the Awkward Kitchen Dilemma

[crouching tyler]

I just found myself the proud owner of sweet little fixer up in Seattle. Vintage 1913. It needs a lot of work. And the kitchen is the least of it. So, major kitchen renovations plans will have to wait until the bank account recovers, and we have had a chance to live in the place and get a feel for how it operates. But, in the meantime, Larry and I are looking for some Short-term Solutions to fixing what is basically an awkward layout.

The major dilemma is that only place you can fit a full size refrigerator is either:

(a) in front of the only window in the kitchen

(2) with its back to the living room

So, I was hoping some of you wonderfully creative, kitchen-focused people out there might see some creative solutions to our problem.

A sketch and few photos are below for your viewing pleasure.

We would like to be able use the window for both viewing and ventilation. We would like to not have to gaze upon the back of the refrigerator. We are planning to buy a new refrigerator/freezer, and probably a new stove. But since this is just a short term solution, we probably shouldn't spend more than $1,500.

What do you think about under-the-counter refrigerators? Unfortunately, we cannot give up freezer space (we just need an average amount). And we use an average amount of refrigerator space, too. Particularly since we just joined a CSA and so now our refrigerator is stuffed with produce.

( By the way, the tall fellow on the right in the living room photo is my spouse, Larry. The other fellow is our real estate agent, Sherm).

Any suggestions at all would be appreciated. Thanks so much.

[SuzySushi]

Not clear from the layout & pic... do you need to use the back door? could the refrigerator (temporarily) be placed in front of it, facing the living room?

[BarbaraY]

I don't have any suggestions on reconfiguring your kitchen. Mine needs something done but don't have any idea how to fix it either.

I just answered to tell you how much I love the photos that you posted. It appears to be in great shape for a house that old.

[therese]

Do you need that back door? That's where I'd put the fridge for now.

[therese]

Or you could switch the fridge and range and somehow hang something behind the fridge so that you needn't actually look at the unattractive back of it, basically turning that half wall back into a full wall.

[crouching tyler]

We need the back door. It is too bad, becuase that would have been a great solution. But, we have a giant dog who will be traipsing in and out of the back door a couple hundred times a day. And the back door will also be necessary for reaching the vegetable garden (that I am currently building in my dreams).

[crouching tyler]

Or you could switch the fridge and range and somehow hang something behind the fridge so that you needn't actually look at the unattractive back of it, basically turning that half wall back into a full wall.

←

We have considered switching the fridge and the range - but worry about the sound emanating from the back of the fridge. And I am not sure we want to sacrifice the view from the kitchen into the living room and vice versa. It is a small house ( less than 800 square feet indoors) and the open kitchen/living room is one of the nice things about it. Of course, it is also part of the problem.

[crouching tyler]

A few more photos, just to give you another view of the kitchen:

and a sense of the size of the house. This is the view from the kitchen into the living room:

I have idyllic hopes of being in the kitchen and still being able to chat with Larry while he is in the living room, and or being able to chat with guests at the small dinner parties we will be hosting regularly. Or even lounging on the couch, watching Larry cook dinner for me (this is not actually unlikely).

It is more likely, however, that I will just use the open space to be hollering at the dog, and making sure the entire house smells roasted chicken for days on end.

[therese]

Or you could switch the fridge and range and somehow hang something behind the fridge so that you needn't actually look at the unattractive back of it, basically turning that half wall back into a full wall.

←

We have considered switching the fridge and the range - but worry about the sound emanating from the back of the fridge. And I am not sure we want to sacrifice the view from the kitchen into the living room and vice versa. It is a small house ( less than 800 square feet indoors) and the open kitchen/living room is one of the nice things about it. Of course, it is also part of the problem.

←

Short of ripping out cabinets, which you clearly don't want to do yet, you're screwed: too small a kitchen, too many openings. Under the counter fridge is probably not going to be sufficient, and you're going to get very tired of bending down to get into it. One of the openings has to be covered to accomodate the fridge.

