apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

My kitchen has an undercounter fridge (and also a separate undercounter freezer unit). I love the extra counterspace and the overhead cupboard space. The only time I feel my fridge is too small is when I'm feeding a group but otherwise I get by just fine. I feel like the trade off is worth it.

what about a small, island of sorts on wheels? I know the space is narrow but maybe it could live in front of the cabinet next to the stove or someplace and pulled out when you needed it.

Or, rather than removing the fridge, why not replace the stacking washer and dryer with a two in one unit and putting counter above that?

If you're sure that a smaller fridge would be enough space for you, then go for it. How would that go over with your landlord though? Is there a basement where you can store the large fridge? I'm betting the owner would want to keep it around for future tenants.

A smaller fridge would be so much more energy efficient and the space a welcome addition, I would go for it. It would streamline the lines of the place too. In the photo it sticks out like a sore thumb.

i know objective is to create more space, so this is probably not a good suggestion, but what if you get two small fridges, and you can keep the second one unplugged and only use it when you have grocery overflow?

Yes! Do it! Don't allow a giant fridge to eat your kitchen if you don't use it. If you're that concerned about resale value, you can always put a big fridge back in when you're ready to sell.

When I moved into my co-op, there was a monstrous ancient energy-guzzling refrigerator that jutted out four inches from the counters and blocked half the light from the window. I replaced it with a skinny but tallish counter-depth fridge; it's still more than enough fridge space for one person.

Oops, I missed the bit about it being a rental (I thought you were serious about the stove being a family heirloom). In that case, you should definitely run it by the landlord and get his/her approval before proceeding.

caw261: I'd love to have room for a separate undercounter freezer, but there's just no way it can fit in the kitchen or anywhere else in my apartment.

Enamorada: I've though about having a kitchen cart on wheels, but even the smallest would be constantly in the way. I unfortunately don't own the washer and dryer — I never use the dryer and, if it was mine, it would have disappeared a long time ago... There's a vertical piece of melamine to the left of the counter that also forms a shelf above the dryer, so even removing the dryer wouldn't allow me to extend the counter space. Urgh, very frustrating!

JH4285: The fridge is mine, otherwise I wouldn't be considering getting rid of it! (No basement for storage: I live on the second floor of a house, and the owners have the ground floor and basement.)

I did exactly that in my previous apartment, and it was a huge space saver. The only caveat is that the counter-high fridge/freezers have REALLY small freezer compartments -- they're basically only good for ice cubes. It was impossible to put a pint of ice cream in my countertop's freezer, or to freeze any leftover larger than a sandwich-sized Tupperware.

I reccommend that you get an LG refrigerator. It is about 70 inches tall and 24 inches wide and counter deep (24 inches deep) The refrigerator is on top with shelves in the door.

The freezer has 3 see-thru removable drawers.
I have mine a few months and am happy with it.

The refrigerator is designed well and logically organized where you see everything.

The only issue you might have is to remove the above cabinet or if the space permits raise it.

If you move from the rental you can take your LG with you and let the owner put back the original fridge.

i just made this change and am so, so, so happy that i did! it does sometimes involve a bit of strategy to get the stuff all in there, but it truly makes the biggest difference in my space. one friend thought i had seriously cleaned my kitchen. another friend walked in and couldn't find my new fridge it's so tiny. i'm a daily shopper, so this works for me. haven't made anything large yet that i've wanted to store. these will, i'm sure, pose additionally dilemmas and involve more strategy, but it's so worth it!
what are you waiting for?

Deleilan, in that case, Craiglist that sucker! I think it'll be great in terms of creating more functional space and making the kitchen more visually open. Just don't expect to be putting any party platters in that little fridge!

Since you are in ny call dial-a-brand and ask for Barry.
They do next day deliveries and there is no charge.
They accept personal checks or credit cards. I bought mine from them and they even removed a giant size fridge.

They deliver everywhere.

If you could move the washer and dryer into the bathroom, then you could keep the big fridge and have more counter space which could double as a breakfast bar. Bathroom big or small?

I think big fridges (and big plates) encourage us to buy and eat more than we need. Consider that your stomach can hold about one quart of food. The math is easy, since it's just you: count the number of meals you eat at home and how often it is reasonable to do your food shopping. You may also consider the kind of entertaining you like to do. There is no shame in ordering take out and filling your bathtub with beers!

I have been designing kitchens for studio and one bedroom apartments, and smaller seems to work well. I'm going to look at some Danby fridges today. I have purchased some of their other products, and I like them because they focus on quality while offering a good selection of small appliances. You won't be happy if you skimp on quality. That's my only word of caution. Otherwise, go for it!

