How easy is it to customise Howdens units?

Ballymoney

Does anyone have any experience in modifying / customising Howdens units for non-standard sized spaces?

The reason I ask is because I'm quite keen on the 680mm Fisher & Paykel fridge freezer but I'd like it boxed in. This would require a 720mm void and a 720mm half height wall unit attached to a full length end panel which obviously doesn't exist. Therefore, do you think it would be possible for our fitter to alter the 800mm half height wall unit to create the 720mm bridging unit?

If it's a total PITA I'll just go for an integrated 600mm fridge but thought I'd explore all avenues before settling.

Below is the kitchen design in question...

Gastines3

It's fairly straightforward to alter any units but beware if you want to put a door or drawer front on.The main thing with built in appliances etc is the door fit.

Ballymoney

Thanks Gastines3. Just to be clear, the unit being adjusted would be a 800mm half height wall cabinet acting as a bridging unit (most likely with a top hung hinged door)

The fridge freezer would be standalone but boxed in.

I wasn’t sure how easy it would be taking 80mm off a unit width yet maintaining symmetry in the unit concerned. 

EssexExile

Don't forget to allow for airflow around the fridge as mentioned in their installation information.

Ballymoney

Absolutely. Fisher & Paykel recommend 20mm either side so for the 680mm FF I’d require a 720mm void.

FreeBear

Ballymoney said: Absolutely. Fisher & Paykel recommend 20mm either side so for the 680mm FF I’d require a 720mm void.

Not forgetting that the units will be constructed from (typically) 18mm chipboard. so your unit is going to end up being ~756mm wide. To be honest, reducing the width of any unit is not a straightforward job, and you will need a custom sized door which I doubt Howdens would supply. You'd be much better off fitting an 800mm unit, and then run some filler strips down each side of the fridge. 25mm wide strips, painted or covered with a matching edging tape would do the job.

Doozergirl

Any good fitter can work near miracles.  Any cabinet can be 'played with' to the depth you need, and open units can be created at any size.    I have often gotten them to shave tops and bottoms from doors on big tall units where absolute symmetry isn't taken as given, but I have not asked anyone to adjust the width of doors as the sides are usually curved.  

An open cabinet used as a bookshelf would probably be a more successful creation than trying to cut a door to create a cabinet.  

We'd be better with photos of the wall in question than a floorplan in this instance.  

Le_Kirk

Do you mean, when you say enclosed, that you want it to be a unit with a door on the front, which you open and then, inside, is your fridge/freezer.  Won't this become annoying if you always have to open two doors to get to your cool goodies?

Ballymoney

Le_Kirk said:

Do you mean, when you say enclosed, that you want it to be a unit with a door on the front, which you open and then, inside, is your fridge/freezer.  Won't this become annoying if you always have to open two doors to get to your cool goodies?

No, maybe I’m using the wrong term when I say boxed in? Essentially the fridge freezer sits in a void created by an end panel and another unit on either side and you use a bridging unit which sits above the FF and is attached to both side panels.

Illustrated in this pic...

I have a feeling creating a 720mm void is more trouble than it’s worth. I just particularly liked the 680mm Fisher & Paykel FF. They do a 790mm FF so I may just go with the 800mm bridging unit widened slightly with additional strips. Or of course go with a standard 600mm integrated FF.

Ballymoney

Doozergirl said:

An open cabinet used as a bookshelf would probably be a more successful creation than trying to cut a door to create a cabinet.   

Now that’s an idea I hadn’t considered. It would be a ideal spot for cookbooks and such and avoids the faff of trimming the door 👍

Rosa_Damascena

Where does the longing for with this particular FF come from? Am I missing something?