10 Cool Tips for Hiding Your Refrigerator
For an uncluttered look in your kitchen, check out these clever ways to keep your fridge incognito
Everyone needs some sort of cooling in their kitchens, and the array of different refrigerators and freezers to choose from is vast. However, no one wants their appliance to dominate the room, so read on for some useful tips on putting your fridge in its place.
Leave a space and build around
While this particular manner of hiding may be toddler-style thinking (ie, standing very still in plain sight), an American-style fridge-freezer will often be housed most effectively with cabinets built around it that, while not actually hiding the fridge, certainly make it less obtrusive. However, make sure your installer is able to leave adequate ventilation around the appliance, as these types of fridge-freezers are meant to be freestanding and not integrated.
Most American-style fridge-freezers are deeper than normal cabinetry because the hefty doors protrude beyond the depth of the cupboards around them. They have their reasons for standing proud – you will need the space to swing those doors fully open. Shop around, though, as some brands offer designs that are shallower in depth to fit in with kitchen cabinets, but they do tend to be at the higher price ranges.
While this particular manner of hiding may be toddler-style thinking (ie, standing very still in plain sight), an American-style fridge-freezer will often be housed most effectively with cabinets built around it that, while not actually hiding the fridge, certainly make it less obtrusive. However, make sure your installer is able to leave adequate ventilation around the appliance, as these types of fridge-freezers are meant to be freestanding and not integrated.
Most American-style fridge-freezers are deeper than normal cabinetry because the hefty doors protrude beyond the depth of the cupboards around them. They have their reasons for standing proud – you will need the space to swing those doors fully open. Shop around, though, as some brands offer designs that are shallower in depth to fit in with kitchen cabinets, but they do tend to be at the higher price ranges.
Nestle it under a worktop overhang
A breakfast bar or island is a great place for a wine fridge, as it makes for easy access when you’re entertaining. Wine fridges tend to have glass doors so aren’t hidden in quite the same way as most integrated appliances. If you don’t want yours to be too obvious, consider sneaking it under the protruding lip of the worktop where the seating is. This one is neatly accessible when the owners have guests, but it is neatly tucked away and can even be hidden behind a bar stool at other times.
A breakfast bar or island is a great place for a wine fridge, as it makes for easy access when you’re entertaining. Wine fridges tend to have glass doors so aren’t hidden in quite the same way as most integrated appliances. If you don’t want yours to be too obvious, consider sneaking it under the protruding lip of the worktop where the seating is. This one is neatly accessible when the owners have guests, but it is neatly tucked away and can even be hidden behind a bar stool at other times.
Integrate behind cabinet doors
Perhaps the most common way to hide a refrigerator is to go for an integrated one with kitchen unit doors attached. Integrated appliances are specially created to be housed inside cabinetry, with enhanced ventilation and insulation so the workings don’t get too hot. Tall integrated fridges or fridge-freezers generally fit inside a 600mm-wide larder unit so, as a result, their capacity tends to be lower than their freestanding equivalents.
Perhaps the most common way to hide a refrigerator is to go for an integrated one with kitchen unit doors attached. Integrated appliances are specially created to be housed inside cabinetry, with enhanced ventilation and insulation so the workings don’t get too hot. Tall integrated fridges or fridge-freezers generally fit inside a 600mm-wide larder unit so, as a result, their capacity tends to be lower than their freestanding equivalents.
Create a bank of tall units
Your fridge-freezer may not need to be the only tall item in your kitchen. If you have a long wall space with no windows or other features, this can be the ideal space for a long run of tower units. They will provide a large amount of storage and can easily house a fridge-freezer, too.
Generally you will need a 600mm depth to the tower run if you are integrating any appliances. In this example, the side-wall window is at 480mm from the tower-run wall, so the designer has incorporated a mix of depths with normal larder storage at either end, and the fridge and freezer in the middle, stepping out to 600mm. This is known as a ‘breakfront’, and when it’s done symmetrically, it can become an interesting feature, rather than a compromise.
Your fridge-freezer may not need to be the only tall item in your kitchen. If you have a long wall space with no windows or other features, this can be the ideal space for a long run of tower units. They will provide a large amount of storage and can easily house a fridge-freezer, too.
Generally you will need a 600mm depth to the tower run if you are integrating any appliances. In this example, the side-wall window is at 480mm from the tower-run wall, so the designer has incorporated a mix of depths with normal larder storage at either end, and the fridge and freezer in the middle, stepping out to 600mm. This is known as a ‘breakfront’, and when it’s done symmetrically, it can become an interesting feature, rather than a compromise.
Make space in a corner
Corner spaces in kitchens are notoriously hard to fill effectively, either at base level or with a large L-shaped larder. However, some clever suppliers have embraced the challenge by creating a corner refrigerator – with a door placed on the diagonal and copious chilled storage inside. The whole appliance is built into existing cabinetry, and spans a corner of around one square metre.
Discover smart ways to hide your kitchen bin
Corner spaces in kitchens are notoriously hard to fill effectively, either at base level or with a large L-shaped larder. However, some clever suppliers have embraced the challenge by creating a corner refrigerator – with a door placed on the diagonal and copious chilled storage inside. The whole appliance is built into existing cabinetry, and spans a corner of around one square metre.
