American style fridge freezer - cabinets to surround?

rarara · 6 Oct 2015

Am redesigning the kitchen of our new place and having a bit of a mare working with the large fridge freezer we have been left. Its about 900mm wide and 1700mm high.

Right now it has a 2300mm high cabinet at one side, another tall cabinet at the other and a few shelves between these cabinets above.

What is generally used to surround these appliances? I can see tall units which would be useable, but nothing (either base or wall unit) which would be the required size to bridge the gap above. Ideally it would be a cabinet with a door rather than shelves like at the moment.

Do folk generally need to adapt and work with what is available? Maybe this FF is just an unusual size?

foxhole · 7 Oct 2015

What is generally used to surround these appliances?

Nothing, not normally enclosed.

rarara · 7 Oct 2015

I think they do as my existing kitchen illustrates. Google in-built fridge and you will see plenty.

I had a look at some other fridges yesterday and they are all 91cm wide - I presume that I would need a 1m wide bridging unit leaving small gaps at either side. The existing kitchen achieves a better look by having 95cm shelves over the FF, but no idea how they obtained such an odd size without a specialist order.

foxhole · 7 Oct 2015

Tried google, not a single hit, only free standing models.

ree · 7 Oct 2015

As above.

FWIW: i've never seen any on site or installed any but free standing ones.

rarara · 8 Oct 2015

try this for an example...http://ao.com/life/home/how-to/design-kitchen-around-american-fridge-freezer/

foxhole · 8 Oct 2015

That's a free standing unit, just built around.

Deleted member 174758 · 8 Oct 2015

American appliances are not built to fit into standard Euro-size kitchen units. The only examples I've ever seen (including a few I've installed) required bespoke cabinets around them

DBT85 · 8 Oct 2015

You're looking for a top box or bridging unit to span the gap between the two towers either side.

My design also has an American FF in and 2300mm tall units either side. Above the FF is going to be a 1000mm w x 360mm h unit, secured at either end to the cabinets.

These bridging or top box units are only the depth of a standard wall unit, not full depth of your larder units, so there will be a gap at the back. Most will cover that with a sheet of board so that crap doesn't fall down behind it.

Then you're left to fill the 50mm gap either side and then maybe the 100- 150mm gap between the top of the fridge and the bottom of the cabinet. Use plinth or pelmet or cunningly cut out some excess from an end panel if available, ideally all of these things match the colour of the cupboards.

Or, buy a 1000mm unit and get cutting to make it 50mm narrower.

Obviously secure any filler bits so that it can be removed easily to pull the fridge out.

B&Q, Howdens, DIY-Kitchens etc all do these units.

rarara · 9 Oct 2015

DBT85 said:
You're looking for a top box or bridging unit to span the gap between the two towers either side.

My design also has an American FF in and 2300mm tall units either side. Above the FF is going to be a 1000mm w x 360mm h unit, secured at either end to the cabinets.

These bridging or top box units are only the depth of a standard wall unit, not full depth of your larder units, so there will be a gap at the back. Most will cover that with a sheet of board so that crap doesn't fall down behind it.

Then you're left to fill the 50mm gap either side and then maybe the 100- 150mm gap between the top of the fridge and the bottom of the cabinet. Use plinth or pelmet or cunningly cut out some excess from an end panel if available, ideally all of these things match the colour of the cupboards.

Or, buy a 1000mm unit and get cutting to make it 50mm narrower.

Obviously secure any filler bits so that it can be removed easily to pull the fridge out.

B&Q, Howdens, DIY-Kitchens etc all do these units.

Good advice - thanks. What I have realised however is that where the (slightly deeper so as the FF is flush at the front) worktop run will begin just to the left of whatever I construct will probably be too deep for any end panels that seem to be available. Most kitchen supplier give end panels that are the same depth as a standard base unit - ie 560. I will be looking for more as the fridge is over 700 deep

foxhole · 9 Oct 2015

Available in up to 900mm wide.
example.http://www.diyhomefit.co.uk/kitchen....html?osCsid=0d170289697bd2adf00d1e10966130bd

DBT85 · 9 Oct 2015

rarara said:
Good advice - thanks. What I have realised however is that where the (slightly deeper so as the FF is flush at the front) worktop run will begin just to the left of whatever I construct will probably be too deep for any end panels that seem to be available. Most kitchen supplier give end panels that are the same depth as a standard base unit - ie 560. I will be looking for more as the fridge is over 700 deep

Assuming the link foxhole is no use, are you going to have wall/base units to that side of the fridge? If so you're only looking to fill the depth missing from an end panel between the top of the worktop and the bottom of the wall unit. Maybe a short wine rack or something can slide in there and cover the gap?

Largest end panels I've seen from my chosen supplier are 650mm.

Will your FF open properly if the adjacent units/worktop are flush at the front? Most have doors that need some room to open to the sides.

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American style fridge freezer - cabinets to surround?

Deleted member 174758

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