How about getting rid of the dog? Oh, hold it, you probably like the dog. Never mind.

[crouching tyler]

I don't have any suggestions on reconfiguring your kitchen. Mine needs something done but don't have any idea how to fix it either.

I just answered to tell you how much I love the photos that you posted. It appears to be in great shape for a house that old.

←

Thanks. We are excited since it is a pretty simple house, and a small one (which is a good thing, in our opinion).

[therese]

Very cute house, by the way, and the kitchen's not nearly so bad as the one I started with in my present home.

You could change the door to one with a bigger window, so that you wouldn't miss the window as much. Looks like it's original, though, so I'd keep it to re-install later, when you've re-done the kitchen entirely and can use the original window again.

[crouching tyler]

Short of ripping out cabinets, which you clearly don't want to do yet, you're screwed: too small a kitchen, too many openings. Under the counter fridge is probably not going to be sufficient, and you're going to get very tired of bending down to get into it. One of the openings has to be covered to accomodate the fridge.

How about getting rid of the dog? Oh, hold it, you probably like the dog. Never mind.

←

One of the reason we bought this particular little house is that it comes with a nice, big, overgrown yard for the giant dog (and the dreamy vegetable garden/herb garden ....).

[Varmint]

What a great house. I think I'd not worry about it until you re-do the kitchen. It's a very bright space from the other windows. Ultimately, I can envision the sink being under the window, but for now, just enjoy. It's actually a great little space.

Congrats!!!

[kitchenmage]

i vote for the corner of the dining room where the torchiere lamp is in the picture with the guys... it's only a temporary thing and even if it's wrong, it'll help you figure out what's right...

and i do feel your pain--we had to tear out a few cabinets and move them around (luckily the counter mostly still fit) before we could get a refrigerator into our new place... i was pleasantly surprised by how we juggled things and i now have a HUGE side-by-side stainless fridge that i love

[crouching tyler]

What a great house.  I think I'd not worry about it until you re-do the kitchen.  It's a very bright space from the other windows.  Ultimately, I can envision the sink being under the window, but for now, just enjoy.  It's actually a great little space.

Congrats!!!

←

What? You mean we shouldn't complicate our lives unneccesarily with greedy desires for a perfect little instant kitchen? Oh wait. That is a really good point.

I think our goal is really to consider all our options before we invest in a new refrigerator, or a new stove. But it does seem like whatever we might do that would gain us access to the window might require equally annoying sacrifices.

Really, I was mostly hoping that one of ya'll would spy some simple work-around that we hadn't yet considered.

In other news, we are going to look at an old wooden, free-standing butcher block that someone is selling. We are thinking it would fit nicely next to the stove, if we scoot the stove over a bit.

[sparrowgrass]

Where did the last folks put the fridge?

It looks like a sweet place--love the floors!!

Enjoy, and when you get around to that garden thing, let us know--I love to tell other people how to garden. (My own is neck deep in weeds and chiggers right now.)

On the gardening thing--if you are planning to garden next spring, mark out your garden soon, mow it off, and cover the whole thing with 2 or 3 layers of newspaper, Put on enough autumn leaves or compost to hold the papers down. That will smother your weeds and make turning the soil easier in the spring.

[kelautz]

Ohhh! What a cute little kitchen. If the pixels don't lie, the cabinets and countertop seem to be in pretty good shape. And watch out, once you get used to that wall mounted faucet, it will be tough to go back to a deck mounted style. And I love that yellow and black tile.

Any chance that's a porch off the back door? Big enough for a small reefer for awhile? The side by side in your pictures is a big behemoth. Trade it in for a smaller one and it won't be such a looming presence. Learning to live with/cook with much less refrigerated cubic footage might not be such a bad thing.

Find a small reefer, put it in the living room corner and trompe l'oeil a jukebox on it, or something!

[therese]

Ohhh! What a cute little kitchen.  If the pixels don't lie, the cabinets and countertop seem to be in pretty good shape.  And watch out, once you get used to that wall mounted faucet, it will be tough to go back to a deck mounted style. And I love that yellow and black tile.

