Have I Got Room for a Wine Fridge?
If a wine cooler is on your wish list, check out these ideas to see how you could fit one into your kitchen
Lucy Searle
30 December 2018
Houzz Contributor. Editor in Chief of RealHomes.com. I am an editor, journalist, web and copywriter. I was Editor of the hugely successful www.channel4.com/4homes, taking it from a small site to a leading brand. I was also founding Editor of Channel 4’s 4Homes magazine, was Associate Editor at Ideal Home and have written for MSN, Huffington Post, Homes & Gardens, Country Homes & Interiors, Beautiful Kitchens, House Beautiful, Good Homes, and many women’s titles. I founded www.tailoredcontent.co.uk with a fellow journalist and together we blog, write web content and run social media accounts for (mostly) interiors companies. As a general rule, I write about everything from buying and selling property, self build, DIY, design and consumer issues to gardening but have tackled travel and family...
Houzz Contributor. Editor in Chief of RealHomes.com. I am an editor, journalist,... More
Yes, it’s a luxury, but if you like to have cool wine ready for guests, it might be worth splashing out on a dedicated fridge. But where to put it? In a kitchen island? Within a run of units? These design tips will give you some guidance.
Go for slimline
You don’t need to have a big kitchen to accommodate a wine fridge – some models are as narrow as 15 centimetres, so it’s possible to shoehorn one into the smallest of spaces.
This is a great solution if you’re not planning to store a huge collection of wine, as these slimline designs usually hold around six or seven bottles.
You don’t need to have a big kitchen to accommodate a wine fridge – some models are as narrow as 15 centimetres, so it’s possible to shoehorn one into the smallest of spaces.
This is a great solution if you’re not planning to store a huge collection of wine, as these slimline designs usually hold around six or seven bottles.
Make room in an island
If your kitchen island is deep enough, you might have space behind the main cabinets. Make use of this by popping in a slim, 30-centimetre wine fridge.
In this island, the fridge neatly fits into the gap between the breakfast bar area and the storage units.
If your kitchen island is deep enough, you might have space behind the main cabinets. Make use of this by popping in a slim, 30-centimetre wine fridge.
In this island, the fridge neatly fits into the gap between the breakfast bar area and the storage units.
Replace a cabinet
For wine connoisseurs who like to keep their wine at varying temperatures, there’s the option of a dual- or even triple-zone wine fridge. These allow you to store bottles in different areas of the cooler, so they’re kept at their optimum temperature.
Multi-temperature fridges come in fairly slim designs, but you might need a little more space if your collection is large. Rather than tucking your wine cooler between units, dedicate a cabinet space to it, as the designers have done here. You’ll lose some storage, but it could be worth it if you love good wine.
For wine connoisseurs who like to keep their wine at varying temperatures, there’s the option of a dual- or even triple-zone wine fridge. These allow you to store bottles in different areas of the cooler, so they’re kept at their optimum temperature.
Multi-temperature fridges come in fairly slim designs, but you might need a little more space if your collection is large. Rather than tucking your wine cooler between units, dedicate a cabinet space to it, as the designers have done here. You’ll lose some storage, but it could be worth it if you love good wine.
Nudge near a living space
It makes sense to put your wine near where you’ll use it, so at the side of a seating area is a good option.
The designers of this space have positioned the wine cooler in the island, facing out to the room. As guests relax on the sofas, they can easily grab a bottle to share.
It makes sense to put your wine near where you’ll use it, so at the side of a seating area is a good option.
The designers of this space have positioned the wine cooler in the island, facing out to the room. As guests relax on the sofas, they can easily grab a bottle to share.
Try another room
If you’ve run out of room in the kitchen, see if you can fit your wine fridge somewhere else. The owners of this house have made space in the hallway. Or why not put one in a storeroom?
By spreading out to another area of the house, these owners have even been able to add a built-in wine rack where they can keep some wines at room temperature.
If you’ve run out of room in the kitchen, see if you can fit your wine fridge somewhere else. The owners of this house have made space in the hallway. Or why not put one in a storeroom?
By spreading out to another area of the house, these owners have even been able to add a built-in wine rack where they can keep some wines at room temperature.
Up storage elsewhere
To make space for your wine fridge, you might need to increase the rest of your kitchen storage for other items. Here, the designers have sacrificed some of the work surface for a row of tall units, and tucked the wine fridge into the corner.
By using the vertical space, they’ve created enough storage to give up part of it to the wine cooler.
12 creative ideas to maximise your odd, unused spaces
To make space for your wine fridge, you might need to increase the rest of your kitchen storage for other items. Here, the designers have sacrificed some of the work surface for a row of tall units, and tucked the wine fridge into the corner.
By using the vertical space, they’ve created enough storage to give up part of it to the wine cooler.
12 creative ideas to maximise your odd, unused spaces
Slot between the fridge and freezer
Don’t have any space free below the worktop? Consider dedicating a wall to create a fridge area.
At the back of this galley kitchen, a fridge and freezer flank a tall wine cooler. And grouping the tall appliances together has left the two sides of the kitchen free for long runs of worktop.
TELL US
Have you splashed out on a wine fridge for your home? Where did you put it? Share your ideas and photos in the Comments section.
MORE
9 Design Tips to Make Your Small Space Entertaining-Ready
Don’t have any space free below the worktop? Consider dedicating a wall to create a fridge area.
At the back of this galley kitchen, a fridge and freezer flank a tall wine cooler. And grouping the tall appliances together has left the two sides of the kitchen free for long runs of worktop.
TELL US
Have you splashed out on a wine fridge for your home? Where did you put it? Share your ideas and photos in the Comments section.
MORE
9 Design Tips to Make Your Small Space Entertaining-Ready
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Yes I have one, exactly like the first picture, neat and discreet in black and facing the table, it takes 7 bottles, so the fridge is not clanking with bottles when we have friends round - its very practical!- as it also means I can sort out drinks outside the cooking area
We embedded a small wine fridge in a space that our builder wanted to 'just void out'. It is very much like the arrangement in the last photo. It is set on a temperature to cellar vintage wines in a way that we couldn't do correctly in a relatively small apartment (we don't have the luxury of a wine cellar but we do have a 'beer fridge' next to the barbie - some things are non-negotiable in this country).