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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
Poppyolive90 · 07/01/2021 09:56

I think stick with what you’ve got. It’s all planned and paid for and IMO does not look horrendous. You could have a local carpenter cheaply build an MDF surround for the fridge which you could paint the same colour as the units, wouldn’t cost much and would make it look more like part of the kitchen.

Also, that is a good sized kitchen! You have a breakfast bar and a dining table in there. Don’t feel bad about things random strangers say on the internet. Having a dining table in the kitchen is a luxury for many people!

BrandoraPaithwaite · 07/01/2021 09:58

Hi OP. I've got a huge fridge experience to make you feel better..

In the boiling hot summer of 2018 my sensibly sized but somehow always crammed/ overflowing ancient fridge freezer broke down. I was on mat leave with a tiny baby and couldn't face faffing around so I went online and ordered a bigger fridge that would supposedly roughly fit in the space.. It arrived and it seemed MASSIVE. Really tall, stuck out loads and a bit like what you're worried about, we are confronted with the view of the vast side of it as we walk into the kitchen.
We have ended up loving "the mega fridge"! The difference between playing bloody fridge jenga every time and having loads of fridge space is so great and we love it! It's now decorated with dc garish artwork.

Original poster
KitchenLayoutHelp · 07/01/2021 09:59

@Africa2go

Are you sure there's 3m (300cm?) between the breakfast bar and the fridge??!! That doesn't sound right!

We're a family of 5 (including 2 never-full teenagers) and I don't like American Fridge Freezers - think they dominate the space which is exactly what yours looks like in the photo - so did masses of research about integrated fridge freezers. Ours is 60/40 fridge/freezer and works really well. Had it for 4 years and never had an issue with it.

I think you'll regret at least not finding out what options you still have at this stage - what the costs would be and what the developer can do to re-arrange things - and going ahead with the FF. That kitchen diner looks a lovely bright space and if your family is anything like mine, you/your family will spend quite a bit of time in there and it needs to be a space you love (in my opinion). The screen / blackboard /built in cabinet are all good ideas to disguise a big ugly FF but it will make the room look horribly cramped and I think losing part of your breakfast bar to allow for the FF is a big mistake. Sorry.

The picture said 300. Maybe that means mm. That's tiny if so Shock
OP posts:
midgebabe · 07/01/2021 10:00

Can you get a white one when you need to replace it ? Same as the units then

BrandoraPaithwaite · 07/01/2021 10:03

Just leave it as planned for now, live with it for a bit then decide what to do.

Baxdream · 07/01/2021 10:04

That would be 300mm!

Original poster
KitchenLayoutHelp · 07/01/2021 10:07

300mm space between the two.
Our fridge is 178.7 x 91 x 74.3 cm (H x W x D)
And online it says to leave twice the depth and width space to open doors fully.

So have they got their measurements wrong when they said it would fit?

OP posts:
Original poster
KitchenLayoutHelp · 07/01/2021 10:15

It's 800mm

OP posts:
GreenOlivesinGin · 07/01/2021 10:16

The only issue is making sure there is indeed enough space for you to move comfortably. Other than that, it is totally fine! Yes ok it may not be the way you would have designed it if you had unlimited space and money, but you already have a couple of nice ideas on how to cover the side of the fridge. It is definitely workable in my view, you will get used to it and i even think it will look lovely in the end!

Africa2go · 07/01/2021 10:16

What is the measurement on the diagram between the front of the FF and the end of the breakfast bar (I can't read it).

It sounds from your post that the doors open, you need at least 74.3 cm in front of the FF and space of 91cm (I'm guessing this is split between the 2 sides) at the sides of the FF. You then need to consider the space a person takes up standing in front of the FF with the doors open, and the space you'd need behind that person for someone else to pass you whilst you're stood there. Otherwise, you're going to block that "corridor" every time you open the FF. That might not be an issue, depends on your family.

pinfloy · 07/01/2021 10:19

From counting the units along the back wall it looks like the kitchen is about 300cm wide. So the figure you've got is totally wrong. If you mean 300mm that's far too small a gap

pinfloy · 07/01/2021 10:22

There's a difference between how much space you need to open doors fully and how much space you need if it's forming a corridor

Africa2go · 07/01/2021 10:25

If its 800mm, sounds like there is enough space to open the doors, but not enough space for a person to be stood there in front of the doors trying to open it. Its not going to work OP.

MaggieFS · 07/01/2021 10:28

800mm sounds better! Next question is how big the largest fridge door it, but at least you will definitely be able to open the fridge Grin.

I've just measured what we have between the edge of our fridge door when open and the island and it's about 470. We have a "standard" size integrated fridge, so the door width of 600 when open allows one person to be at the fridge and another to walk past behind them in the 470 space. You'll probably end up finding it a bit tight for one person to get past when another is at the fridge, but if you're not so worried about that and really need your fridge, then it should work out. Good luck!

Baxdream · 07/01/2021 10:29

What are these numbers?

Does this ruin my new kitchen?
Original poster
KitchenLayoutHelp · 07/01/2021 10:31

It only leads to the utility room that way, the fridge won't be open enough to cause a problem getting past but want enough space to open it comfortably

OP posts:
pinfloy · 07/01/2021 10:38

If it was me, I'd see if I could get an integrated fridge freezer with a 70/30 split. Then look at an undercounter freezer elsewhere (utility/garage?)

Shadowboy · 07/01/2021 10:41

I don’t like standing American fridge freezers, they always look too big and in your face. That particular location would do my head in as it means people have to take turns to pass through and the flow of light is poor.

Africa2go · 07/01/2021 10:41

What about anyone wanting to go from the dining area bit to the kitchen bit?

OldOrMaybeNotThatOld · 07/01/2021 10:43

I would build a unit 'around' your fridge freezer if that makes sense.... That way you would be looking at a kitchen unit and not the side of a fridge. You could even integrate some shelving or display case on the side facing us in the pic.

Thats what I would do.

OldOrMaybeNotThatOld · 07/01/2021 10:46

To add ... I am from South Africa and we too mostly have these style fridge freezer combos. Very seldom is it an integrated unit. Most of the time our kitchens are designed with the fridge freezer 'inside' a unit - No doors obviously but side on you are not looking at a fridge but rather a unit

cordelia16 · 07/01/2021 10:52

OP, if your fridge has an ice cube/filtered water dispenser, doesn't it need to be close to / connect to the sink? Has that been accounted for, given the distance from the fridge to the sink?

Daisydoesnt · 07/01/2021 10:56

OP, if your fridge has an ice cube/filtered water dispenser, doesn't it need to be close to / connect to the sink? Has that been accounted for, given the distance from the fridge to the sink?

Blimey what a good spot!!!!

Original poster
KitchenLayoutHelp · 07/01/2021 10:59

@Daisydoesnt

OP, if your fridge has an ice cube/filtered water dispenser, doesn't it need to be close to / connect to the sink? Has that been accounted for, given the distance from the fridge to the sink?

Blimey what a good spot!!!!

Yes a new water connection was being put in behind it.
OP posts:
Daisydoesnt · 07/01/2021 11:01

If its 800mm, sounds like there is enough space to open the doors, but not enough space for a person to be stood there in front of the doors trying to open it

We have a metre between our similarly sized ff and the edge of the island. You can stand between them when you open the door (not to the side) but you wouldn’t get anyone able to walk past you that is for sure.