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chris11895

Ice Box Fridge

14 years ago

I've been reading through the OTK kitchen posts and then opened up House Beautiful to the Kitchen of the Month and and it is absolutely NOT a white kitchen. It's by the other kitchen God, Mark DeGiulio, and as I was looking at it I noticed the ice box fridge. CP likes these too, but as I was looking at it I started thinking that I've never been in a kitchen with one, or seen pics on GW with them. In fact, the only pictures I've seen have been in magazines. A quick search on Houzz didn't yield too many images either. So it made me wonder - does anyone actually do these or just celebrities and showrooms? Do they cost a fortune? What do you have to use - Sub Zero? Are those latches a pain in real life? I'd love to see pictures if anyone has one.

I will also note that while I love the white kitchen, I could totally get into doing a rustic kitchen like this one.

Mark Degiulio House Beautiful 12/2011

Comments (22)

  • 14 years ago

    That looks like full overlay paired Sub-Zeros, So the hinges a latches are all dummies, as the real doors are inset. That makes it much easier than using a real latch or a complex door hinge. The fridge is expensive and the millwork and hardware are expensive.

    Meneghini does a similar look with Liebherr chassis, this door has a complex hinge. The latch is real. IF you could get someone to import this from Europe/England, they are about $10,000 to $12,000 a pop, as shown, (if you convert pounds to dollars)

    There is also a company called Roseland, but I don't know if they are in production or not

    Here is a link that might be useful: Roseland.

  • 14 years ago

    That's some people's entire kitchen budget sitting there. About 20K. Yeah, people do that type of fridge, but they are not at all common. Kitchens in the 150K range aren't all that common.

  • 14 years ago

    I absolutely adore this look. But those fridges are very expensive. We'll be using a double door GE monitor top fridge in our remodel.

  • 14 years ago

    You have three choices.

    You can get an antique, but they are often commercial ones and enormous. Plus the refurbishment and maintenance are an issue.

    You can get one made for you. I could only find two companies. One in VA and one in Calif.

    Or you can get a subzero, skin it in an appropriate wood (eg tiger oak), and use ice box hardware (the VA company makes that too).

    We chose the subzero route, for three reasons:

    1. The lead time on production for the iceboxes was incredible. When we inquired, about a year or so ago, it was an 18 month wait (what recession?). Even the hardware was a 4 month wait

    2. I felt that a newly made icebox did not look good unless it had traditional proportions, which is to say quite large and especially wide. Those proportions would not have worked well with our layout. We don't need two full size fridges, we try to buy fresh and local and organic and shop often. Our icebox fridge is all fridge, and we have freezer drawers in our pantry. So i really did not feel it made sense to contort ourselves when in the end it would not have the right effect. These things do not belong in a typical kitchen line-up. Frankly, I don't even like the way it is shown in the photo you posted. IMHO it should be free standing, and the two sides should not be identical.

    3. I think the rough quote was 12,000. But that can vary greatly on what you spec. Pricey, yes. But our subzero was 7000 i think, and the cabinetry and hardware were another 2000 maybe?

    FYI I do understand that the VA supplier has had complaints, but we had no issues. Also, the latches look like latches, but function just as pulls, They are great.

    Right now Photobucket is not letting me upload, i will when I can.

  • 14 years ago

    Thanks, mtn! I can't wait to see your photos. I also really like your idea of the single fridge and freezer in the pantry.

  • 14 years ago

    Just want to say thanks to the OP for this picture! It's moved into my top 2 inspiration pics. What a beautiful kitchen (and fridge).

    I'm off to find the magazine!

  • 14 years ago

    And, I know it isn't an icebox look, but if you like the retro fridge look do check out Big Chill. I crave one of their fridges but couldn't afford the oven that matched it (their ovens are pricey). So we went with a stainless Bert range & a GE stainless fridge. But I really, really wanted a white Big Chill fridge & Big Chill range.

  • 14 years ago

    Photobucket finally worked for me this morning!

