My Pantry Freezer — Form Over Function, or Function Over Form?

The pantry fun starts today! I’m finalizing my purchase list this morning and heading to Home Depot to get all of my plywood and supplies. I’m so excited to jump right in.

But after reading a few comments about the freezer placement yesterday, I do need to make one big decision before I can get started. The freezer I bought doesn’t have a reversible door, so in order to have the freezer placed so that the hinges are towards the side wall, I’d have to move it to the other side of the pantry.

So here’s the deal. Y’all know that I’m unashamedly a form over function kind of person. If I had to choose between pretty or practical, I’ll choose pretty 95% of the time and make no apologies for it.

But this is a pantry. Above all, a pantry needs to be functional, right? It’s not a living room where I’ll be sitting and chatting with people. It’s a pantry where organization and efficiency are key. And that’s clearly why many of you noticed that the freezer is in a corner where the door will swing open towards the countertop and not towards the wall.

I know that’s not ideal, and I had convinced myself that it was fine. But now after reading your comments yesterday, I’m second-guessing myself. (Yep, the second-guessing is starting early on this project. 😀 )

So it comes down to form over function. With it tucked away on the left wall, where it was in the photos in yesterday’s post, it’s out of the way. You can’t see it from the kitchen, and if you’re coming from that direction (i.e., the main direction, from the entryway, music room, living room, kitchen, and breakfast room), you actually have to enter the pantry before seeing it.

It’s tucked away and out of sight. You can see it if you’re entering from the studio, but most people don’t enter my house from the studio doors. Most people use the front door.

But with it on this wall, the door swings open towards the cabinets and countertop. Clearly, that’s not ideal.

So obviously, the only other option is to move it to the opposite wall…

With it on that wall, it opens the “correct” way, with the door swinging towards the side wall. One the one hand, that would definitely make things easier and more convenient. On the other hand, there is it. Right there. Right in the line of sight. You can’t only see it from the kitchen, but you can see it from the living room. Heck, you can even see it from the front door if the pantry doors are open. And is that really what I want?

Just so that you have all of the information, I do plan on dressing up/disguising the freezer somehow so that it looks less like a big white box and more like a custom part of the pantry. What does that mean? Right now, I’m not really sure. I’ll figure it out as the pantry gets underway, but I’m thinking about adding some trim, and probably painting it (yes, painting it) to match the cabinet color — just something to make it look less utilitarian and more custom. So maybe that’ll do the trick. But I won’t know for sure until I actually do it.

So what would you do in this situation? Would you choose form or function? Would you want a plain freezer tucked away in the corner so that it doesn’t potentially ruin the look of a room that you’re trying hard to make pretty? Or would you opt for practicality and efficiency and hope that there’s some way to disguise it so that in the end, it won’t be all that noticeable from the front door, the living room and the kitchen?

Right now, I’m about 55% on the pretty wagon, and 45% on the practical wagon. So we’ll see which way the scales tip after this post.

So what say you? Form or function? Pretty or practical? Left wall or right wall? Convince me. 😀

EDIT:

Two comments that I’ve read so far have made a fantastic point. With the freezer placed on the right wall so that it opens the “correct” way, the freezer door will only open this wide.

That may be slightly less than 90 degrees once it’s finished since the freezer door handle will hit the trim around the pantry door.

With the freezer placed on the left wall so that it opens the “wrong” way, the door opens this wide…

And that won’t be affected once the cabinets are in, because the freezer is deeper (i.e., sticks out farther) than the cabinets.

That’s a pretty significant difference in the door opening. And see? That’s why I pose these questions to ya’ll! Some of you think about things that I don’t think about!



Update:

My pantry is finished! Want to see the entire project from start to finish? You can find every single post about the pantry build right here…

Or you can skip to the end and see how it turned out. Here’s a peek of the finished pantry…

Butler's pantry remodel with dark teal lower cabinets, floating corner shelves, and whitewashed wood countertop

You can see more pictures on the before and after post right here…

 

 

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266 Comments

  1. Form. You can disguise it in some way. Add panel to front that matches your cabinetry. In the end, it will look better than open shelves in that location 🙂

      1. I agree..I have a freezer and refrigerator side by side in my pantry. They open opposite ways. I prefer the open that opens like yours does on the left.

    1. Are you really going to keep your pantry doors open all the time? If they are closed, I’m pretty sure anything you do to camouflage that would work just great. I’m for function.

    2. LEFT.
      For form and function.
      If you can’t open door all the way on the right that is not function. Most of the time you will be only opening door for few minutes or even seconds.
      Much more attractive and functional on the left

  2. I’d definitely go for function/practicality on this one. You’ll be glad the first time you have to defrost it. Speaking from experience here. It’s a pain enough to defrost it, let alone being stuck in a small area because of having the door open.

