One of the biggest demands homeowners have for a kitchen makeover is added storage. They want ample room to store food, small appliances, dishes, paper goods, and other modern-day essentials. If you want to make the most out of your kitchen, consider adding a wraparound fridge pantry to the design! We’ve outlined some pros and cons or refrigerator pantries to help you plan your cabinet layout.
What Is a Wraparound Fridge Pantry?
A wraparound fridge pantry is a set of pantry cabinets that wrap around your refrigerator. This typically consists of two floor-to-ceiling cabinets on either side of the fridge, plus an upper cabinet that runs along the top of the fridge.
Wraparound pantries are great for kitchens that do not have room for a walk-in pantry. They provide tons of space for dry storage, and they hide the sides of your refrigerator. If you have decent wall space around your fridge, this may be a great option for you.
Benefits of Refrigerator Pantries
Wraparound pantries are incredibly versatile. Here are some of the benefits they may offer in your kitchen design:
- Use the tall vertical storage to house mops, brooms, and other cleaning supplies.
- Reserve the upper portions of the cabinets for items you may not need right away, such as extra kitchen staples, paper towels, or serving ware for special occasions.
- Make the most of your wall space in an area where you do not need countertops for food prep.
- Make the fridge pantry a focal feature with beautiful cabinetry and custom design elements.
- Hide the edges of your fridge to showcase how stunning your cabinets are.
- Take advantage of untapped storage opportunities in your kitchen.
- Make up for upper cabinets you may lose by opening your kitchen to other rooms in the house.
- Create a coordinated look for your kitchen with consistent cabinetry, hardware, and finishes.
A fridge pantry setup may be the perfect way to optimize the storage in your kitchen, especially if you have tall items that will not fit in standard cabinets. We’re seeing this option more and more in modern kitchen designs, and we don’t see that trend going away.
When Wraparound Pantries Won’t Work
In order for a wraparound pantry to work, there needs to be enough space along a wall for a fridge and cabinets on either side. If your fridge only has room on one side or sits next to other cabinetry, a wraparound pantry may not fit in your kitchen.
You also need to keep in mind the counter space you may be giving up by switching from upper and lower cabinets to floor-to-ceiling cabinets. If your kitchen barely has enough prep space as it is, you may hate the function of a wraparound pantry. On the flip side, you may love the added storage of the wraparound if you have sufficient counterspace elsewhere. Every kitchen and every family has unique needs.
Plan the Perfect Cabinet Layout for Your Kitchen Remodel
Fridge pantry setups naturally fit in many kitchen designs, but they won’t work for everyone. Our professional designers can help you decide the best way to set up your kitchen cabinets. We offer a variety of personalized kitchen design services, ranging from affordable direct replacement cabinets to custom kitchen remodels from the ground up. Contact us at 443-285-0558 to schedule your kitchen design consultation.
