apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

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What about hanging fabric around the top and sides, like draperies. It would make it accessible for the storage you need, and would be cheaper then getting a cabinet. Plus, it will bring color.

Two ways here, go to your local hardwood store and have them cut you a piece of mdf and paint it white. You ca get a custom fit to cover the span across and from ceiling to top of fridge. You would only need a L bracket on each side. I did this very same thing in my last apartment.

Depending on the size of the space look at Ikea kitchen wall cabinets see if they will work. Like this top of the fridge cabinet-
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S19811801

It's hard to tell from the photo, but I'm not sure there's any way to really effectively cover this up. This might sound crazy, but do you really need a fridge that big and does it have to be in the kitchen? Could you get by with a much smaller one? I would try to either replace the fridge, move it into another nook in the house (ideally one that can be draped off) or both. Good luck.

Can you hang a panel behind the fridge to hide the door? Something like this, maybe, although I don't know how wide that space is. If you need additional storage, you can install ledgers on the side walls and put shelves on those.

Drapes around a fridge could be dodgy - first you have to worry about it getting tucked in the door every time you open and close it, and second, a fridge produces heat in the back, on the coils, so there's a remote possibility of fire hazard.

Sorry to not be constructive, but I totally feel your pain. Rentals always seem to have the most awkward fridge placement, especially in older subdivided homes.

I would suggest that a cheap and easy thing to do is install from shelves above, mounting them to the wall on each side (as opposed to the wall behind which is more common, but in this case impossible because of the door). If the items you place on the shelves don't sufficiently hide the door in the back, use some pretty Japanese paper or other paper by pasting it to the back of the shelving. This would make it look like a built-in cabinet, but the back is just paper. For the sides of the fridge, if there are gaps, you can get very light and cheap pre-cut moulding and frames to attach to the side walls or build a simple frame around the fridge. A heavy duty nail gun or even staple gun would work well. You can get the mouldings and frames from Home Depot, where they also cut them to size for you for free! Good luck - please post the 'after' pics.

Lily--

If this were my space, I think I'd get a friend to help me build a custom cabinet from plywood the width of the nice above the fridge but slightly shallower to accommodate the doorframe - and I'd rest the entire thing on wooden cleats that are mounted to the side walls and screw the cabinet into the side walls for additional strength - and i'd paint it the same color as the rest of the room so that it will blend into the background.

I like the drapery idea, but if you want something more solid...

Well, my first recommendation to you is to measure your opening- multiple times if you have to. If you really want to have a built in effect this HAS to be done.

With those numbers, start looking at storage with those numbers in mind. CD towers, bookshelves- see if there is something that can slide right in and you can take with you when you leave.

If you still can's find anything- how savvy are you with a saw- do you have access to that kind or workspace? Since youalready have the measurements, Home Depot and I think Lowes will cut lumber on site- so if you are thorough enough you could get everything cut to size- buy a drill, screwdriver and a box of wood screws and build your own!

Buy a length of oil cloth that you like, and use decorative thumbtacks to tack it down. If the rest of the wall isn't too long, going to the right, you could cover the entire wall in oil cloth. Baskets on top of the refrigerator are easier to access than shelves and a lot less expensive.

Just a thought ... I've never been in a kitchen that had enough ventilation. Being able to open that door occasionally, and create some air flow could be nice when it gets hot :)

I put my microwave on my fridge top save space/make the fridge look a little more substantial. I'm not sure if that look works for you, but it's great to have the extra counter space.

Since you don't really know what you're doing and this seems like a difficult project to be your first experience building, maybe try to hire a handy man or out of work builder from CL to help you out? I'm sure there are a lot of people who are just desperate for some money and have decreased their prices substantially. Maybe at the very least they could charge you a little to tell you how to go about things and you could attempt the work yourself. It helps to have a dad who's a builder, I'm always asking him the best way to do things (he's not around or I would ask him now).

I would suggest putting a tall, white, shallow shelving unit to the left of the fridge which will (ideally) be flush with the front of the fridge. Maybe an IKEA Billy with an extension top? Maybe something shallower? Then mount 1x2" strips of wood on the walls over the fridge to support at least one shelf a couple of inches above the fridge and paint this shelf white, too. Put a couple of pretty storage baskets up there (which you can actually store things in if you like!) and use the other shelves for a few nice looking accessories, matching jars of pasta, whatever.

Where would the door go if you could use it??

Have you ever done any papier-mâché? Big pieces of cardboard are usually free and easy to cut to size. And the decoration possibilities are endless. I'd make a frame and wedge or tape it into place from behind.

