Asked on Jul 13, 2014
Making Cabinets Deeper
by
Carol
+8
Okay, so when I added my new stainless appliances to my updated kitchen, the cabinets over the refrigerator and washer & dryer are now hard to reach because the new appliances are apparently deeper than were the old white ones. Is there some way of adding more depth to the cabinets? I would like to be able to reach them without standing on a ladder. As it is now, the ones over the refrigerator are completely empty because they are inaccessible, and the ones over the front-loading washer and dryer require a stepladder to reach.
See how far back the cabinets over the refrigerator are?
Same with the laundry room - the new washer and dryer are huge compared to the old ones.
11 answers
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I've always thought cabinets over refrigerators were pretty much just made for storage since they are a hassle to access, so the ones over my fridge hold holiday stuff (dishes, glasses etc.) If you don't have a place for hanging clothes by your dryer maybe you could covert the lower area of the cabinets for that, and use upper cabs for more seasonal stuff.
Martha Hinkle
on Jul 13, 2014
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Cabinets over frig are not even deep enough for seasonal stuff - even my smallest platters are too big. Laundry machines are on pedestals so no hanging space above & they take up the whole wall so no hanging space on either side. I have plenty of hanging space on opposite wall anyway. I want access to the cabinets where I store things I use everyday like canned pet food, pet grooming supplies & cleaning supplies. Have purged & moved all that I can. I have seen beautiful cabinets that come all the way out and are fitted as wine racks, tray strafe, etc so there must be a way to build them out with trim pieces or something.
Carol
on Jul 13, 2014
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I had to giggle at this post...because it made me feel so sorry for myself! HA! My guy dropped something behind that darn big washing machine we have now so guess who got elected to climb the step ladder and belly crawl across it to retrieve the object? This old fat woman is who!!!! (It is funny that somehow when I am needed for something like this, he is very quick to call me the small!) I was lucky because as a joke, he had bought me one of those "gripping things with a handle" for old people. BTW this was his "drop" and my "rescue" so I was not happy over his laughter! (But I have to admit that a fat woman belly crawling across a washing machine has to be a funny sight, so I did not stay mad at him too long...but at the time, I wanted to use that "gripper" to beat him!) I HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT MY WASHING MACHINE! EVERYTHING!
Jeanette S
on Jul 14, 2014
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I am not sure how you could change the cabinets without pulling them and the counter tops out, building out the wall behind them, then replacing them, or simply getting all new cabinets. It might be better to have the wall spaces made deeper directly behind the appliances. You'd want an electrician to move the wiring, and if you have a gas stove, you'd need a gas plumber, then you would have to remove some of the studs and reframe those areas so you still have support, then drywall over, etc., and even with all that, you would only gain a few inches of space. Or, if you have a good return policy on the appliances, return them for something that would be a better fit for the space.
AvonelleRed
on Jul 14, 2014
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to late now but you should have gotten a counter depth Refrigerator, that is what we did. Then I put in side outs that we brought from a local big box store. .
Noreen Callahan Hamm
on Jul 14, 2014
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For the laundry room: IF the cabinets are touching the right and left walls you can pull them out, build a 'box'. remove the back of your cabinets and attach them to the front of the 'box'. This will be a nice solution making your laundry room cabinets deeper. Hope I explained it well for you. For your refrigerator cabinet you can do the same thing, just build your 'box' to the depth of the existing cabinet to the left of the refrigerator cabinet. Hope this helps....
Elizabeth
on Jul 14, 2014
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Looking at the picture of the fridge and the base cabinet, it looks like it is not all the way back. Building a box for behind the cabinets is a good suggestion, but I would not remove the back of the cabinet since that helps keep the cabinet square. Also, if you plan on doing that make sure that you attach the refer cabinet to the ceiling, other wise it will sag over time.
266335
on Jul 14, 2014
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Why not have a new box built that extends with the fridge and reinstall the old doors?
Lori Jackson
on Jul 14, 2014
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Shakirah
on Jul 14, 2014
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The cabinets are upper ones, so no worry about the counter tops. I love my appliances, just not the cabinetry above them. My cabinets in the kitchen I think can be separated, and just take down the one over the fridge. Would probably have to take down the whole bank of cabinets in the laundry room and switch them out for deeper ones. Sounds like it is a little more involved than my current level of DIY skills, so I was hoping for a simpler solution.
Carol
on Jul 14, 2014
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That sounds a lot cheaper!
Carol
on Jul 14, 2014
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