Deleilan,

I think it definitely makes sense to replace that fridge with one that works better for you (especially since you own the fridge). Going to a mini fridge is a major lifestyle change--so I would consider all your options:
1. Perhaps a narrow, tall fridge that would allow you to slide a skinny cutting board next to it (the FÖRHÖJA from Ikea is about 16" deep and has wheels).
2. Places like compactappliance.com have some "medium sized" fridges that give you a lot more space and would be approximately counter height.
3. There was an old apartment therapy post about stovetop cutting boards. There's one I've been thinking about from improvements that's glass and covers only half of the burners; of course you can google the term and find lots of options.

Good luck, and let us know what you end up doing.

It's so interesting that somehow big fridges are the norm in our society. I live with my spouse and a small child and our huge fridge is usually only half full at best. In your case, I can't see any reason at all why moving to a smaller fridge isn't your best bet. Plus, with a tiny, full fridge, you'll be using way less energy than a big empty one would. Go for it!

Do it!!! You won't regret it. I have separate under-counter freezer and refrigerator, and I will never go back!!! Unless, I guess, I have a big enough family that I am forced to. It is amazing how much a large refrigerator can dominate a kitchen, especially a smaller one. I think kitchens are so much more attractive without a big hulking refrigerator.

Three days after we bought to our tiny house, the hulking refrigerator in our kitchen died. We replaced it with a small fridge (about 5 cu/ft), which is countertop height, but nowhere near as pricey as an actual "undercounter" fridge. The deliveryman was very surprised that we were replacing out fridge with a "party" fridge. We've been very happy with our choice, the small fridge is EnergyStar certified, and our utility bills are far lower than the former owners. We do have a chest freezer also, right next to the fridge, which gives us some counter space in our kitchen, which had almost none. I understand that you do not have room for a freezer in your kitchen; If you got a small chest freezer, you might have room for it in another room, if you want freezer space...I have friends who keep their freezer in the living room, covered with a tablecloth

what a great idea! plus with the extra wall space you could put in some nice open shelves or something.

Yes! Do it!

Just reiterating the fact that a counter height fridge means no freezer to speak of, in terms of it never getting cold enough to keep anything beyond ice cubes. Also, even though it's useless, it will still frost up something fierce so you have none of the functionality with all of the headache of having to defrost the sucker.

Gaditana & clancy: I was really thinking in terms of space, but you're absolutely right about the energy efficiency of the smaller fridge (especially since the large one is never even half full!).

Rebecca & fjorlief: As mentioned, there's literally no room for a second fridge or separate freezer anywhere in the apartment. Good suggestions, though!

Cassis: But I was serious about the stove! I got it for free from my parents, who had it for about 20 years... and sadly I haven't managed to kill it yet. So the fridge and stove are mine, but the washer and dryer aren't.

Lisa Hunter: As far as I'm concerned, not having room for a tub of ice cream is a good thing!

cityofparis: Thanks for the recommendation, but messing with the cabinets is completely out of the question. And I'm not in NY, but in a small town in Quebec, Canada (pity me!).

mannequingirl: Thank you for confirming that with a bit of planning, this can work!

JH4285: Luckily I'm a bit of a hermit, so "party" and "guests" are foreign concepts to me!

tinos: The're barely room to turn around in the bathroom!

raven: I like your point about choosing the fridge according to your real needs. Thanks for recommending Danby, that's pretty much the only brand of small fridge available around here.

deneph: The only "medium" fridges available to me are barely smaller than the one I already own. The stovetop cutting board is a good idea, so thanks for the link!

superchou & m!: Thanks for your encouring words!

Oops, I meant "encouraging", obviously.

Deleilan,

When you do get that small fridge...and I'm guessing that you will after
reading all these great suggestions...don't forget to update us with photos of your *new and improved* kitchen.

ps- my new little fridge is 3 or 4 cu ft, and it has a separate freezer at the top. this is large enough to hold ice cream quarts and frozen pizzas in addition to ice cube trays...i am sure you'll be fine. mine is also a danby.

I'm married with a toddler and I would love a small under the counter fridge. I think it's a great idea.

mannequingirl: Oh, if only that model came in white! I'm leaning towards the Danby 4.3 cu.ft. with internal freezer. Smaller freezer, but larger fridge space... and push-button defrost!

Scoutmandoo: It looks like a lot of people agree it's a good idea if a small fridge is enough to suit your needs.

