With all of these fancy stainless steel refrigerators becoming standard practice, the whole idea of "fridge art" is a dying concept. But because of cork, it doesn't have to be.
What a great idea: covering your stainless steel door (or any refrigerator door for that matter) with a lightweight piece of cork board to create an instant area to display kid's art, invitations, postcards, etc. Here's one very basic way to go about it.
Step One: Get a piece of cork. It's best to measure out the space exactly and get a flattened sheet cut down to those exact specifications from your local hardware store. Online, your best bet is Manton Cork. It's key to get a piece that is lightweight.
Step Two: Adhesive. You want a type of adhesive that is strong, but that will remove cleanly. This is why 3M Command Picture Hanging Strips work really well. They are also thin enough so that the cork will almost be flush to the surface of the refrigerator. Line the top and sides of the piece of cardboard with a few of these strips. Avoid putting the strips in the middle as you want a little bit of space between the cork and door for the pins to stick through.
Step Three: Velcro. To keep the cork board from swinging at the bottom, sticking it with a few sticky pieces of Velcro at the bottom of the fridge will work well. You could also just use more 3M strips.
For an artistic and sophisticated look when pinning your pictures, seek out unique push pins. These floral fabric covered pins are fun if you're into a feminine look, or you could go the industrial route.
(Image via LoftLife)
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riiiight - so why buy stainless steel in the first place if you're going to cover it up? Smooth white fridges double as a dry erase surface and you can still use magnets with them.
Ha. It sure does look great when the stuff you're displaying "just happens" to complement your room's color palette, as in the above photo. In real life, who knows.
Seems like instead of leaving space between the cork board and the surface of the fridge (and hoping the pin head doesn't scratch the stainless steel), you could mount the cork layer on a base layer of foam core and then mount the entire panel to the fridge.
Seems like that would get dirty. Splashes and spills in the kitchen (greasy hands, ect...) are why kitchen appliances are made to be wipeable, no?
I'm totally SMITTEN with that orange chandie! YUM!
www.NorthernCottage.net
But part of the idea of stainless steel is it's attractive, and all that "fridge art" is just clutter -- so -- WHY?
Instead, mount self-adhesive cork sheet INSIDE cupboard/pantry doors and post your menus and things where they are handy but out of sight. (Have you ever noticed on kitchen makeovers, they NEVER have stuff on the fridge in the AFTER shots?)
I covet these French-inspired pushpins from Ballard.
Better yet. Buy a high end fridge such as Sub-Zero and order it "panel ready" this way you can slide a cork panel in to achieve this look. When you are tired of the cork look..you can slide in a wood panel that also matches your cabinets. If you want stainless, you can order a stainless panel as well and slide that in. 3 looks, one high-end appliance.
I dont like clutter. But I love it on my fridge!
I equal parts love and hate this idea. It is frustrating not being able to put magnets on a stainless fridge, and cork is really pretty. The problem is that cork does get grease stains, and over time, with being wiped down it will flake, which is the opposite of pretty. I like the idea of the panel ready refrigerator so that you can easily replace it or change your mind.
I like the idea of this idea. I don't like white fridges or stainless steel, but I can't afford one of those gorgeous fridges that blend with your cabinets or an old vintage style one. So maybe use cork, or switch the cork with some other material you like (not necessarily one you can hang stuff on).
this seems really stupid
Just FYI: For those who like stainless steel AND like to use magnets...
Some stainless steel is magnetic. It all depends on the chromium/nickel ratio. My stainless fridge is magnetic. But the fridge of my neighbor, which is the same make and model, is non-magnetic. Go figure.
Oddly, it doesn't even help to test the floor model, either. At the store I touched a magnet to the fridge I was going to buy, it didn't adhere, and I resigned myself to having a non-magnetic fridge. When my fridge was delivered, however, it was magnetic. Just a different "batch," I guess.
Love it!
Daniel Glickman
SVP Sustainable Construction Services, Sherborn MA http://www.scsiboston.com