a Fisher Paykel fridge that fit the bill. It wouldn’t work if you need a ton of freezer room.I do think working with a kitchen designer is a absolutely a great idea. i did work with one and I think she helped tremendously.Good luck and have fun!!!!!!
I second what Marie said. Sit down with someone who looks at placement professionally. Wendy Doris at “Flippin Wendy” http://flippinwendy.design/blog/ often comes up with creative solutions to small layouts and she’ll do a consult on your space with your photos and floor plans. The you can both blog about the result!
I suggest making that wall *deeper* with custom built shelves that are the depth of a standard fridge. This would allow you to choose less expensive and more varied fridges without the “jutting out effect.” Combine that with pull out drawers for pantry access, so that you can still get to items way in the back.
If you built it without a “lip” you could also potentially tuck a rolling cart with a butcher block top in the bottom section. This would allow you to not only pull those shelves *completely* out but would give you a disappearing work surface that would be out of the way once the doors closed.
This requires more custom carpentry and has more potential fail points, though, so depending on how ambitious you are it may be a bit overwhelming.
I also have another complete re-adjustment idea: It seems to me that one of the big problems is that when you walk into the house, you’re staring straight at the fridge. You could put a counter-depth fridge in the corner to the left of the stove and still have space for a small counter between. Then you could have a run of cabinets with countertop where the fridge and pantrycabinets are now, potentially even extending all the way to the dining room doorway.
Also, I’m guessing that enclosed rectangle on the plan is a mechanical shaft or plumbing chase, but if it’s not, you could potentially think about incorporating it into your kitchen layout. If you want to keep a hall door into the kitchen, but add some space for kitchen usage, you could put the opening to the hall where the pantry cabinets are now, the fridge at least partly in the wasted space, then have a furniture-looking piece on the wall between the new hallway door location and the diningroom-livingroom door.