Integrated fridge with inset doors?

[Doug71]

I've got a kitchen build coming up, it's a traditional style with face frames/inset doors and needs to incorporate an integrated fridge freezer, I'm not sure on the best way to make this work?

For the fridge freezer the customer isn't keen on the method that people use where a face frame is fixed to the cabinet door and it all opens together, ideally they want it to be just like a normal cabinet door hung on butt hinges. If this can't be done ( which I suspect it can't) what is the best way to make an inset door and a fridge door work together, preferably a method that lets me add some dummy butt hinges so it at least looks the part?

Any advice appreciated on best method like sliding or fixed door or model of fridge that is good for this etc.

I have been trying to convince them to go for a freestanding fridge but haven't managed yet

 

[Doug71]

This looks to work how I want so guess it's possible?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/11371314...oHPEFqsTRXG3gB0HAYSJuNVZDSfFrImYaAjo2EALw_wcB

 

[Joshjosh]

I've got a kitchen build coming up, it's a traditional style with face frames/inset doors and needs to incorporate an integrated fridge freezer, I'm not sure on the best way to make this work?

For the fridge freezer the customer isn't keen on the method that people use where a face frame is fixed to the cabinet door and it all opens together, ideally they want it to be just like a normal cabinet door hung on butt hinges. If this can't be done ( which I suspect it can't) what is the best way to make an inset door and a fridge door work together, preferably a method that lets me add some dummy butt hinges so it at least looks the part?

Any advice appreciated on best method like sliding or fixed door or model of fridge that is good for this etc.

I have been trying to convince them to go for a freestanding fridge but haven't managed yet

I've done it with butts and sliders (which I prefer) or fixed hinges with dummy butts.

Both ways I build a 636mm cab with couple of pieces of carcass material inside packing the fridge either side. ( Effectively making it an overlay door within a frame) If that makes sense

Hopefully this picture shows what I mean

This was on fixed hinges with dummy butts but I prefer using the sliders as you tend to need less clearance on the hinge side than you do with fixed hinges (this one needed about 3mm, I'd prefer 2mm)

 

[niall Y]

In my old kitchen, to future proof the design I decided not to use integrated appliances. Instead I made the cabinets a little deeper and hinged doors to the front in the usual way. It meant having to open a cabinet door first, but it worked okay for the dishwasher and fridge.

 

[Doug71]

@Joshjosh that is great, good to know it can work, thank you.

The door gap was one of my concerns but sounds like if I use the sliders it won't be an issue

@niall Y dishwashers are always a pain to integrate because of plinths etc, hiding it behind a door would be much easier, I might suggest that one

 

[johnnyb]

I've successfully used the door /face frame on fridges and it looks good.
Integrated dishwashers are relatively straightforward as long as you angle the face frame off at the bottom edge. I got the cab/front sizes from looking at the devol website. Basically the cabinet sides can be on the outside of the face frame or the inside.

 

[Doug71]

Making a start on this now and still not really sure what I'm doing

It's going to be a fridge with sliders (when it eventually turns up) and I'm stressing about the pivot points for the hinges and what will work.

The cabinets are going to be bought in and I'm making the face frames/doors.

The fridge fits in an opening of 560-570mm so I was going for a 600mm cabinet which should have a 564mm aperture. Going by what @Joshjosh said above do people think this will work?

@Distinterior any thoughts?

 

[sammy.se]

Following this... I have a integrated Miele Fridge/Freezer I need to build a cabinet for - same design, inset doors with face frame.

 

[Dabop]

One of the 'suggested links' on your link showed this was the way they did it...

Uses standard butt hinges on the cupboard door, and the 'sliding clip' to open the fridge door at the same time...
Using a cheap 'linear rail' (often used for CNC machines and the like) would be an easy source for the 'slider' part...

