Does this ruin my new kitchen?

[KitchenLayoutHelp]

We are moving into a new house, there was an integrated fridge freezer included that was too small for us, we already own an American fridge freezer we wanted to bring with us.

This isn't our kitchen, ours isn't finished yet but this is the same size and lay out. I have (badly) edited the kitchen like ours to show where our American fridge freezer is going and where the breakfast bar is being shortened to to allow extra room to pass by it.

It just looks a bit rubbish. I love how big open and bright the room looks in the first pic. I know we need to prioritise storage over looks but I'm worried it looks really bad and out of place. Does it?

Honestly? Yes it won't look pretty but it'll be functional.

My integrated one is much bigger than it looks and we have a chest freezer in the garage too. You could always revert back to it in a year or so.

I think if you have to keep it the fridge would look better on the other wall next to the breakfast bar (in what will be the dining area) at least then it won’t be blocking a pathway. It’s the “blockage” look of it that’s the problem - it affects the flow.

It’s a lovely kitchen OP but I know how frustrating it is when it’s not what you envisioned - I’ve only just got round to changing a super-annoying light fitting over my island that was off centre. It was a right arse-ache to change it though!

It looks far too big...Like a huge tower block .
Completely spoils the 'Zen' of the space.
Does it have to be so vast??

I don't see where, in a kitchen that size, you could have a fridge-freezer like that and it not dominate. Maybe against the wall next to the window where the tall cupboard is if you had the width. But the you'd loose what I'm guessing is much needed cupboard space.

What you need to remember, every time it catches your eye, is that living with the tiny integrated fridge-freezer would have driven you a lot battier, a lot sooner - and probably without enough milk to put in your tea while you descended into madness, either.

It's a small kitchen for 5 people and you're making the best of it. It will look better with something covering the side and you will have the fridge-freezer space you need.

I don’t actually think it looks that bad tbh it’s hard to visualise the breakfast bar as shorter even though you have drawn the line on because it still catches your eye if that makes sense I think that In real life it will look fine

Alternatively ( sorry not rtft) what is the room that is pre kitchen space ? If it is all a dining room can the fridge not be moved further Along IE from the perspective of the photo of you were stood taking that photo can it be moved closer that way ?

Or on the other wall we’re the cupboards finish what is there ? Could it go along there if that’s a wall ?

Why are you changing your entire kitchen layout to make a fridge work? Focus on a layout that works for you & just get a new / slimmer / undercounter fridge as needed. My friend has 3 mini fridges and 2 undercounter fridge / freezers in her kitchen as bigger ones don’t work and it works in terms of style and function - breakfast and drinks fridge near the dining table, vegetable / meat fridge near the cooktop, and undercounter fridges where she needs them.

If you have some money left in your budget get the builders build panelling around it which make it look more stylish and integrated.

Is there any additional space on either side of the fridge? Could you order a couple of slimline pull out larder cupboards for either side and have a pellet running across the top of the fridge? Basically making it look built into the space.

Or alternatively, order a couple of end panels and get them to build you a carcass for the fridge to sit in. At least then from the dining area you'll see a panel the same colour as the rest of your kitchen and not the side of the fridge.

I think it'll be fine Op.

If it has to be like this, I suggest softening it with a white (or whatever colour the breakfast base/cupboards are) wood open shelf bookcase at the side of the fridge. So that I'm looking at a few decorative jars, rather than a solid silver hunk of fridge. 20-30cm deep.

I could not tolerate that. I agree with the person who said until it’s all fitted it’s not too late.
Change the order for the integrated fridge and freezer back even if it costs money or you have to buy them again. This will annoy you forever.

It would like miles better with something covering the side of the fridge, you’ll get both style and function

American fridges annoy me any way because they never truly integrate and you end up with uncleanable dusty gaps. However, aesthetics aside, and I think you'll learn to live with those, what would bother me here is whether anyone can walk past when someone else is at the fridge with the door open. I think it will be a nightmare. Sorry it's not what you want to hear.

No, sorry, it looks terrible.

Or as Lavenderose has suggested. My huge American fridge freezer is like this encased within two larder pull outs with cupboards above but it sits in a huge kitchen.

On the photos it does make a huge difference, but I think IRL it will be just fine.

I'm in the process of replacing my kitchen (long process because of my inability to choose and pretty much shielded since Feb - don't want workmen in). Anyway I had been putting up with an under counter fridge for a VERY long time, in my small, awkward, kitchen. The whole kitchen is being rejigged and the fridge will go on the end of the RHS of a U but everything else needs to be replumbed/required etc to do this. But I couldn't bear the thought of lockdown with a tiny undercounter fridge, no freezer (and wanting to shop as infrequently as possible if I couldn't get delivery slots) so I ordered a Fridge Freezer. Knowing it would have to stand alone on the wall that would be a lid on a U shape. Which is annoying as it's the door we use the most in & out of the house and the hallway. Doesn't matter if that's too confusing realky - it's just between the main access & the rest of the house. I thought it would look massively awful & be a complete inconvenience and it block a lot of light. But actually, after the first few days I haven't really noticed it that much.

On paper it wouldn't look doable and in mock photos it would look ugly & intrusive, but actually it's fine.

I dithered over ordering it, but in the end wanted the use of it over lockdown 1 and I told myself that if fir some reason it wasn't right (side/colour/whatever) for my future kitchen I could sell it or donate it and get something else

I live it and it's going nowhere! 🤣.

It's hard to tell from two photos whether there are other options (and unless it's arrived it's not too late to add to your order, even if you can't remove anything) but I'd look at putting it where the island is and putting a couple of cabinets and work
Top where the fridge is ...

... but try not to worry until it's all in if none of the suggestions appeal to you. If you hate it, you can do something about it then. It's not a massively big deal to move cabinets, islands, replace bits of worktops etc. It's really not.

@Lavanderrose

If you have some money left in your budget get the builders build panelling around it which make it look more stylish and integrated.

That's a good idea!

The fridge will always be too but for that fairly small kitchen though, I think you need a larger space to accommodate one of those.

*big

@KitchenLayoutHelp don’t stress, that looks just like my in laws kitchen, and even though it feels like it will look big and in the way, it really doesn’t feel like that (or look that way in real life).

I thought I'd hate looking at the sides of the fridge too, especially where it is, but within a few days I stopped noticing it.

I know, I'm as surprised as the next man as I'm a fussy cow!

How big is the room? Could you extend the kitchen zone? To leave enough space for the Fridge freezer to sit on the opposite wall, between the wall/base units and the breakfast bar? So the breakfast bar would extend out after the fridge freezer. Hope that makes sense.

Ok more terrible editing, but maybe it will look ok if we arrange the furniture right? It is definitely the most practical option as we don't have a garage and the utility is small and only fits washer and dryer.

If you can't move it and don't want to other cupboards to go either side, purchase full lengths of matching end panels and get the builders to create a matching boxed in section around it. Will be much lighter and cohesive

It will be fine OP. Once you get your furniture and stools in there will be more distractions. When the breakfast bar is shorter the room will appear more balanced.