  3. Function… Right wall, definitely. I can’t imagine not having a spot right next to my freezer to set things on, either when I’m putting them away or taking them out. And you mentioned you had originally planned on putting an open shelving unit there… if you did that you’d have to be really careful about what you store there so it didn’t look cluttered and ‘junky’.

    1. Exactly on the cluttered part. I’m a function over form gal, so I was heading that way…but you’d rather see a designer freezer than a junky shelf.

  4. I’m going to go with moving it to the other side for functionality on this one. I really don’t think you’ll notice it once you ‘dress’ it up. I don’t think it looks bad from the photo above. I know this is going to look amazing whatever you decide. I can’t wait to see it! Good luck 🙂

  5. For just about anyone else, I would say function but knowing that you like pretty over practical, why fight it? Put it where you think it looks best. Besides, how often are you going to be using it anyway? As long as you have enough room to get things in and out of it, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.

    1. Trust me on the not liking the freezer if the door won’t open to it’s fullest extent. Been there done that. Unless you only plan on accessing it once in a blue moon(i.e. twice a day or less) and will bring groceries in to store in it the same amount of times per week or month, it should be fine on the right wall. But if you plan on using it as the main freezer of your household use the left wall. You will be glad you did. Also you could put a top on one of the rolling cabinets that you could utilize as a counter-top until you have the freezer loaded with you items.

    2. I agree with Beth. I would want to be able to open the door wider than 90º. I don’t have a place to set things down next to my freezer and I’m not bothered by it. I’m thankful we have a freezer in the garage. Put it where you like it best.

  6. I’m certainly no interior designer or anything close to it haha! But what about putting some sort of treatment on the glass panes of the pantry doors like frosting or privacy film or whatever? That way when the doors are closed you won’t see it and you can still have “form.”

    1. I agree with Cindy – you can put some kind of frosting on the pantry door glass so that you don’t have to see into the pantry from the kitchen or breakfast room, but you’ll still have the light shining through. And I’d definitely go for function, because no matter how pretty something is, if it doesn’t function conveniently, it’s going to become a hassle every time you need to use it, and especially when you defrost it. Ultimately, it’s your decision as to how much hassle you’re willing to put up with in order to have something “pretty”. With all the other cabinets and shelves, and once you get your pretty serving pieces in place, the pantry will not only be pretty but serviceable as well.

  7. Function. This is a pantry, the whole point is function and pretty is a bonus. You will have years of annoyance if your freezer door opens the wrong way. I don’t know this from my own experience but my sister does! I have been hearing about it for the past five years and expect to hear about it for many more until the darn ting dies. They bought it because it was a really great deal but the pain of the purchase would be long forgotten by now but the irritation of using it is a near daily occurrence. I have used it and it IS a pain.

  8. It would drive me crazy to see it. I would want it hidden. Tucked away. How often will you be in it versus you’ll have to look at it daily. I vote form! 😂

  9. I am almost always a function over form person, but in this case, I’d go form all the way. Even if you dress it up, I don’t think having your freezer visible all the way across the house is the way to go. Walk in the door–you see the freezer. Sitting on the couch in the living room–looking at the freezer. Washing dishes at the sink–there’s the freezer…okay, that one is a little weak as you would after all but in the kitchen and a freezer view may be expected, but you get the idea… 🙂

    Besides, depending on how you use the freezer, it may not really matter. If you are pulling stuff out to take to the kitchen to start dinner, it will make zero difference which way it swings. If you are pulling stuff out and using it in the pantry like a second kitchen, it might be a little irritating, but likely not that big of a deal. And if you do make the rolling cart cabinet thingies, you can always pull one out to have nearby and use the top to place groceries and such when loading the freezer, giving you easy access to “counter space”, if that is the concern.

    Form all the way on this one!

    1. Can you put it in your studio unobtrusively? Or the garage? Unload the frozen stuff and put away with out bringing them into house!

  10. Go with form and what YOU like. It’s your house. You’ll enjoy the pleasing view more times a day than you will open the freezer door. As long as you have enough room to access the freezer, that’s all you need.

  11. Kristi, I am just too practical minded not to move it to the other side. Have you thought abt putting gathered sheers over the glass French doors on the inside. I think those would solve your problem.

  12. Can I offer a plan c? Return the freezer and opt for one that swings open the correct way? I would guess that there is some brand that has doors that can be switched? That seems ridiculous that they even make freezers doors that dont switch!?!?
    Rant over😆.

    Otherwise, Id totally go function Kristi!