Here's a good description of one of the methods: http://www.ehow.com/how_4813026_make-paper-furniture.html

the fridge situation may seem very awkward right now, since the space is new and undeveloped. however, maybe if you put something on top of the fridge, and fill your kitchen with your own things and your own personality, you may find it doesn't really feel like a looming problem. I keep a stainless steel juicer I use only occasionally on top of my fridge, plus an large antique metal basket full of produce (not just for decoration, but for useful storage as well).

my suggestion is to avoid the built-in or any major renovation type projects, and stick to minor stuff as listed above by others: shelves, storage for appliances, etc

good luck, and please show us before and after pictures when your project is completed!

how about this? buy a 4'x8' sheet of sheetrock (maybe $7.00) at your local Home Depot, a quart of primer and quart of paint to match your Kitchen walls. Cut the sheetrock with a utility knife (no special tools needed) to fill the space behind the fridge, floor to ceiling, wall to wall. Tack it up to the door frame. That way after it's primed and painted it will look like a solid wall. Also it will prevent any damage to the coils on your fridge should someone accidentally open the door into the back of the fridge. Shelves mounted above the fridge painted in this same paint would then give you more storage space. No fabric draping please.. it will get covered in grease and grime from cooking.

I had the same exact problem at one of my old apartments in NYC. Unfortunately mine wasn’t situated in a nook, which would have been an improvement. I disguised the existence of the door with my microwave. It saved me some much needed counter space while providing camouflage. Unless you plan on staying there for a long time, I wouldn’t invest too much money into buying pieces just for that area. Buying some inexpensive MDF, as LoriSF suggested, in addition to utilizing the space above the fridge with a microwave, or storage baskets, etc seems like a more economical compromise. Good luck!

Lily - perhaps you can submit another photo taken from a few feet away so we can get a better overview of the kitchen?

An easy (non DIY) solution is to put a shelving unit to the left of the fridge. Something like the Ikea Billy bookcase or the Benno CD tower. That will hide the gap between the fridge and the wall, which I think is most noticeable. Once you have put a few things on top of the fridge I doubt you'll notice the door.

I think the cheapest solution is to put some tall boxes or tall baskets on the fridge to hide the doorway. Or else, as someone suggested, try moving it to another room.

Be still my Heart! Another "fridge in front the door"!

We have one, too! Ours is not even in the kitchen, but on the top steps in the landing at the entrance to the apartment. The door leads to one of the different apartment in the main house. I consider ours a very expensive security measure.

We are redoing the tiny galley kitchen now and have considered moving it into the main area and building some type of room divider for one side, as well as hanging an old 6 pane window from the ceiling above as a "pretend" transom window to divide the space. Still working out the details in my mind about if we should and how.

Unfortunately our fridge is way too big for our Teeny Tiny (whoops, I mean Tiny, the lower half of the Tiny: 300-600 sq. ft. category) apartment. We hope for a smaller one, so perhaps leaving ours in the landing (closer to the door out) is a better idea in the long run! I imagine it will be with us for some time, however.

Good luck with your project, I'd love to see the results when you decide on what you are going to do.

The following works well for smaller fridges (shallower than 24") but thought I'd share. Funny that I literally just finished buying the part from Hafele.

It is common in Australia and Europe to put a fridge in a cabinet that matches your other cabinets so it looks built in. All that is required is a small sliding hinge or other substitute. You can see one in IKEA's little mini-kitchen unit; the fridge is a regular Frigidaire dorm fridge whose door is fixed to the cabinet door.

THere are 2 commercially available solutions, bothe discussed in this forum: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg1210164221280.html

One is a little plastic slider that comes in a pack of 10 from Hafele for $2.67. The other is a heavyduty metal slider, also shown in the gardenweb forum, that is roughly 25 bucks but only sold in Canda and abroad.

As an aside, our "fridge in front of door" on the landing houses several plants and looks pretty cool. The landing is about 4 by 5 or so. There is a large window next to the fridge, where there are several plants on the ledge as well as a large (four or five foot tree) on a narrow plant stand. We hung a fluorescent light directly above the fridge and it allows for plenty of light for all the plants. The is a big jade and a trailing plant on the fridge, as well as a hanging fern at the window to the side of the fridge.

Amazingly, I have had two people over just this month who later said by phone "Where is your fridge??" When I tell them they walked right by it on the landing, the have said "You mean where the plants are?"

So, apparently, you can hide a fridge in plain sight. The key - use plants. Who would have thought? Your mileage may vary, but oddly, it worked for us. Totally beyond my understanding. The plants seem to dig it, too. Total investment was about 15 bucks for the light at big orange and some hardware to hang it. Already had the plants. Cheaper than cabinets or shelves if you can spare the space and like plants. You can take it all with you when you go, too.

Where does that door go to? Would it be a useable entrance/exit in the kitchen if you put the fridge somewhere else?

Fridges are usually standard sizes. It looks like a 30" wide by maybe 69" tall from the picture. The fridge cabinets at Ikea should be standard sizes too, taking the guess work out of picking one. I would either buy the ikea cabinet and place it on top of the fridge (you might need small risers to raise it up above the hinge cover which sticks up on the top of the fridge and will block the cabinet door), or mount the cabinet between two peices of MDF like an over-the-toilet cabinet, depending on how much you want to cover up. This is how custom, built-in kitchen cabinets for fridges are done. Good luck!

