Three Intelligent Methods to Add Storage Round a Fridge | Thrifty Decor Chick

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3 ways to customise the outdoors of your fridge with
further storage!

I really like discovering good methods so as to add storage round the home, particularly within the
kitchen! I actually take pleasure in determining methods to make higher use of an
underutilized spot.  

One of many first DIY initiatives I labored on in our outdated kitchen was including a
DIY enclosure across the fridge. This makeover will go a lengthy approach to
making a kitchen really feel extra customized and up to date. 

PLUS, there are such a lot of methods so as to add storage while you “construct in” a fridge!
I am sharing the methods I’ve achieved simply that. 

1. Add or prolong the cupboard above a fridge. 

In case your fridge would not have any cabinetry, including a cupboard on the prime with facet panels will give it a customized contact. 

In our final kitchen, we already had a cupboard above nevertheless it was the identical
depth as the remainder of the cupboards: 

short cabinet above refrigerator

Not tremendous helpful when you need to climb on prime of the fridge to get to it!
Ha!

extended cabinet above fridge

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I used to be in a position to transfer the unique cupboard doorways to the one I
constructed. 

gray peppercorn base cabinets

In the event you bought your cupboards from an enormous field retailer, you could possibly discover
matching facet panels to match. 

If not, use a 4×8 foot wooden panel reduce in half to create your individual! (This can
at all times be cheaper than shopping for the “matching” panels.)

You may add a fridge enclosure if it is towards a wall, positioned in
between cupboards or standing alone.  

 

2. What to do with the area above the fridge?

In the event you add a cupboard above, congrats — you’ve some new space for storing! 🙂

pan storage above refrigerator

These organizers are expandable, so you may stretch them for larger pans, or shut it up for skinny boards. You may nonetheless discover them at IKEA, however this expandable option is comparable. 

In our present kitchenette, we used a sheet of plywood for the facet panels:

wood panels around fridge enclosure


I saved greater than $100 through the use of this as a substitute of the completed panels
that match the cabinetry. 


We bought a facet by facet fridge for this spot (they’re SO a lot
cheaper than the French door choices!) and after it was put in, we
had a superb ten inches of open area between the highest and the cupboard
above.


I knew I may make that area helpful, so I began by nailing some
scrap wooden into the edges as help strips:
 

wood supports for shelf


After which I reduce down some wooden that match underneath these helps to shut it
off and create a shelf. 


My authentic plan was so as to add a bit of wooden on the entrance that we may
flip up and entry the within of our new shelf. However I could not determine
out the correct hinges to make it work. 


So I went again to my scrap pile and determined to complete if off by making a
field I may slide in to cowl all of the ugly elements (you might see the
{hardware} underneath the cupboard and the helps I had simply put in). 


I nailed in a pair extra scrap elements to alongside the again and sides to
connect my new insert to: 

DIY shelf above fridge


I painted the field earlier than sliding it in and nailing, after which trimmed out
the entrance to cowl the tough edges. 


Now that awkward area not solely seems to be higher, however is a helpful spot!:

small shelf above refrigerator


I nonetheless must fill in some gaps across the trim, however this little
element is sort of achieved!

3. Add fairly storage to the facet of the fridge. 

That is considered one of my all time favourite kitchen DIY initiatives!

Enclosing the fridge creates a wall if it is open on one facet…and
after dwelling with ours for a pair years, I needed to make the most of that vacant
vertical area. 

fridge with cutting board storage on side

I LOVE this wall now! It is such a candy little element in our kitchen, and
it is USEFUL. I really like when kind and performance meet up so fantastically!

I created little cabinets with leather-based strips to maintain the reducing boards from
falling. For a bit ornamental element, I hung scrap wooden on the again for a
shiplap look, however you can too use beadboard, wallpaper, an accent
colour…no matter! 

On the basement enclosure, I had that very same empty wall that was calling out
for one thing. I grabbed a pile of fairly reducing boards I’ve had in
our storage room and selected a approach to show them. 

By the best way…sure I’ve too many reducing boards. I KNOW. 😂 However we at all times
seize one for entertaining or once we’re having snacks and watching
TV. 

I made a decision to hold them on this wall for simple entry. You should use cup hooks
to hold reducing boards, however I used to be a bit additional and used just a few of the
antiqued brass knobs
I put in on our cupboards. 
using knob as hanger

I drilled pilot holes into the wooden panel, then screwed the knobs in. 

They’re tremendous safe and maintain all of our reducing boards: 

cutting board wall

I really like the brass element! 

The wooden tone seems to be nice towards that grey, and it ties in properly with the
new ground (that I nonetheless want to indicate you!) and the wooden accents on our
leisure middle: 

cutting board wall by fridge
I hung a lot of the boards with
leather string
I had in my craft stash: 
leather string on cutting board

There you go! I hope these provide you with some concepts on your personal fridges. Who
knew they’d a lot potential? 🙂 

After all there’s nothing fallacious with simply leaving them as is, however I like to
determine methods to use unused area.