    So excited for your pantry!!!!

    1. That’s what I was thinking. Get one that works for your room!
      Otherwise, form. Leave it on the left as most often its function will be for grabbing something out to take to the kitchen, with no need to set it down immediately.
      Furthermore, for ease of use you want the door handle on the side you approach it from. Left✔️

      1. I agree. Does this brand you chose offer the door on other side? Plus, I would still rethink the manual defrost situation. I know, it is probably a settled deal in your mind and that is totally aok. I just keep thinking about it because mine was the nightmare of the world. It had a drain plug also..which clogged/froze up first…and was the last thing to defrost. So, I had a big giant mess on my hands every single time. I would hate hate hate to see that drippy mess on your wood floors.

  13. I am typically a form over function person too, but gotta go function on this one. Once you’ve dressedit up, it wont ne the ugly white box you’re currently looking at. And a pantry needs to be functional. If you utilize your freezer as much as I do, I think it will drive you nuts trying to use it with the door going the wrong way.

  14. Ok, I’m going to say you can have form and function.
    If the freezer is placed where the door opens towards the wall, you can only open the door as far as the wall allows. However, if the door opens towards the cabinets, if the cabinets are not quite as deep as the freezer, then the door can be opened wider.
    Now, if course, I don’t know if opening the door as wide as possible is anything that will matter for what you will use it for- or perhaps, the design of the freezer makes this a non-issue.
    But this is certainly a function issue that could lend a reason to choosing the more attractive placement. 😉
    Plus, will you not see that freezer every time you walk in the room and think “ All that work to make a really pretty pantry, and All I see is that freezer door!”
    Just some thoughts

    1. I just read a similar comment on my Facebook page, and I went into the pantry to test it out. You’re absolutely right! With it in its original position on the left wall, the door opens VERY wide. It’s not like standing in a tiny area and feeling boxed in between the freezer door and the wall. The door swings wide open with plenty of room. But with it on the other wall, it only opens to pretty much exactly 90 degrees which feels like even less because of the shelves on the freezer door jutting out.

      Great point, and definitely one to consider.

      1. Oh, Kristi – how often are you going to be spending bunches of time with that freezer open? Reach in there, grab the hamburger and the frozen veggies and get the heck out! Unless you’re hot-flashing, you’re not going to be spending much time with it open, particularly if you adhere to your momma’s recommended freezer-cleaning-schedule. Quit worrying about function. That box is there to freeze stuff. Pretty it up on the outside so that you can stand it, and you’ll hardly ever think about it. Truly.

        1. I’ve never manually defrosted a full freezer…will the extra space be helpful in doing so? Plus, you’ve had it on the left and been using it there since it arrived (I assume). Has it been a hassle to you having the door swing that way? If it doesn’t bother you now, why would it bother you in the future? Will it be used differently somehow once pantry complete?

      2. Also you won’t be able to take the shelves out to clean if the door doesn’t open wide enough. Ask me how I know.

        It’s all looking fantastic so far, tiles, colours, plan. Can’t wait for week 6.

        1. Yes, I also learned learned this the hard way. And I agree that those little rolling carts are going to be very handy for loading the freezer wherever you decide to put it.

          Could you add a narrow tall cabinet between the freezer and the wall to allow more space when opening the door?

          Love your plans and looking forward to each new post!

      3. If the door doesn’t open all the way you won’t be able to move your shelves to reposition if you want. (I know from experience). Also is much easier to defrost when door opens wide. I say go for function then make pretty!

      4. The freezer section of my refrigerator/freezer opens into a wall, and it’s really awful. Just a datapoint.

        1. I think Matt should get a vote on this one. Can he get to the freezer? Other than that go for where it will open the widest.

    2. This is exactly what I was thinking. We have a fridge/freezer in our garage that I tucked up in a corner and I cannot get the freezer door more than 90 degrees open. It is a real pain. I have thought about moving it around in there but haven’t gotten to it yet.

      I think you can get both form and function by leaving it where you originally planned.

      1. I agree with several who have said leave it where you originally planned because it is VERY important to be able to open the door all the way wide………..as they said you will have a very hard time repositioning the shelves (and there will be times when you need to) and defrosting and cleaning will be so much easier with door Wide open. I speak from experience with a refrigerator door.

    3. This was exactly my thought too when I read this! I would personally hate having my freezer door open against a wall, and would actually way prefer to have it where it is now.

    4. YES!!! THIS!!!

      I was just scrolling down to mention this and saw your comment, Laura.

      In 30 years of fridge owning this has always been a problem for us. If the door doesn’t swing past 90 degrees, the pull out bins and drawers don’t open well. Overall, it’s just been a pain….something I will correct in the next few when we tear apart our kitchen!

