You don't think of fridge freezers to be a very exciting purchase, they just sit there, do their thing, look as inconspicuous as possible and in the event of them breaking down, get replaced with another not very exciting money sapping version.
Planning our new kitchen though has got me really excited about the prospect of a new fridge freezer and instead of trying to hide it away in a corner, we've decided to make more of a feature of it, buy one we've always wanted and make the most of having the space to buy something a little more exciting than our usual plain white basic one.
When we were initially browsing for fridge freezer options, I wasn't even vaguely interested as it just seemed like yet another expense that although is very much needed, it's not exciting and just needs to work. Once we tinkered with our kitchen plans though, we realised we would need to have it free standing next to the units, instead of being Incorporated into the design, which gave us a lot more free reign for shopping and opened our eyes to all the options out there.
There are lots of ways to get a fridge freezer to work with even the newest of new kitchens without spending a fortune or standing out like a sore thumb for the wrong reasons. Here's a few creative ways to make the most of a fridge freezer instead of having it hiding away.
Bosch Vario | Under counter
- Bright colour Bosch Vario with changeable fronts
- Fridge with freezer drawers underneath (look more like furniture)
- Built in versions, either under counter side by side or vertical
- Retro style Smeg or similar designs
- Large American designs with built in ice/water dispensers (check if plumbing required)
American style | Haier with drawers | Montpellier retro
Although I love the idea of a retro style fridge, it doesn't really fit with our uber modern industrial theme with our new kitchen and for the size we'd want for a family of four with pets, it would cost a fortune to find a decent one that looked the part. I love the Bosch Vario fridge freezers too, with the option of simply replacing the fronts with new colours to fit your theme, I think they are a great idea and stand out for all the right reasons. The fridge freezer is a big part of every day life and well worthy of a good investment, but these were a little high budget for us this time round too.
We've decided on a mid range American style option that will take up a big chunk of space, but give us ample food and drink storage as well as looking pretty nice connecting the two rooms now they will be opened up. Instead of trying to make a slim line one fit our kitchen, we have had a shift around so that our kitchen design is nice and simple with some symmetry, with the fridge freezer being a feature all of it's own. We've narrowed it down to one of these;
Kenwood black | Kenwood silver split | Haier four door | Beko fridge freezer
Deciding on our final choice will come mainly down to our final colour decision, whether we want to compromise on a little fridge space to have a water dispenser (I really do!) and what's on sale when we are ready to order. We also need to make sure that it's a 'no plumbing required' option for the water as it's not next to the plumbing for the sink etc. I can't wait to have a great big fridge freezer! We've been cramming things into ours for years, using every inch of space, battling ice and broken freezer drawers, it'll be so nice having something new and fit for purpose.
What would be your choice of fridge freezer?