Seconding the idea to invest a little money and solicit help from Craigslist. There are a a lot of talented, capable people who could give you a quote about quick custom shelving and you might be surprised at the affordability.

Luckypeach's idea was a good one. Though this project will not be that difficult, unless you are experienced at using a circular saw and such, it's much smarter to hire someone to help you.

I did something similar in a rental apartment years ago. Imagine one of those shelving units that you can buy to go around your toilet, you want to build something like that for your fridge.

I highly suggest using MDF - which is what Ikea makes most of their shelving/closet systems out of. A lumber yard will typically have it in white and several wood tones, it's fairly lightweight, durable, and inexpensive.

I would google search to see if anyone has put up any kind of plans for such a structure, but otherwise, just sketch it out so you can post your idea along with your craigslist listing. You will want someone that has the tools (rentals can be expensive) and charges by the hour. Pay him extra if he can pick up the mdf.

You would want 2 side pieces that are as deep as the fridge, and go however high above its top you want your shelves to go. Then pop in 2 or 3 shelves (the same depth as sides) into the space above the fridge and between the 2 side boards, plus several thin boards across the back of the unit for support.

If you can't find MDF, just use whatever the best option your local lumber yard offers. You can always paint or wallpaper it.

Good Luck! Post pics when you're done.

I'm gonna agree with 2 people above. fill in the back wall with sheetrock and then mount the ikea cabinet above the fridge. maybe re-enforce it with 2 L brackets mounted to the walls on each side, since the back wall wont have the integrity to hold it on it's own.

bookshelves!

you may not even need to go the sheet rock route. just install some 2x4s horizontally over the top of the fridge and then do Ikea cabinet panels like in Eli's Cold War Dream.

i agree with Heather C. making something permament may end up costing you in the end. There are very thin bookshelves you can get to fit between the wall and the fridge. that way you have open space to put knick knacks, cook books, jars, etc. you can even get something to stretch across the top of the fridge to give you another shelf and hide the door. try the Billy Bookcases at Ikea.

I actually just saw this in Time Out NY and was slightly intrigued - it could work for your space and make things more colorful depending on the wallpaper you use. Basically, they wallpaper a fridge: http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/real-estate/1957/how-to-wallpaper-your-fridge

Can you send us a floor plan? I think we could be much more specific with our suggestions if we had the layout of the space and some dimensions.

If you have room: I am thinking you should put a shelf adjacent to the refridgerator that is the same depth as the distance from the wall to the front of the fridge and the same height as the fridge. Then put another shelf on top of the refridgerator and the new shelf. (In my head I am thinking of Ikea Lack or Expedit Shelves.) You will get a lot of extra storage and the fridge will look for built in.

wow thank you all so much for these suggestions!!

for those asking for another photo, here's another. http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/guj0qkmK7X6D8b7L6cLjTg?feat=directlink

since i already have a billy bookshelf that i may not be needing for books, SherryBinNH's idea might be ideal, so i'll see how that looks. but if i can slide the fridge over enough to fit the benno, that would be fantastic. N2demin, i love the sheetrock idea (which could also work on the other side of the door as well!

you guys rock. i will for sure post before and afters!

The apartment is sooo worth that kitchen! I looked at all of the pictures and I am envious!

I would put a folding screen in front of the water heater.

I don't think the fridge is that bad. A couple of nice baskets on the top would disguise the door and the gaps don't bother me much. The hot water heater is what I'd be spending my energy trying to conceal.

Beautiful place though--that bay window is absolutely to die for.

I had a similar situation. This fridge is not so tall so it was the perfect place for my microwave and a little plant.

If you indeed need storage, I encourage your Ikea cabinets -- white with glass doors -- paint the cabinet inside with bright color(s).

You could use one of these wall adhesives on the fridge for a little color (Etsy has a lot too):
http://www.whatisblik.com/

I prefer cabinets with doors because in the kitchen, top open surfaces get dusty & greasy quite fast.

And if you want to cover the door behind the fridge, paint a peg board with a bright color:
http://www.designspongeonline.com/2007/08/peg-board-project.html

And be careful with built-ins, it's pretty hard to move the fridge in and out for cleaning :)

Is it too late to second the plants idea??? Eco-friendly!

MDF, sheetrock, and plywood are heavy. I vote for foamcore attached with velcro. Get a frame shop to order and cut a piece of foamcore (or two), velcro to the door frame, et voila. You can get foamcore in various colors, or decorate it somehow (contact paper, paint, wev). It's lightweight and relatively inexpensive.

Definitely go with plants. Different sizes grouped together in nice planters. Also take into account that the kitchen is bare. I agree with the poster who said that once you move in and personalize the place you won't even notice the door.