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cheryl1967

Please help! Refrigerator placement????

5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago

How close can I come to the moulding with the fridge slide panel? There are 14 inches between the cabinet and the moulding. The light switch can be made smaller by two inches. Of course, the phone will be gone.

We are doing a total kitchen reno.

Appreciate your help!


Comments (13)

  • 5 years ago

    You can come right up to the switch, but you have to allow more space than that in case you have an uneven wall and it pushes out the rest of the run of cabinets.

    Cheryl BKaun thanked emilyam819
  • 5 years ago

    Can you move the electrical into the side of the fridge wall? That's what I did in our kitchen. See black circles. Then you could move the wall up to the trim.




  • 5 years ago

    To the left of the fridge will be paneled but not a wall. Is that what you meant? Wonder if I could put it on the side panel hmmm…. Appreciate your suggestions, Mary!

  • 5 years ago

    @Cheryl BKaun, I have a paneled end there that runs right to the trim. You can see it in the photo below. It was created to bury a support post so it is wider than a side fridge panel - a bit more than 4 inches. My fridge side panels are 1 3/4 inches and the shallowest electrical box is 1.5 inches so depending on how your panels are built, you could ask your contractor to incorporate a box there.


    What are the switches for? Another solution would be to move them to the right of the fridge. Then you could move the fridge panel to the trim saving you 14 inches. They will be opening the wall anyway for your other electrical so it would not be a big deal to move the switches.




  • 5 years ago

    @MinnesotaMary So the triple switch is two outdoor lights over the deck and the fixture over our dining table. Moving the switch to the right of the fridge might be a great solution. Other than that, the left fridge panel can be 2 inches from the switchplate. With that nudge over, a 33 inch sink basin instead of 36 plus 3 inches of former dead space, I will squeeze a 9-inch cabinet to the right of the fridge. Our cabinet designer has tried to talk me out of nudging the fridge over because she thinks it's too close to the sliders. BTW-- from the left fo the sliders to the wood top is 10 inches. Once the panel is up on the right side of the sliders, we'll have 8.5 inches to the trim. That 1.5 inch difference won't be noticeable at all--at least I hope so!


    Thanks again!! I will keep you posted.

  • 5 years ago

    @Cheryl BKaun, I wouldn't worry about matching the distances between the door trim and the elements on either side. How much space do you gain if you run the left fridge panel a couple of inches to the right of the current switches? Are you trying to get a larger sink? I think you do want a little "air" next to the slider entrance/exit. Sometimes those designers know what they are talking about! lol

  • 5 years ago

    @MinnesotaMary We gain just 3 inches of space but taken together with a smaller sink basin(33 vs. 36 inches) and 3 inches of dead space, we have a nine-inch pull out. I'm having a great time with our kitchen designer. She's fun, creative, and a great listener. Unfortunately, she has a client who wants twice as many cabinets in half the space ;) Too much Houzz and Pinterest has me dreaming BIG!


    Thank you again, Mary!!

  • 5 years ago

    @Cheryl BKaun, hey every inch counts! I had 12 inches to play with and added a pull-out where I store all my cutting boards, pizza stone, etc. I had the cabinet shop create a "cubby" by installing a fixed shelf at the top of the pull-out. I had intended to store the BBQ tools there but DH had other ideas. Instead, I found a great over-the-sink colander that fits in the space and I store onions in there. Works great!


    Yes, Houzz and Pinterest can fill our heads but I got so many great ideas from them as I planned. Totally worthwhile.

  • 2 years ago

    @minnesotamary Hello and Happy Holidays! You were such a help and an inspiration when we renovated our kitchen! I wanted to share some photos of the finished work at the Christmas.
    Thanks again for generously sharing your incredible renovation.

  • 2 years ago

    @Cheryl BKaun, it looks fantastic! Thanks so much for coming back and sharing your project photos. The holidays are more enjoyable with a fabulous kitchen. Well done! What did you end up using for countertop and backsplash? I see that you figured out the switches. I bet you are loving the new space.




  • 2 years ago

    @minnesotaMary Thanks, Mary! We are loving it. LR and powder room will be completed in Feb. Our wall to wall came in defective 2X so that’s been quite a hold up. We are getting there though! We went with honed Imperial Danby marble for the countertops. We just love them! The hardware is Emtek Satin Brass from their Timeless collection. Paint is BM Olympic Mountains. Faucet is Brizo Litze angled spout in Luxe Brass. Hope you continue to enjoy your stunning reno. Thanks again and Happy Holidays!

  • 2 years ago

    It’s really beautiful! Love my Brizo and the Emtek products are gorgeous. Jewelry for the kitchen! And your Danby…..wow. Good luck with completing everything. Happy Holidays to you!