Kitchens are one of the most important spaces in every home, which is why homeowners go through a stringent process to design the kitchen. However, designing the kitchen is more than working on aesthetics because you have to consider how to utilize every nook and corner. Similarly, many homeowners are confused about using the space between the refrigerator and a stove.
It is pretty obvious that both these kitchen appliances are important to create a functional kitchen but placing them side-by-side can be dangerous. For this reason, the space is created between these appliances, but the empty doesn’t look fine either. So, if you are wondering, “what can I put between stove and refrigerator space?” we have the answers lined up!
What Can I Put Between Stove And Refrigerator Space?
1. Importance Of Space
If you hire a professional kitchen designer, it is likely that he/she will create the work triangle with which the stove, sink, and refrigerator are spaced out in a triangular space (yes, every appliance represents one corner). However, these triangle kitchen layouts are not suitable for small homes and apartments, and it can be challenging to squeeze in all the appliances. Still, it is important to create distance between these appliances to optimize cleaning and cooking and to reduce energy bills. To illustrate, the stove runs hot, and the refrigerator runs cold, which is why having them beside each other is not efficient. Having said that, this is the reason behind the importance of this space.
2. The Airflow & Heat
In case you have a freestanding refrigerator, it needs sufficient space around the positioning to ensure seamless functionality. According to the kitchen appliance experts, you need to create five centimeters of space on every side of the refrigerator as well as ten centimeters above. This is because it’s important to create essential airflow and to ensure the functionality is on point. For those who don’t know, maintaining a consistent temperature around the refrigerator is important, and that’s done by creating proper ventilation. Moreover, make sure there is nothing besides the refrigerator that generates heat. Ideally, there should be a space of nine inches between these two kitchen appliances, but when it’s not possible, just install insulation.
3. Install Insulation
Whenever you have limited space between the stove and a refrigerator, your best bet is to install the insulation. This is because when there is less space, proper insulation will ensure that both the appliances work optimally. In simpler words, the insulation is suitable for minimizing the heat transfer, which means the refrigerator won’t consume excessive energy for generating cooling. In addition, insulation will ensure that the refrigerator and stove will remain functional for a long time without requiring replacing and repairing.
4. Shelves
If you have already installed the insulation and there is still generous space left, you can install the roll-out shelves. Various home décor brands will have the roll-out shelves available for extending the countertop, which is why installing the shelves is a promising option. In addition to the shelves, you can also opt for the stacked storage options (we suggest that you opt for the floor-to-ceiling solutions to optimize the storage solutions). In addition to this, you can opt for the stove-oriented cabinet to fill up the space and extend the storage for the kitchen stuff.
5. Cabinetry
While we have already mentioned that you can install shelves, you can also install the cabinetry in the space. In fact, it’s a perfect way of extending the countertop. Moreover, the cabinetry can be utilized for filling the laundry. On the other hand, if you aren’t a fan of cabinets, you can always opt for the corner shelves to create edgy aesthetics for the kitchen.
6. Carts
If you don’t want to add the permanent shelves and cabinets or simply don’t want to push in some nails and brackets, you can fit them in the carts. For this purpose, you can opt for the carts with wheels, and there are slim carts available with different tiers to ensure seamless storage. Moreover, there are various slide-out towers for storage to help take out the stuff and push it in the cart. Last but not least, you can always opt for a washer shelf if you have a modern kitchen that has a washer installed in the kitchen.
Now, which of these options will you use for utilizing the free space?