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Original poster

Does this ruin my new kitchen?

310 replies

KitchenLayoutHelp · 06/01/2021 22:10

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?

Does this ruin my new kitchen?
Does this ruin my new kitchen?
OP posts:
Thread gallery
12
Jenasaurus · 07/01/2021 00:08

Is there enough space to open the fridge while you are standing in front of it as it looks like you may be squashed against the breakfast bar

Original poster
KitchenLayoutHelp · 07/01/2021 00:09

@KitchenLayoutHelp

It won't be a squeeze to walk through or to open the fridge, the fridge is edited on via paint and my line at where we've cut the breakfast bar is just a guess, nothing is too scale here. It has been measured about by the developers and is a comfortable fit. Lots of comments mentioning that so just to clarify
Repeating this as lots of people not seeing it
OP posts:
Viviennemary · 07/01/2021 00:10

I can't see how a large American style fridge freezer could possibly fit into a kitchen that size. Unless the kitchen is bigger than it seems on the photo.

chocolatepowder · 07/01/2021 00:11

@SpikySara GrinGrin

Jenasaurus · 07/01/2021 00:15

I had a kitchen with dinning area next to it in my last house, we had the american fridge freezer in the dinning area and it looked really nice

Original poster
KitchenLayoutHelp · 07/01/2021 00:15

Unfortunately we can't afford a bigger kitchen just yet so it's more about doing what we can to make it work really. This isn't our forever home but I want it to look good.

OP posts:
Original poster
KitchenLayoutHelp · 07/01/2021 00:16

@Jenasaurus

I had a kitchen with dinning area next to it in my last house, we had the american fridge freezer in the dinning area and it looked really nice
Do you have a photo I could look at? I can't imagine it working
OP posts:
gavisconismyfriend · 07/01/2021 00:18

Both the bookcase and the blackboard look great. It will be totally fine OP. Don’t let this worry about one very small part of your new house suck all the joy and excitement out of the move. You’re moving to a fab new house with lots of scope to make it your own. Try and enjoy it for what it is just now and you can always make changes in the future if you have the money and inclination to do so.

NannyGythaOgg · 07/01/2021 00:18

Re the pinterest example

You could paint the side of the fridge with a few layers of blackboard paint for a similar effect with the added advantage of it being magnetic.

You would need to keep some blackboard paint in to refresh it quite regularly.

DonttouchthatLarry · 07/01/2021 00:21

It'll look fine! That is just wasted wall space otherwise. Your picture doesn't look great but that's the funny perspective and the breakfast bar is still full size in it - in reality it'll be ok. I think an oak bookcase to match the worktops will be lovely. Please come back and update with photos once it's all done.

Original poster
KitchenLayoutHelp · 07/01/2021 00:22

@DonttouchthatLarry

It'll look fine! That is just wasted wall space otherwise. Your picture doesn't look great but that's the funny perspective and the breakfast bar is still full size in it - in reality it'll be ok. I think an oak bookcase to match the worktops will be lovely. Please come back and update with photos once it's all done.
Thank you. I will make sure to Smile
OP posts:
TatianaBis · 07/01/2021 00:23

We can look for a slimmer one yes but a fridge to fit food for a family of 5 plus 2 spoilt pooches who's fancy food needs refrigerating probably can't be much smaller. I also don't think dh wants to give up his ice cube/filtered water dispenser.

It can, as I keep saying you just need a shallower one. Many of the US style fridge freezers - the depth is not depth of the interior but size of the exterior, doors. They’ve very bulky. You can get fridge freezers with a shallower external footprint with the same size interior.

Original poster
KitchenLayoutHelp · 07/01/2021 00:24

@TatianaBis

We can look for a slimmer one yes but a fridge to fit food for a family of 5 plus 2 spoilt pooches who's fancy food needs refrigerating probably can't be much smaller. I also don't think dh wants to give up his ice cube/filtered water dispenser.

It can, as I keep saying you just need a shallower one. Many of the US style fridge freezers - the depth is not depth of the interior but size of the exterior, doors. They’ve very bulky. You can get fridge freezers with a shallower external footprint with the same size interior.

I have had a look online for ones with slimmer dimensions but still with an ice and water dispenser and had no joy. I will look again tomorrow
OP posts:
ProvisonalPaulina · 07/01/2021 00:25

@Lavanderrose Has the best suggestion Nd would make it look a million times better. It could also be done after the fact

TatianaBis · 07/01/2021 00:30

On the slimmer models you normally find the ice dispenser in the freezer. The ice machine dispenses into a drawer that has a scoop.

Myfridge · 07/01/2021 00:32

We have a similar arrangement and it’s fine. If works for us and if i want to take photos of my kitchen I just take them from a different angle!
We have a big notice board on the side of ours but it’s not as pretty as your example so I’m feeling inspired to try a few different options from this thread!
Don’t worry about it- minimal distance from fridge to breakfast bar is a big plus in my book! Good for snacks and preparing lunches.

PickAChew · 07/01/2021 00:34

It looks crap in the picture but a truly crap kitchen is one that doesn't do what you want it to do and, in the current climate, I'd be prioritising storage and the necessity for fewer shopping trips over the pretties.

magicstar1 · 07/01/2021 00:36

Don’t worry...you’ll be glad you kept that fridge. We had ours in a position like yours, and after a while you get used to it.
Then when we moved we put in a lovely new kitchen, all integrated. We put the American fridge freezer in the shed. The kitchen fridge is a pain..it looks good, but doesn’t hold much, or filter water etc.
We use the one in the shed all the time. If I was doing it again I’d keep the big one.

fastwigglylines · 07/01/2021 00:43

It'll be fine!

I have an American style fridge freezer in a kitchen that's too small for it. It looks ridiculously out of place, much more than in your pictures - but I care not!

The extra space in the fridge and freezer is so useful, it more than makes up for any loss of perfect lines.

FuckYouCorona · 07/01/2021 00:44

Its fine. We have a similar kitchen layout but we have integrated fridge freezer where your American style will be & we don't have a breakfast bar. Our integrated fridge freezer is too small, particularly for lockdown & there are only 3 of us here. What you've done is much better. I think perhaps some people are not seeing the line you drew on the breakfast bar to indicate where it will end. If you end up not liking it then the idea of building something around it so it looks more fitted is worth considering. To be honest I think you'll love it & don't need to worry. Flowers

Chloemol · 07/01/2021 00:51

It’s fine

Figgyboa · 07/01/2021 03:23

I don't like it, sorry. Looks cramped.

Witchlight · 07/01/2021 05:16

Can you keep the old fridge freezer and have a back-up one in the utility or garage?

Sorry, I don’t think your current plan works.

nancypineapple · 07/01/2021 07:44

Good luck op! We have a full height integrated fridge which is huge and a half height integrated freezer. The fridge is massive internally ( bigger then the fridge part of most american ones)but the freezer is really too small for lockdown. However normally there won't be 5 of us at home every day. If theres enough space ( think its 100cm) between the fridge and breakfast bar when they come to fit it than it will be absolutely fine.

Eddielzzard · 07/01/2021 07:53

Well the layout of your kitchen is pretty much the same as mine and I can tell you it's really handy to have the breakfast bar behind the fridge to dump stuff on. That layout works really well. I agree with putting something up the side to mask it's bulk. I don't think it's a disaster. You'll get used to it and be grateful for the extra fridge space.