One Viral Tip Explains Why Your Refrigerator Should Be Stored In Your Pantry

Hiding your appliances is the latest rage in interior design, and design lovers are more than happy to pay good money for panel-ready fridges that blend in with the rest of the kitchen. But what if you take that one step further and remove the refrigerator from the main kitchen area altogether? It might be more convenient — and aesthetically pleasing — to store your fridge in the pantry.

This tip went viral on TikTok, courtesy of interior designer Chloe MacKintosh of Boxwood Avenue, who was sharing a few details of her own kitchen remodel. MacKintosh put her fridge in the pantry to make the most use of space in her kitchen. Granted, the pantry (seen above) was bigger than your usual closet-sized pantry; more of a mini room off to the side of the kitchen, complete with cabinets and counters.

With that said, not only is this design tip great for carving out more kitchen space, but it's also a good design move if you want to highlight another appliance in the room. Speaking to The Grit and Polish, MacKintosh explained, "When I designed my kitchen, I knew that I wanted to emphasize the beauty of the range, which was a splurge. It felt off to have a large stainless steel appliance placed next to the beautiful French oven." Her solution? Storing the fridge in the pantry.

While putting your fridge in the pantry isn't common, this viral tip basically reboots an old home design concept: the butler's pantry. These pantries were more common in older, wealthier houses and were a transitional area between the kitchen and dining room. It was typically used for storage and staging; you could store anything from china to silverware there, or stage the meals on the counters before bringing them to the dining room.

In some houses, the butler's pantry was nothing more than a small hallway lined with cabinets. In others, it was more akin to a small kitchen off the side of the bigger one. And today, as pantries grow, they're morphing into this secondary prep area, and they're becoming more and more popular for two reasons.

First, the kitchen is increasingly becoming an entertainment space, so the messy prep work is being pushed into another area, away from the guests. And second, as it's becoming more fashionable to have uncluttered countertops and streamlined appliances, folks are moving gadgets, such as microwaves and toasters, into their walk-in pantries. It only makes sense for fridges to follow.

While this space-saving tip is more conducive for a pantry that has enough space for large appliances and cabinets, it can also be done if you have a smaller storeroom. You just have to be smart about your storage and maximize any empty spaces.

If you have a pantry that's big enough for your refrigerator, add it in, and then use the remaining room to maximize shelving. The best way to do so is to create built-in open shelving around the appliance. You not only want to utilize the space on the sides, but also add a row or two of shelves on top. This will allow you to add as many bins, boxes, and grocery items as you can. And what you can't fit in your pantry, you can store in the extra cabinet space you now have in the kitchen!