 

[Woody Alan]

Doug I realise the fridge coming is with sliders on the door but if anyone else looks at the thread I'll explain how I did mine and got similar effect. If using imagination to swap the extra surround panelling and pretend it's a face frame, I used a standard cabinet within a cabinet effectively (although they are Panels) allowing the standard hinges on the fridge to be used. It has worked well for the last few years. Some dummy butts would give the illusion required. I prefer the less cluttered look.
The side benefit was pulling the fridge freezer slightly forward giving more ventiation space at rear and allowing the worktop front to run in flush with the cabinet, I don't like to see that step out that you can end up with. Balanced fridge freezer with cooker microwave other side. However I am an amateur neither craftsman or kitchen designer even though I did this one.
Put the stainless backsplash up temporary until we could decide what to do coloured glass etc and never changed it

 

[Joshjosh]

Making a start on this now and still not really sure what I'm doing

It's going to be a fridge with sliders (when it eventually turns up) and I'm stressing about the pivot points for the hinges and what will work.

The cabinets are going to be bought in and I'm making the face frames/doors.

The fridge fits in an opening of 560-570mm so I was going for a 600mm cabinet which should have a 564mm aperture. Going by what @Joshjosh said above do people think this will work?

View attachment 180623

@Distinterior any thoughts?

Looks good to me, when I was first trying to get my head round this I found it easier to visualise it as an overlay cabinet within an inset.

 

[Distinterior]

Making a start on this now and still not really sure what I'm doing

It's going to be a fridge with sliders (when it eventually turns up) and I'm stressing about the pivot points for the hinges and what will work.

The cabinets are going to be bought in and I'm making the face frames/doors.

The fridge fits in an opening of 560-570mm so I was going for a 600mm cabinet which should have a 564mm aperture. Going by what @Joshjosh said above do people think this will work?

View attachment 180623

@Distinterior any thoughts?

I cant really offer any advice I'm afraid Doug.....I dont do traditional/ face frame kitchens.....I specialise in made to measure modern contemporary kitchens, mainly true handless.

 

[Doug71]

Thank you everybody, I am probably overthinking it.

I just haven't found any info on where the cabinet door hinges need to pivot in relation to the fridge hinges, maybe this is how the slider thing works giving some leeway so that it doesn't really matter within reason.

I'm ordering the cabinets tomorrow and will be going with the @Joshjosh method of doing things

 

[Dabop]

Thank you everybody, I am probably overthinking it.

I just haven't found any info on where the cabinet door hinges need to pivot in relation to the fridge hinges, maybe this is how the slider thing works giving some leeway so that it doesn't really matter within reason.

I'm ordering the cabinets tomorrow and will be going with the @Joshjosh method of doing things

That is indeed why the sliders- the hinges don't have to align at all...
Hope this kinda makes sense...

Doors closed
Fridge is blue, cupboard door is brown, hinges black and slider red...

Redrawn in open position- hinges stayed in exactly the same place, doors copy/pasted but 'spun' and moved to the 'open' position- so everything is the same size, but look at the 'open edge' down the bottom in relationship between the two doors- thats why the 'slider' is needed...

Obviously I drew my red 'slider' too short lol- but I just did this in a hurry, and you can see why the slider is needed to 'move them together'- look at how far the fridge door edge ended up behind the cupboard door edge in the open position!!!

In fact, the cupboard door hinges would have to be at least a minimum distance to the 'left' in that diagram for it to even work- if they were 'in line' with each other- then you couldn't open the doors fully as the two doors would hit as they got open past a certain angle...

You may have noticed the fridge door hinge moved slightly between the two shots on the door itself (inside to outside), as the original position, if it had stayed the same where I originally draw it, the doors wouldn't have opened past about 45 degrees!!!- so the cupboard door hinges actually have to be a fair way to the left of the fridge hinges ie the cupboard door opening has to be a minimum distance wider than the fridge- at least the thickness of the fridge door... or you won't be able to open the fridge door fully... (and I was too lazy to redraw the original shot lol)

 

[SimonL]

I also did this and found that the hinges clashed so I had to install the hinges for the door outside the fridge door, pictures:
Top hinge:

And bottom hinge:

The slider works as drawn above:

For an inset finish

 

[Doug71]

Well it's been a while but I finally got the cabinets and fridge fitted and happy to say it works perfectly, don't know what I was worrying about!

Big thank you to @Joshjosh, as he suggested I made it kind of like an overlay door in a frame, it was straightforward really and turned out well, nice neat hinge gaps etc.

Photos aren't great and the job isn't fully finished yet but the fridge fitted and it all works so I'm happy

 

[Joshjosh]

Nice one, looks like a nice job