Any chance that's a porch off the back door? Big enough for a small reefer for awhile? The side by side in your pictures is a big behemoth. Trade it in for a smaller one and it won't be such a looming presence. Learning to live with/cook with much less refrigerated cubic footage might not be such a bad thing.

Find a small reefer, put it in the living room corner and trompe l'oeil a jukebox on it, or something! 

←

Fridge on the back porch is actually a great idea that might work in Seattle's climate. You could add a wringer washing machine and tell everybody you're from Alabama (I'm from the south so it's okay for me to say stuff like that).

kelautz is right, wall mount faucets rock.

Maybe you could get an armoire style fridge that takes cabinetry front and side panels (I don't know if these exist) and put it in your dining room.

[melkor]

Get a pair of under-counter fridges and put some butcherblock on top of them - you'll end up with a little less fridge space, but you get the window back and pick up some more counter space.

[snowangel]

I'm with Varmint. Enjoy new new house. Learn what you like and don't like about the kitchen and how it works for you after you've lived there a while. I know Varmint had lived in his house for a number of years before embarking on his monumental remodel, and spent a lot of time figuring it out. Save your pennies for when you can do it up right.

[CanadianBakin']

It seems a shame to buy new appliances before you remodel since they may not fit the new kitchen plan. However, maybe you could find a small, good used fridge (without freezer) that you could keep in your kitchen and just have a small chest freezer on the porch. It wouldn't be quite as inconvenient.

edited to add one more idea: What about adjusting the layout of the pony walls? You could make the smaller one up to 32" or whatever the depth of a small fridge is and then cut 16" off beside the stove so it is almost flush with the stove. Then you could tuck the fridge right into the corner with the side of it towards the living room and it shouldn't block the window. I hope this makes sense. :)

edited to add: Except you'd have to make sure it left enough room for opening the fridge. Hmmmm... after changing the pony walls and moving the fridge, you could still move the stove to under the window and that would also give you better access to the cupboards that are currently beside it as well as room to open the fridge. If you change the pony walls you could probably even keep the appliances you have for the time being.

Edited July 16, 2005 by CanadianBakin' (log)

[ruthcooks]

Fixer upper? This house looks like someone has already fixed it. I'd put in a nice glass French door to the back porch and leave the rest as is. Looks like maximum use has already been made of the space.

[jamiemaw]

Your best solution would likely be to purchase an undercounter commercial/restaurant refrigerator, used by chefs the world over right at their stations. The important thing is that they have drawers. Matching freezer units are also available.

The units won't be cheap--about $2,000 for both the fridge and freezer units new, but you may be able to find some used units at auction or through a local vendor. GE Monogram makes a conventional undercounter model that combines fridge/freezer functions--probably not enough space for your needs, although many Europeans, who shop daily, cope with this size.

Countertop of your choice--done deal.

Edited July 18, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[LindaK]

Except for having that monster fridge in front of your window, your kitchen looks lovely, and I do like that faucet. You should see the peeling melamine on my 20 yr old cabinets.

But the advice you're getting about living with it for a while is good. I knew my kitchen was slated for demolition when I bought this place almost 3 yrs ago, but it took the first year to figure out what worked/didn't work with the layout. Now that I'm planning my own renovation, I'm finding it harder than I expected to configure the layout of my much larger kitchen. My first impression of yours is that a smaller fridge (maybe even a cabinet-depth fridge or the undercounter fridges others are recommending) belongs next to the back door. You lose some cabinet and counter space. However, from your drawing it looks like you have 18" to play with on the wall with the window--can you build in some shallow shelving to the right of the window running to the doorway?

[JSD]

Your kitchen really is adorable. Had you thought about enclosing your back porch and turning it into a sort of pantry and storage area? Then your refrigerator could go in there, and you could even remove the door between it and the kitchen, making the fridge fairly accessible, but not the hulking presence it is now.