Everyone, I really appreciate all of you taking the time to chime in with your comments and suggestions. I'll do my best to update you with my kitchen when all the improvements are done (heheh, by the end of the year, budget willing).

By the way, does anyone else find it annoying that the vast majority of small fridges devote precious space to storing soda cans and/or eggs? I'm nor sure I understand the logic behind this. Surely, if you need to put pop or eggs in your fridge, you'll find a way to fit them in even without specifically designed holders...

Good luck getting approval from your landlord. What if his next tenant wants a big fridge?

GHB: As I mentioned before, I own the fridge and therefore can do whatever I want with it. The butcher block counter would be on legs and perhaps casters (like a table that the small fridge can fit under), and I'd remove the shelves when I move.

Get it, dude! You're wasting time! Life is short! Move on to the next project (there's no shortage is there!)!

How about a fold-up counter? It could fold down to go against the cabinets. I'd think that for small regular meals that don't require much space you wouldn't need to use it. But if you have a larger project, you could just open the table and be ready to go. Just a thought. And this way, you would not have to hassle moving a fridge (they are such pains!).

Yes, small fridges are good (and the norm in a lot of British/Irish homes). But do your research about small fridges and freezer compartments, so your ice cream actually stays frozen.

Is there any way you could make a rolling cart work? Perhaps something with hinges/leaves that could be expanded when in use, and minimally slim when "parked."

Lawdesigner: Which cabinets do you mean? And wouldn't a fold-up counter mean that I'd have to open it to access the cabinets? Moving the large fridge won't be a problem, since if I decide to get rid of it, I'll be selling it to someone who can pick it up.

gquaker: Europeans seem to have an approach to appliance size that is better suited to small spaces that North Americans in general, and that's where the idea to adapt the size of my fridge to both my needs and my kitchen area originated. Thanks for the tip; I never buy ice cream, but I definitely need a freezer that actually keeps food frozen!

How about a very tall, slim LIEBEHRR? They come in two widths, and are the most energy efficient fridges on the market. The alrger of the two only costs $34 per year to run.

Do it, who cares what others think? It's your fridge, not theirs. Plus as previously stated you will be saving energy, even more so because new fridges are more energy efficient. If you ever have a big party just buy lots of ice and put it in the bathtub for drinks ect. That's what my friend always does and she has a small fridge.
Let us know what you did and maybe some pictures of kitchen with small fridge?

Having just moved to Paris from SF a few of months ago, I was initially concerned about the little under the counter fridge. I cook a lot and my husband LOVES ice cream.

After over three months and two different fridges (two different temporary apartments), I'm a complete convert! It's a great space saving idea, energy conserver AND it prevents you from buying a bunch of food that you may or may not eat before it rots.

Like others have said, do your research as some are better than others (the one I'm currently using has a configuration similar to this http://www.trade-appliances.co.uk/_7403_Neff_K4336X4GB.html and I'm finding it a more efficient layout that the previous one, which had pull out clear produce baskets instead of the drop in produce keeper with the sliding glass shelf like above)

Best of luck!

YES do it! go get a small fridge.

i find it amusing that quite a few people here seem to have "losing big refridgerator angst"
a small fridge is not the end of the world, even as a family of four and only weekly grocery shopping we never managed to empty the fridge of my childhood home.
and YAY for extra counter space

@ eggholders etc. i have a siemens fridge and all accesories are adjustable/removable

medusa12120: The initial point was to gain more counter space AND get a fridge that suits my one-person-plus-cat household better. A tall slim fridge really wouldn't do much to help me achieve either... but thanks for your suggestion!

march3rd: Is that an order? :-)

Hannala: I'm very happy to hear you survived the great downsizing shock! It's really about making better use of the space both in the kitchen and inside the fridge, isn't it?

zimtzucker: "Losing big refrigerator angst" is a good way to put it! Maybe it's just insecurity after years of using a huge fridge? YAY for extra counter space indeed!
I read somewhere that the can holder is the perfect place to store condiments... in small jars. (See, it's all about "thinking small"!)

bettyt: Alas, there's no room for a cart of any size, even minimally slim, either in the kitchen or in the adjacent living room. I've dreamed of owning a kitchen cart for years...

Nina79: Ah, the old ice-in-the-tub trick, good idea! Or if it's winter, I can just put whatever doesn't fit in the fridge on my balcony. (Could cold weather actually have a good side?) I'll do my best to send updated photos to AT whenever this project is completed (*cough* tightbudget *cough*).