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cantgetmynailsclean

Standalone Fridge in the corner... frame it in or not?

My fridge stands alone in a kitchen corner, not alongside the cabinets. If you're looking into the kitchen, the cabinets/sink/stove are on the left side of the doorway to the mudroom, then in the corner to the right, there's the fridge. I'm not sure if we should try to give it a built in look or not. I was thinking of drywalling up the side, (it's right side is what would be facing you) and then putting a shelf above with a couple pull out baskets. Does anyone have a layout like this? I don't think I want a cabinet above it, since the side of the cabinet would be visible, and plus, it's a full size fridge.

Sorry, no pic.

Comments (10)

  • Susan
    13 years ago

    my fridge will be on a corner as well, and i'm sheetrocking it in so i can place my blackboard there.
    hth!

  • jakabedy
    13 years ago

    Our fridge does have cabinets on one side, but we decided we didn't want it to be freestanding (didn't want the side showing) but also didn't want to try to panel it in (we had deepened the countertops, and had a higher ceiling, so the prefab panels wouldn't work). So instead we did what probably was more work in the end, but turned out great. We added a wall to separate the fridge in an alcove. A 2x4 wall and drywall will be about 4-3/4" thick when finished. So if you have room for that, I'd consider it. Then if you want to put a cabinet above, it will be built-in and wont look odd just sticking out from the wall.

  • macybaby
    13 years ago

    Persoanlly, I found I don't like the look of a fridge sitting out by itself. So I'd lean towards framing it in and putting storage above it.

    But I agree with you not wanting just a cabinet hung above where you can see the side of the fridge and the side of the cabinet. For me, that would be worse than having the fridge all by itself.

  • cantgetmynailsclean
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Yay, I was so happy to come on and see responses! lol! It's an odd question and without a camera handy, I wasn't sure if I would make sense (or if anyone would have a similar layout). Thank you all for your responses.

    FallingWaters, that's just what I wanted to do, put a chalkboard and a little memo center, maybe the calendar. I was thinking of putting one of those pull out pantry type slides inside the little 'wall' also. Maybe that's something you might consider as well!

    Jakabedy, thanks for the pics, I'm so happy to SEE something done like that. That's just what I wanted to do, wall it in like that. Only I wanted to go with the baskets look, so I'm going to put a shelf above the fridge and put two big baskets up top. Frame it out with some trim too.

    Macy, yeah, I just don't like it either! I've always put big decorations up there, but it just looks so undone or unfinished hanging out there by itself!!

  • Noma Finney
    13 years ago

    We are in the middle of our remodel and have removed the wall between our living room and kitchen and my frig will be alone on one wall.

    {{!gwi}}

    Here's a pic from a couple of weeks ago. Please excuse the mess. This was at a stage where I had boxes mocking up my cabinets. You will see my frig towards the right side of this picture facing the window over my sink. My plan is to have a storage cabinet above my frig all the way to the ceiling (like the rest of my upper cabinets). The cardboard boxes sitting beside the frig represent a bookcase/display cabinet the will go all the way to the ceiling as well. I plan to have doors at the bottom (for my less attractive cookbooks) and shelves for cookbooks and decorative items at the top. The bookcase will have beadboard in the back and a nice arched top. I also plan to have a small hidden message board with a door in the side of the bookcase (to the right of the frig) if that makes sense. I hopefully will have pictures before Christmas....

    Now to highjack the thread.... My plan is to have creamy white cabinets with a "clean" glaze along the wall with the windows. The island will be black with light distressing. My question is - would it look better to do this bookcase the same as my creamy cabinets or how do you think a medium stained wood would look? Would that be too much going on? I thought it might tie in with the living room better.... You can see our new fireplace in this next picture.

    {{!gwi}}

  • cantgetmynailsclean
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Nollie,
    I know just what you mean about the message board, I was also thinking of doing that! I saw a pic of it in a cabinet 'magazine' and loved it. But I'm growing pretty weary of the renovations going on so I think I'll just plan out the studs in the 'wall' to be a little wider so I can cut it open later and do it if I want to.

    I like your idea for the cookbooks. I was planning on using really big, square, woven baskets, they're like 12-15" tall, I wish I had room for a shelf now! I may be pulling out my tape measure again now that the wheels are turning!

    That coloring question is a tough one. I think I would wait until everything else is in to decide it while considering the view from both rooms. I think I might go with the island's dark color. Maybe dark framing with wood shelves to tie in both spaces?

  • Noma Finney
    13 years ago

    Thanks cantgetmynailsclean. I had thought about cream framing with a wood back something like the photo below:

    {{!gwi}}

  • Buehl
    13 years ago

    Frame it...whether you do it w/drywall or w/cabinetry. Personally, I vote cabinetry with pullouts on each side of the refrigerator...even if they're only 4" or 5" wide. I would also put a full-depth cabinet above the refrigerator.
    You can create utility cabinets that pull out from that narrow a space. See the link below.
    You can also build a Message Center in that space. Our Message Center Niche is 7" deep, but it could have been an inch or two shallower and still worked. If you use cabinetry, you can utilize the entire space...ceiling to floor...for the Message Center.
    If you have 6" or more on one side, you could build a pantry cabinet for cans or other small/shallow items (cereal boxes, Tupperware's Modular Mates, etc.)

    Message Center Niche:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Thread: 4'' Broom Closet from Ikeafans

  • cantgetmynailsclean
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Nollie, I love the colors of that! It's similar to a piece I have in my office that is visible from the living room. I love how the colors tie into both rooms.

    Buehl, I love the confidence of your post! I've been toying with those ideas of the message center and pullout but hadn't finalized either. But you're so sure you make me so sure!! :) I love the way you have the wood at the bottom of your niche. I keep my garbage can at the base of the fridge, and was thinking of framing in a box right at the bottom of that wall to keep that in. Kinda have the lid come down at a diagonal, then a straight front. But I keep adding more and more to this project!! But I know I can do it, and I love it when someone comes over and sees something done and tells my husband he did a good job and then they find out it was me. Although with all the stuff I've done in the last year and a half, people are getting less surprised!

  • houseful
    13 years ago

    Ours will be framed in drywall. I opted for an arched niche above for colorful pottery.

    Nollie, I cannot wait to see your finished kitchen!!