Hinge to stop new kitchen cupboard hitting the wall when opened?

[eleflump]

We are just in the process of having our new kitchen fitted.

The integrated fridge is next to a wall and when the door is opened it is banging into it.

The fitter called me in to show me, and suggested sticking something to the wall to act as a buffer - this is obviously not going to look great in a new kitchen that has cost a fair bit!

Are there any other possible solutions that anyone knows of - I was wondering if there are hinges that ensure a cupboard only opens 90 degrees?

The thing is, you're going to want the fridge door to open more than 90 degrees, for example, if you want to lift a shelf or drawer out for cleaning.
Would there be room for something on the wall that does double duty like a rail for tea towels?

Oh gosh, yes - I didnt think of that.

It's just a small section of wall next to the back door that the cupboard door will hit, there's not anything we could really put there.

It will be hitting the wall when open at just over 90 degrees I think - I am fearful for both the new door and the wall as I think both are going to end up marked.

So annoying - we have used a 'one stop shop' who have designed and supplied the kitchen and provided the fitter and trades in the hope that we would avoid issues like this.

You can get a hinge restrictor insert
There a a few different types and you will need to get the right one for your hinge
I found it easier to replace one hinge in each of the cupboard doors I needed sorting & slipped in the restrictor
Something like this
www.amazon.co.uk/Blum-Hinge-Angle-Restriction-Clip/dp/B004CXSKN0?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

You can get restrictors for kitchen cupboard door hinges, but the hinges on the fridge will be different, I think.

You really need a small gap (filled with a filler panel or used for wine/trays or something) between the fridge and wall. Otherwise as mine says, you won’t be able to remove bits for cleaning, and depending on the design you might not even be able to open the drawers properly!

Sounds like the kitchen isn’t fitted yet so hopefully not too late to change?

It's an integrated fridge (so the fridge opens when the cupboard door is opened). The fridge unit is the last one in a bank of wall units running along a full wall, and so unfortunately no room to change anything now as all the units are built and filling the entire wall.

If they had said it might be a problem I could have maybe had the door opening the other way - it's handleless units though so I am not sure if it would have worked.

I will mention the hinge restriction clips to the fitter tomorrow and see what he says - thank you @HandlebarLadyTash

I have this issue with some cupboard handles on my kitchen units. My solution was tiny plastic sticky dots (like furniture/floor protectors) on the wall. They are opaque so you barely see them.

Unfortunately you’ve hired a very poor kitchen designer. A good designer would have measured how much clearance was needed for the handle and installed an end panel to bump the fridge far enough away from the wall so it could open. A harsh lesson that “you get what you pay for”.

It's a true handleless kitchen and there is an end panel to the unit, however, the door is still catching the wall when fully open.

I have checked and it is opening way past 90 degrees, and so I will investigate if there is a way to stop it before it hits the wall whilst also ensuring we can get the shelves out.

The fridge is not yet attached to the door and so maybe the extra weight of that will restrict it a little bit.

In terms of 'getting what I paid for', I definitely think that we have paid enough to be able to expect a decent kitchen!

We have exactly the same as @JamMakingWannaBe - tiny opaque silicone dots stuck on the utility room door frame to cushion the fridge door unit if it's opened to its full extent. You can't see them unless you look.

Why can't you turn the door around so it opens the other way?

In my defence I've not bought a new fridge for a decade, but you used to be able to choose to make the door left or right opening?

If the fridge is already ordered/in situ go online and read the installation instructions.

I have this in my downstairs lavatory and too have the invisible cushions.

This is why you never put a fridge against the wall. You always put it at least one unit away from the wall so the door can open. The kitchen has been poorly designed, you may have paid a lot but the issue is still that the designer is shit. The main thing that tells you they’re shit is that their solution is to stick an ugly looking buffer on the wall! A decent responsible company would have standards and would be embarrassed to even suggest sticking on a buffer. They’d acknowledge they’ve made a mistake and correct it by tweaking the kitchen and moving the fridge away from the wall.

Thanks for all your comments - I will speak to the designer and the installation manager today to ask their opinion on what can be done.

Fridge doors are designed to open either way, obviously they have to be designed that way as no one knows where their fridge will be positioned. If the cabinet door has already been drilled, then a replacement cabinet door will need to be bought. Shouldn't be a huge expense, although annoying.

I think moving the fridge will be trickier as I assume that the electrics have already been done.

Change the hinge up to other side. Bed design though. Probably planned by a salesperson not a proper designer.

Bad not bed!