    Here is ours. I think it is the same units they used, subzero all fridge. Their wood might be pine; i felt tiger oak was more icebox-y.

    good luck!

    {{!gwi}}

    Here is a link that might be useful: 736 TR

  • 14 years ago

    Thanks! That's beautiful :) Pam - I think I could have a lot of fun designing a kitchen around a Big Chill. I think I need like ten kitchens to get all of the various styles out of my system ;)

  • 14 years ago

    I am doing an ice box panel over Liebherr units that I got a great deal on. The VA supplier has wonderful looking hardware but was out of my price range. It has been difficult finding hardware that I like in my price range. I found that most of the mass produced, reproduction hardware had a light feel to it. I ended up getting five vintage latches off e-bay for $50. I still need to find hinges. Robinson's Antiques also carries vintage sets. Thanks for posting, that is my kind of OTK!

  • 14 years ago

    I find it ironic that someone has to spend $20K to mimic a non-mechanical box that used to sit in the homes of factory workers and sales clerks to hold a block of ice. But I do understand it, because most appliances today seem to be built by people who moonlight designing PCs and game consoles.

  • 14 years ago

    These pics came from an estate sale that was held across the street from me. A real ice box!!!


    Back side where the milkman would deposit

  • 14 years ago

    I would really like one of the white fridges with the legs. I wanted to fit out my modern Frigedaire with some feet, but so far I'm still thinking on how to go about it.

    clueless, thanks for posting the pic of the old ice box. I love it.

  • 14 years ago

    You're welcome schoolhouse, it was great to see. FWIW, the stove/oven was wood burning. The house is fabuous, fireplace, many built-ins, laundry chute. I am praying the new owner will be faithful, not much has happened here in the last 80 years.

  • 14 years ago

    Chris - Hope you get to do all those kitchens too!
    Clueless- Thanks for posting the real icebox pictures! I am old enough to still call the refrigerator the "ice box". Iceboxes were in every house and cottage on the island in the 50s. They are used today in the camps on Squam Lake, New Hampshire, such as Deepwater and Rockywald, where the ice is taken from the lake in the winter and stored for use all summer in the iceboxes in each cabin.
    Mtnrdredux - I have serious icebox lust after seeing your good-looking current model! What a beauty! (And I agree with you about the double one in the Mark DeGiulio kitchen- should be free-standing and more like the Colorado antique that did not have "twin" matching sides)

  • 14 years ago

    A friend of mine has a 1920s home which has an original staff kitchen and they have something similar to this in their house. It was modified in the 70s or 80s before he bought the home to be a true electric fridge. Kind of neat but I always find it kind of a pain to use the real latches, I also don't think it holds the temp very well. Still I love the look, considered it for my kitchen SZ but decided against it because it wouldn't have worked with the rest of the hardware in the kitchen.

  • 14 years ago

    Omg, I love those vintage iceboxes. I am seriously coveting them. Sigh. Must. Stop. Drooling.

    "... if you compare your kitchen with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser kitchens than your own"

  • 14 years ago

    If you were to do a Subzero or cheaper Liebherr, I wonder what kind of paint finish might give the illusion of metal? I believe dianolo has accomplished this in the cabinets of the kitchen That Cannot Be Seen. Or perhaps a simpler stained or painted wood would produce a better effect?

  • 14 years ago

    Oh my gosh, that huge fridge from the 1920s is amazing. For some reason I've always had a fascination with "staff kitchens" from the 19th.and early 20th. centuries. I must have been a scullery maid in a past life.

  • 14 years ago

    jgopp...love your friend's icebox.....it is truly a gem! My grandmother's 1920 kitchen had one like that..along with zinc counters, a double sink with legs and drainboards and some of the details found in Marcolo's 1920's vignettes of kitchens of that period...the stove, the wood table and benches with "wings", etc.

  • 14 years ago

    Depending on volume and temperature of ice and the contents of the cooler they will keep ice for up to 9 days.

    Here is a link that might be useful: ttp://www.icekool.net/

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