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Old 01-10-2008, 06:46 AM
 
Location: Central FL
1,683 posts, read 8,185,590 times
Reputation: 853

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I am in desperate need of advice. We just built a new home from house plans - we never saw a model. We loved the open floor plan, but what we didn't realize was the line of sight when you walked in the front door. You look past the formal dining room with a large crystal chandelier through the archway right into the refrigerator! Envision a crystal chandelier framed by a large black refrigerator.

I cringe and almost want to cry every time I walk in my front door. We could close in the arch - but then you would have to walk around the kitchen and through the family room to serve the formal dining area. We can't afford to remodel the kitchen for a couple of years at least since the home is new. Does anyone have any ideas of suggestions for any way I can disguise this?

I would appreciate anything at this point! Thanks!
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Old 01-10-2008, 06:57 AM
 
Location: St Augustine
604 posts, read 4,610,023 times
Reputation: 354
I have seen models and tv shows where they put a fancy curtain over the doorway and have it pulled back to sorta frame the door.
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Old 01-10-2008, 08:23 AM
 
4,096 posts, read 11,418,829 times
Reputation: 9123
If you are worried about resale, consider when ready to get a refrigerator wither wood panels to match your cabinets.

Or the curtain is a very decorator idea and would fufill many requirements. You can make it match the existing curtains or have a velvet drape that can be pulled across and held with a big yummy tassle that is similiar in color to the walls or the curtains. Hang above the arch and then the eye is surprised when they are drawn back.

Sometimes a screen can be used elsewhere to draw the eye. It does not have to be right in front of the arch. Play around with someone holding up a sheet in various locations.

Lastly consider some custom wood swinging partial doors that are maybe from the floor to high enough to screen the refrigerator from the front door. They can be paneled to match furniture wood or painted to match the walls. There is all kinds of custom hardware for these types of doors out there. Would let you keep the arch.
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Old 01-10-2008, 09:28 AM
 
Location: Johns Creek, GA
17,403 posts, read 65,535,896 times
Reputation: 23515
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetana3 View Post
get a refrigerator with wood panels to match your cabinets.
There's an answer to every dilemma. Agree 1000%
(or have them made for your fridge)
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Old 01-10-2008, 10:38 AM
 
Location: Central FL
1,683 posts, read 8,185,590 times
Reputation: 853
Thanks for the ideas. We're not worried about resale - hopefully we'll be here a long time.

So far, the curtain sounds like the best idea. We had the cafe style doors in our first home and replaced them with etched glass folding doors. They worked great there - but it was a standard size rectangular opening. This is an 8 foot tall oversized archway.

I love my kitchen and really don't need/want to change a thing in it....just disguise the view from the front.

Any other ideas.....keep them coming. I really appreciate all your thoughts and help.
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Old 01-10-2008, 10:42 AM
 
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
10,757 posts, read 35,326,488 times
Reputation: 6958
I like the curtain idea, if the opening is taller then you find the curtains, I have seen where they sew an extra length of fabric to the bottom.

You could go with a lighter sheer fabric all the way up to something heavier depending on what you wanted.
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Old 01-10-2008, 10:47 AM
 
Location: Marietta, GA
857 posts, read 4,867,339 times
Reputation: 845
How large is the opening closest to the kitchen? (probably the rear of the dining room). Perhaps you can frame it down so that it is the size of a standard set of french doors and use opaque glass or put a film on the glass to make it less transparent, and keep that set of doors closed so that from the front hall you can still look into the dining room, but not past it.
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Old 01-10-2008, 11:38 AM
 
Location: State of Being
35,879 posts, read 77,087,438 times
Reputation: 22750
Quote:
Originally Posted by K'ledgeBldr View Post
There's an answer to every dilemma. Agree 1000%
(or have them made for your fridge)
This is the idea I like best and would personally use - matching door panels on the fridge. Great idea! Very custom, as well. You would not even notice the fridge this way.
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Old 01-10-2008, 04:45 PM
 
3,763 posts, read 12,489,223 times
Reputation: 6852
Get a custom door for the archway. It'll probably cost as much as the refrigerator panels, but it will allow you to keep the opening and still hide the view. Plus if its an arched door you don't lose the architechtural interest. To me the "hidden refrigerator" looks silly. "where or where is the refrigerator?? could it be the cabinet that is the exact size of a refrigerator with a big handle on the front?"

Plus, if you're remodeling the kitchen in the future (you said a couple of more years) - you'll probably get new appliances then and will have potentially wasted the money on the panels for these.

Good luck!
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Old 01-10-2008, 06:12 PM
 
Location: Central FL
1,683 posts, read 8,185,590 times
Reputation: 853
I like the idea of a custom door. I found a place online for custom refrigerator panels and they cost 1K....too much for a refrigerator that is just a builder's model anyway.

Do you know of any company you could recommend that does that kind of thing? I know some builders but I don't think they do that kind of custom finish work.

Another question....would it look funny for the door open into the kitchen? I don't want it to open out into the dining room because of seating issues.

Thanks for all the great advice! You guys are awesome!
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