"U" Shaped kitchen, 2 options for fridge

amother

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 1:33 pm

There are 2 places I can have my fridge, the end of the "U" exactly where I walk into the kitchen, or the opposite end of the "U" that I face when I walk into the kitchen. Picture a jumprope laid out as a "U" with the 2 handles of the jumprope being the 2 places I can put the fridge.

Decorator says if I want a regular depth fridge (I dont want counter depth, because theres less storage area in a counter depth fridge and Id rather have more storage and a less decorator-y look) shed prefer to walk into the kitchen with doorway facing fridge rather than walking into the kitchen with the fridge sticking out right at entrance to kitchen.

Which do you think is less of an eyesore, walking into the kitchen just past the bulging fridge, or walking into the kitchen and facing the bulging fridge at the opposite end of where you walk into the kitchen.

etky

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 1:39 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I agree with your decorator. If you have the bulging fridge right as you walk in it might make the entrance into the kitchen feel narrow and tunnel-ish and block the view into the kitchen as you walk in which personally I would find uncomfortable.

amother

Fuchsia

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 2:00 pm

I agree with your decorator. I have the same layout situation with a standard depth fridge next to the door way, it was ugly sticking out so much, I’d rather face it as you walk in so it’s not as noticeable. We just did some work on our kitchen and switched to a counter depth fridge and moved our old standard to the garage for extra storage. However the counter depth has actually been enough space for our family of six. But the extra space in the garage will be great for YT.

amother

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 2:40 pm

amother [ Fuchsia ] wrote:

Really? A big appliance place told me that theyve had many women order and when they got the edited *cabinet depth fridge, they begged for them to take it back at a loss to them, because they felt they lost way too much fridge space.

tweety1

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 4:39 pm

amother [ Fuchsia ] wrote:

You have to know your needs and think a bit ahead say 5 years. I did not want to compromise on the sz of my fridge. Being that my kitchen is big enough it does not look ugly the other way around. It probably would've looked gorgeous the way ops decorator is suggesting. But I'm a very practical person.

amother

Honeydew

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 8:52 pm

If the fridge is right whern you walk into the kitchen, you won't be able to walk into the room when the fridge is open. So that's a big negative.

Things to consider with fridge placement: proximity to the eating area, and how easily you can unpack groceries and put them away. It's not essential to have counter space next to the fridge, but it is nice to have space to set things down as you remove them from the refrigerator.

amother

Fuchsia

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 8:56 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I got a slightly larger counter depth at 22 cubic feet, also I did an interior water dispenser so the ice maker is below in the freezer which gives me a bit of extra fridge space. It’s a French door fridge and the pull out freezer has an extra third drawer wich has been really nice.

Happens to be though that I have a full size extra freezer in my garage and now I have the extra standard depth large French door fridge in the garage for extra storage. We haven’t plugged in the old fridge yet and we’ve been doing well with just the counter depth in the kitchen but if I didn’t have the extra freezer it would be really tough.

Our contractor made sure to cover all sides of the fridge with cabinetry (required a bit extra because counter depth fridges still stick out more than the 24 inch counter). I told him I didn’t want to see any of the gray sides and that only the stainless doors were allowed to be visible lol.

If you don’t have extra freezer/fridge space in a garage or basement I would go with standard depth, the biggest you can get and make sure to completely surround it with cabinetry to make it look much more purposeful and built in.

amother

Slategray

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 9:30 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Those who walk into their kitchens and face their fridges straight ahead, are the fridges covered with a wood panel to look like the cabinets?

No stainless steel is beautiful but sides are covered with cabinetry

catinthehat

Tue, Jun 09 2020, 10:17 pm

I have U shaped kitchen w fridge right where u walk in. original plan was for counter depth fridge, but I changed the last minute for function of full depth. I like my layout as is, my kitchen is 12 ft wide. I used the space opposite side for glass cabinets, statement oven & hood, stunning stone slab, and contrasting color lower cabinets since thats where your eyes go to when you walk in.

etky

Wed, Jun 10 2020, 1:41 am

amother [ Honeydew ] wrote:

Traffic patterns in the kitchen are very important.
For example, I didn't want the fridge in a position that would necessitate people getting into my 'cooking triangle' on their way to the fridge.
OTOH, our fridge is right where you walk in (although it doesn't jut out because it's in a recessed area) and it's inconvenient when the door is open.
We didn't have a choice and otherwise it's in a good position. Also we do have another entrance to the kitchen so I tell people to 'go around' if I'm unpacking groceries and the door needs to be open for a while.
I actuallly think that having a 'landing area' next to the fridge is essential both for unpacking groceries and for when you need to arrange things in the fridge.

tweety1

Wed, Jun 10 2020, 9:58 am

amother [ Slategray ] wrote:

No stainless steel is beautiful but sides are covered with cabinetry

This is what I have. I also feel if your kitchen is big enough having it stick out a bit is really not bad. My kitchen is abt 275 sq.f therefore it's big enough to have a full functioning fridge/freezer covered with cabinetry by the sides. In a smaller kitchen I could see it not working out.

gyf45

Wed, Jun 10 2020, 11:01 pm

Put it facing you when you come in not right by the entrance. I actually have a window end of my U shape counter so my fridge is after the window but it works. It’s near kitchen table kids help themselves and no one bothers me when I cook. Mines stainless steel not covered in cabinetry it looks nice.