Discover smart ways to hide your kitchen bin
Camouflage it with colour-matching
There is nothing hidden about the freestanding fridge-freezer in this image, but the kitchen designer has expertly matched the colour and handles of the cabinets with the fridge-freezer for a uniform look. As a result, the scheme flows neatly with no jarring contrasts.
There are plenty of interesting colours and shades for fridges available now, so if you are shopping for a new freestanding design, why not look for one that will match your existing cupboard doors?
There is nothing hidden about the freestanding fridge-freezer in this image, but the kitchen designer has expertly matched the colour and handles of the cabinets with the fridge-freezer for a uniform look. As a result, the scheme flows neatly with no jarring contrasts.
There are plenty of interesting colours and shades for fridges available now, so if you are shopping for a new freestanding design, why not look for one that will match your existing cupboard doors?
Consider access and position
The positioning of your fridge-freezer, whether integrated or freestanding, will impact the flow of your kitchen, so it’s worth finding exactly the right spot for it, where it will be least intrusive, but also most accessible. Assess which work surface is nearest, and make sure the door opens in the right direction so that you can take items out and put them down on the worktop easily.
The door on an integrated fridge normally has shelves on it, which makes the door thicker and can affect how easy it is to open the vegetable drawers inside. People often make the mistake of putting a fridge right up against a wall, which can restrict access. Make sure it will be possible to extend the fridge door open beyond 90 degrees, so that all the internal drawers can be pulled out.
In the kitchen here, the fridge-freezer sits next to the unit containing the oven. This type of layout is fine when both appliances are specifically built to be integrated, as you don’t need to worry about heat transfer.
Check out these ideas for zoning a kitchen beyond the usual triangle
The positioning of your fridge-freezer, whether integrated or freestanding, will impact the flow of your kitchen, so it’s worth finding exactly the right spot for it, where it will be least intrusive, but also most accessible. Assess which work surface is nearest, and make sure the door opens in the right direction so that you can take items out and put them down on the worktop easily.
The door on an integrated fridge normally has shelves on it, which makes the door thicker and can affect how easy it is to open the vegetable drawers inside. People often make the mistake of putting a fridge right up against a wall, which can restrict access. Make sure it will be possible to extend the fridge door open beyond 90 degrees, so that all the internal drawers can be pulled out.
In the kitchen here, the fridge-freezer sits next to the unit containing the oven. This type of layout is fine when both appliances are specifically built to be integrated, as you don’t need to worry about heat transfer.
Check out these ideas for zoning a kitchen beyond the usual triangle
Sneak in a decor panel
Depending on your vantage point in the room, hiding your appliance may be as easy as simply adding a panel in the same shade as your cabinets to the side of the fridge to keep it out of sight.
In this neat galley kitchen, the owner has come up with a clever solution to a couple of positioning problems. There are a lot of windows and doors to accommodate, and not a great amount of space. As a result, the fridge and the range oven need to be neighbours. However, they’re not compatible (one heats and the other cools), as they don’t have the enhanced insulation of integrated appliances. The addition of a decor panel between them not only provides a necessary barrier, it also keeps the fridge out of sight as you look down the galley run. The white panel blends with the walls and helps the room feel less cluttered.
Depending on your vantage point in the room, hiding your appliance may be as easy as simply adding a panel in the same shade as your cabinets to the side of the fridge to keep it out of sight.
In this neat galley kitchen, the owner has come up with a clever solution to a couple of positioning problems. There are a lot of windows and doors to accommodate, and not a great amount of space. As a result, the fridge and the range oven need to be neighbours. However, they’re not compatible (one heats and the other cools), as they don’t have the enhanced insulation of integrated appliances. The addition of a decor panel between them not only provides a necessary barrier, it also keeps the fridge out of sight as you look down the galley run. The white panel blends with the walls and helps the room feel less cluttered.
Carve out alcoves
If you are planning to undertake a full building project, it is possible to create the most seamless solution for all your cupboards and appliances. Rather than simply having a run of units along a wall, you could build a block of ceiling down, forming alcoves for the cabinets to sit within. The overall effect is sleek, and an integrated fridge here will fit right in with the crowd.
How have you kept your fridge out of sight? Share your ideas in the Comments below.
If you are planning to undertake a full building project, it is possible to create the most seamless solution for all your cupboards and appliances. Rather than simply having a run of units along a wall, you could build a block of ceiling down, forming alcoves for the cabinets to sit within. The overall effect is sleek, and an integrated fridge here will fit right in with the crowd.
How have you kept your fridge out of sight? Share your ideas in the Comments below.
Not every kitchen has space for tower units, as windows or other features can get in the way, and tall items can tend to block the light. However, a built-under fridge can often seem like a compromise, as access is restrictive. To combat this, some manufacturers have come up with fridge drawers, which can be integrated into the run of units with a cabinetry front.
Alternatively, there are pull-out solutions such as the one pictured, which are attached to a cabinet door. You can open the drawer or pull-out and view everything from above, rather than getting down to peer inside, but when shut, these neat solutions are hidden away.