American fridge/freezer -What depth for wall unit over the top?

Sistergold

Hello all. Having some kitchen units made. What size/depth is best for a cabinet which will be hung over the top of the fridge freezer? American Fridge freezer depth is ~70cm. The cabinet will be 95cm wide, should cabinet be flash with front of fridge/frz or it needs to be the usual 35cm for hanging wall units? The unit will not have any support to the floor. 

All other wall hung cabinets will be 35cm(decided to go with the deeper units)

Apologies if terminology of description is not correct. 

Bendy_House

It doesn't have to be normal - 35ish cm - wall unit depth, and in any case that would be both inaccessible and not look good.

Usually folk would employ a full-depth base unit in these situations, if they really wanted a wall unit over their FF, but these would also often be part of, or the end, a run which has a tall larder or oven/FF housing, so would be well supported and also 'flow' at the same depth.

Your situation is different; the FF is 70cm deep, and might not have units beside it? Or does it? If so, which ones?

I think folk would like to see the proposed kitchen layout before they could make reasoned suggestions. And it could be that an American FF just needs to stand there looking like an AFF.

Do you have any plans or sketches?

Sistergold

Thank you @Bendy_House. Unfortunately no tall larder next to the AFF. All cabinets will be free standing(except for wall hung ones ofcause). So floor units will not be fixed or fitted although everything is being custom made. Straight on from the fridge will be normal 92cm high cabinet with countertop. From proposed f/freezer unit will be other wall hanging units along that wall. I don’t mind the above unit being deeper than the other units as the freezer will be deeper anyway. The f/freezer will be by a disused chimney breast wall, after which cabinets will start. Cooker is already there and will not be integrated. No tall larder by fridge as need the counter space. Need some cabinet over fridge freezer to increase storage and don’t mind using footstool to access and will store things I don’t use often. 

Rough sketch, although drawn as continuous all hung and floor units will be in sections of different measurements. 

Bendy_House

If custom-made, and you need the space, then I'd personally go for a full-depth unit (~700mm deep) to match the FF, and wide enough to reach the chimney breast. 

It won't look odd coming out further than the standard wall unit, in fact WOULD look odd if it didn't!

Imo.

Will the wall units have cornice? If so, that'll help even more to make it 'designed', but it should look perfectly fine regardless.

Rosa_Damascena

The usual 600mm depth will do so there is no need to do anything fancy here.

Remember the doors of the unit will sit proud of the space in order to open to maximum capacity.

Bendy_House

Might need to leave a gap - ~100mm? - between the FF's top and the underside of this unit to allow the FF to vent happily up and out its back. See if the instructions say anything about 'clearances'.

Bendy_House

Rosa_Damascena said:

The usual 600mm depth will do so there is no need to do anything fancy here.

Remember the doors of the unit will sit proud of the space in order to open to maximum capacity.

I'm not sure if 'having units made' meant 'bespoke'? If it is build-from-scratch, what do you think about this unit's preferred depth, Rosa - 600 or 700mm?

Sistergold

Thank you @Bendy_House and @Rosa_Damascena, so 600mm to 700mm will do. Thank you. 

Sandtree

If the freezers depth is 700mm how far does it have to held away from the wall? Most will say they want at least a 50mm gap at the back and so if you go for a 600mm unit the door will be set back circa 125mm from the front of the machine... only you can decide if you like the idea of that look or not?

Most American style fridge freezers aren't designed to be built in with their hinges and so if enveloped with larder units on each side and a bridging unit above they often will be proud of the units to allow the doors to open fully. In that case you normally keep the floating/bridging unit flush to the larder units and often dont attach it to the rear wall to give more breathing space for the fridge/freezer.

If you've sold both your kidneys and gone for one of the pro brands that can be flush then they do look at lot better but unfortunately well out of the price range of most people (inc me)

Sistergold

@Sandtree, maybe I misunderstood? But the all cabinets are being made to measurements I request/ custom made so any measurement will do. 

Sandtree

Sistergold said:

@Sandtree, maybe I misunderstood? But the all cabinets are being made to measurements I request/ custom made so any measurement will do. 

And so its up to you to decide what look you want... 600mm would mean its set back from the front by a fair way which to me would look odd but then I dont like the fridge/freezer doors sticking out of a wall of units that many do have like the below photo


In that setup the unit above the fridge doesn't typically go to the back wall so it gives more airflow to the rear of the machine however in your setup that isn't going to be possible.