Browse Forums Kitchen Corner 1 May 16, 2009 7:44 pm We have just bought our first home and are on a very strict budget. We have managed to change a fair bit in the house by ourselves, but the main thing we'd like to change now is the kitchen. As it is there is a brick feature wall that blocks the kitchen from the living room. We'd like to open the area up by getting rid of the brick wall however this would involve a lot of re-tiling of the floor, matching tiles etc, and also further issues with the cupboards. We are therefore considering chopping the top of the brick feature wall down to bench space and putting a further benchtop on top of the bricks. The only hassle I can see with that is that instead of now looking at the brick wall, you could be able to see the back of the refridgerator. I'm wondering if this would be much of an issue, or if someone can see some way around it that I can't...? Someone to think outside the square. We can't really relocate the fridge as the kitchen is already fairly full. Would anyone else consider doing what we're planning? How would you go about it? Is there a way to avoid seeing the back of the fridge/not making it an eyesore?All opinions greatly appreciated. I've attached pictures so you get an idea of what is planned. They are listed as: 1.jpg = From Front Door currently 2.jpg = From kitchen currently 3.jpg = From Front Door- work anticipated 4.jpg = From kitchen- work anticipated 5.jpg = work completed..? Hope you can understand what i'm talking about, sorry about quality of paint pictures Thanks very much, Mark Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Issue with space of fridge behind brick feature wall 2May 16, 2009 7:53 pm I don't think that is a good idea at all, the back of refrigerators are very ugly! Maybe you can cut half the wall out, the outer half though, and put the refridgerator further into the corner, leave wall behind it, then do a breakfast bar on the outer corner. Re: Issue with space of fridge behind brick feature wall 3May 16, 2009 9:18 pm Sorry but without doing a total refit I don't think you can rejig the space and have it look nice. Personally I think you are better leaving it as it is - Rachelle is correct, looking at the rear of a fridge would be awful. Re: Issue with space of fridge behind brick feature wall 4May 16, 2009 11:11 pm I agree, I think it will be pretty hard to do without a complete refit. What about just plastering the brick work? Would give it a bit of a facelift and wouldn't require a huge amount of work. Re: Issue with space of fridge behind brick feature wall 5May 17, 2009 6:58 am Cheers for the replies....it's not so much about the look of the brickwork..i just wouldn't mind opening up the area. doesn't sound like there's much I can do.. baring benchtops, and new faces for the drawers etc...? Re: Issue with space of fridge behind brick feature wall 6May 17, 2009 7:06 pm Would it be possible to put the fridge back against the wall in pic 4 where you have the red cross and next to where your kettle is now. Would it fit?... then take out the brickwork up to the edge of the fridge. It would open up a large area for maybe an island bench. Hope you can understand what i mean? Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck! - Dalai Lama Re: Issue with space of fridge behind brick feature wall 7May 17, 2009 7:11 pm You could leave the fridge as is, but brick up to the ceiling to make it look like a complete column? Knock out half the wall next to the fridge, put a bench top? Does that make any sense? I'm visualising it But I'm not very good at this stuff! Re: Issue with space of fridge behind brick feature wall 8May 17, 2009 7:28 pm aaron4erin You could leave the fridge as is, but brick up to the ceiling to make it look like a complete column? Knock out half the wall next to the fridge, put a bench top? Does that make any sense? I'm visualising it But I'm not very good at this stuff! You mean like this? (sorry, I'm pretty bad at some of this stuff lol) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Issue with space of fridge behind brick feature wall 9May 17, 2009 7:30 pm D&SG aaron4erin You could leave the fridge as is, but brick up to the ceiling to make it look like a complete column? Knock out half the wall next to the fridge, put a bench top? Does that make any sense? I'm visualising it But I'm not very good at this stuff! You mean like this? (sorry, I'm pretty bad at some of this stuff lol) Hey that looks great! That's what I was trying to describe In addition to this, I was also thinking to finish the brick work above the fridge all the way up to the ceiling, that way creating more storage up above the fridge. Re: Issue with space of fridge behind brick feature wall 11May 17, 2009 7:34 pm D&SG Here's a rather simple job of rendering it lol I glad someone understood my description Re: Issue with space of fridge behind brick feature wall 12May 17, 2009 7:35 pm aaron4erin D&SG aaron4erin You could leave the fridge as is, but brick up to the ceiling to make it look like a complete column? Knock out half the wall next to the fridge, put a bench top? Does that make any sense? I'm visualising it But I'm not very good at this stuff! You mean like this? (sorry, I'm pretty bad at some of this stuff lol) Hey that looks great! That's what I was trying to describe In addition to this, I was also thinking to finish the brick work above the fridge all the way up to the ceiling, that way creating more storage up above the fridge. I think the bricks are probably fairly old, it would be hard to match them in order to finish bricking up to the top Re: Issue with space of fridge behind brick feature wall 13May 17, 2009 9:43 pm To be honest I think if you only take out half the wall it will look like a half done job. Why not just wait a little longer until you can redo the whole area, that way you get to set it out exactly how you want it and with the fittings that you would like. Re: Issue with space of fridge behind brick feature wall 14May 18, 2009 6:30 am cheers D&SG and aaron4erin...I actually think that picture with the plasterboard white over it looks pretty good. And I don't think it'd be too expensive to achieve. Can I get some more opinions from others about whether you think that'd be worth it? Re: Issue with space of fridge behind brick feature wall 16May 18, 2009 8:50 am Rachelle I really think it would be much better reversed, with the fridge into the corner more and the bench opening on the outside. + 1 and yu would get more useable space then Kodiak Data Cabling onFaceBook Consult*, Design and Installation Data, TV, Home Theatre/ AV Cabling, Multi Room Audio, IP CCTV and Door Intercoms Ask for a Quote. *DIY DATA Cabling Is Ilegal Re: Issue with space of fridge behind brick feature wall 17May 18, 2009 9:17 am I agree, that what was what I was trying to explain...not very clear, sorry! Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck! - Dalai Lama Re: Issue with space of fridge behind brick feature wall 18May 18, 2009 3:49 pm Pugs Rachelle I really think it would be much better reversed, with the fridge into the corner more and the bench opening on the outside. + 1 and yu would get more useable space then Maybe, but to me it looks like the fridge would be in kind of an awkward place if it was moved over towards the corner and I think you would end up with more useable space if the bench could extend into the corner instead of cutting it off with the fridge... if that makes any sense lol hmmm id assume youll get hit with the "natural product therefore variation in colour etc" excuse. How bad are we talking? One could argue that if none of the displays or… 3 2458 2 7546 |