Awkward kitchen corner help?

2 years ago

I have a small, old kitchen, but I have got it painted and decorated charmingly except for an awkward gap of about 18 inches between the side of my fridge and the wall. Diagram below. The fridge has to be where it is and can't be moved over into the corner because the doors have to open out fully or the crisper drawers won't come out. I'm about to put a very small bar against the other wall, which will further box this corner in (the bar will have to be far enough away from the fridge for the door to swing, so I can't make a flush corner with the fridge). What can I do with this awkward little space? My husband wants to put a wire rack for storage, which I think will look terrible. I think putting any kind of objects back there will not look right, because it's such an inaccessible space, it will be obvious, awkward, storage. I almost want to block it off and make it disappear, like a cabinet with a sold door painted to match the kitchen, so it looks like a continuation of wall, but for that to work, I would probably have to continue it up to the ceiling, which I'm sure wouldn't be easy. Any thoughts?

Featured Answer

Iri

2 years ago

Photos would help (so our suggestions will match your kitchen) but I would look into a 15 or 18" pantry or broom cabinet to shove in the corner. Even if you have to move the bar to get into it, it'll be useful storage. Do you have an IKEA around? They have cheap skinny tall cabinets. You could get a plain face on it and not add hardware for a secret cabinet--even paint it the wall color.

Another option would be a skinny bookcase for cookbooks or dutch ovens.

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Comments (9)

millworkman
2 years ago
Pictures and an actual full floor plan on graph paper with the dimensions drawn in would help you get advice.
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Buehl
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
You could do something like this, just make it wider. (Similar to what Iri is talking about above.)

4" Broom Closet from the now defunct IkeaFans (and StacyLu and Dianalos):

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2467902/4-broom-closet-from-ikeafans
Elizabeth L thanked Buehl
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
2 years ago
You for sure do not need 18" to have the door open on the fridge. I think a shallow cabinet 18" wide and not the same deptyth as the fridge could be agreat idea it would allow more starage and still let he fridge door open
Elizabeth L
Original Author
2 years ago
I do actually-- in the sense that the fridge needs 18 inches of space next to it for the door to swing into. I agree the door is not going back into the corner space, if that's what you mean, but it needs to be 18 inches away from the side wall. Even then it's not opened completely flat out, but the drawers will come out. Anything less and they will not. It's not a great design on the fridge, but I didn't know when I bought it.
woodrose77
2 years ago
Either go with your idea of boxing in that corner, or look for something on rollers that can be pulled out for access and cleaning. I would go with boxing in the corner, since that seems to be your only practical option, if you're going to have a bar in front of whatever you put there.
Elizabeth L
Original Author
2 years ago
Thanks everyone for the Ikea closet suggestions; something like that could work. I've been concerned about making sure it goes to the ceiling, to look like a continuation of wall, but since yesterday I've been considering painting the fridge to make it fit my style better. Apparently painting a fridge a isn't the hardest thing in the world. If I got a closet the same height as the fridge I could paint them to match and the whole thing would blend, maybe...?

As far as pictures go I'm not sure they would add much; it looks like an 18 inch gap between a gray metallic fridge and a white wall corner, and my bar isn't built yet. Thanks again all!
Iri
2 years ago
Is the bar built in? For some reason I thought it would be a piece of furniture. If it's builtin, you don't want an inaccessible cabinet back there. A wine rack above a walled-up base wouldn't be awful except it would probably be too warm for wine.

If you have very serious storage issues, you look at the rooms behind/next to the kitchen and see if you can turn the space into a (walled up on kitchen side) closet with the door in that room.
Elizabeth L
Original Author
2 years ago
On that note--all I really need to seal off the space is the door. I could probably make one the exact right size, for pretty cheap. I just need to anchor the hinges on the wall somehow (good luck to me finding a stud, the walls are full of plaster) and fix the free edge to the fridge with a magnet. Voila, closet, and anything shoved in there disappears.