      You make everything pretty, Kristi. I’m sure you’ll figure it out!

    5. I agree with all of the comments on this thread. If you can’t open the door > 90 degrees it is SO HARD to get the shelves out to clean them. I know from experience. Plus, since it is a smaller room, with it in its current location, if you can open the door > 90 degrees, it’ll be easy to reach over to the countertop on the window wall. Also, I know from using my garage fridge that I usually carry a large bowl or tub with me when I get items from outside. So, you’ll likely have a large tub or something with you any time your getting something out of the pantry, which gives you a little space to hold items while working. Anyway, my vote is that you leave it where it is.

      I do also agree with the other comments regarding the floor to ceiling open shelves. You’ll need to keep everything in there organized in a stylistically pleasing way, given that you can see into the pantry all the way from the front door.

      You’ll make all this work, no matter what you decide! Keep moving and don’t overthink this! 🙂

    6. This was my thought as well. You’ll need that door to open more! Leave it where it is and rejoice in the fact that it will LOOK pretty and FUNCTION better for you! I could not imagine only being able to open my freezer door to 90 degrees! Just looking in there some days trying to decide what to make and my natural instinct is to open the door wider than that to peer in at what all I have.

    7. yes! this! i lived with a freezer that opened into a wall, and it was miserable! leave it where it is, form and function… win win!

    8. Yes! There’s nowhere for me to set things near my upright and it’s not a problem. If the door couldn’t open all the way, that would be a problem.

  15. I’m so glad I’m not the only person that noticed that the door didn’t swing “correctly” where you had originally placed the freezer. Personally, I’d choose function over form…but make it pretty. Best of both worlds, right?! I can only imagine the cussing that *might* happen every time you try to put something in/out of the freezer. (I only say this because I know that’s what *might* happen with me). And although you *can* see it from the living room or front door, I’m betting that the pantry door (and light) will remain closed and off most of the time and won’t really be an issue.

    Looking forward to seeing your decision and following your posts for the final. Oh, how I love to see your posts show up in my FB feed…thank you!

    1. That was my thought. This picture is with pantry doors open, but how often will the doors be left open? Any? Most of time? Never? I just see her ripping it out and redoing it 6months down the road 😂😂

  16. I would definitely pick function over form, but I’ve been wondering if you had considered more of a galley style for your pantry layout? If you moved the freezer to the breakfast room wall, so the door opens to the left pantry wall. You could build a cabinet box/enclosure around it like they do for fridges, so you wouldn’t see the side of the freezer. In your pictures there look like there would still be enough room to have shelving between the freezer and the wall. This all assuming your pantry is deep enough to have the freezer door open without hitting the back wall cabinets.

    1. I love this idea! Then you wouldn’t have to make weird roll out carts for the corners or see any “unsightly” freezer or shelves!

  17. I think that once everything else is installed in the pantry, the freezer won’t be such a focal point as you’re seeing it now, especially with the pantry doors closed.

    Others have made a great point of having it placed where it’s more open when you have to defrost the freezer.

    My favorite kitchens are ones that have refrigerators that look like the cupboards. If you decide to do that, no one will ever notice it in passing. More importantly, you’ll be happy with it, too.

  18. I’m USUALLY a function over form person, but I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it doesn’t matter. I’ve had a fridge for 9 years now that swings the wrong way (mostly cause I was too lazy to reverse the door). It bothers my father every time he visits, but it doens’t bother me at all. So I say, leave it in the left corner if that makes you happy.

    The only “function” thing I’d consider with leaving it is, where is your landing zone? Remember that when you use a freezer, you’re often taking things out or putting things in (pulling things out to dig for something in the back). So walk over to the freezer and pull the door open. Pretend you have to put a bunch of stuff down first (that you carried from the kitchen) that needs to be packed into it, or take a bunch of stuff out to dig and find a resting spot for that stuff. Where are you going to put that stuff down? Is there a handy surface nearby? Do you have to walk around the open door to do it?

    Also, I like the idea of dressing it up. That sounds like a fun art project for you. In fact, I’m almost wondering if you coulldn’t have some fun with resin. Take the door off, put it horizontal, paint some neat design on it, then coat it with resin. 😛 Rather than trying to make it blend-in, make it a canvas instead.

    1. Yep — the landing zone is the most important consideration. Maybe put the freezer in the original location because it opens wider (very important) even though it opens the wrong way and use a rolling cart as the landing zone??

      1. This is the direction I’m leaning right now. I can create a movable “landing zone” in the form of a cart that I can then roll into the kitchen. Or just the opposite. When we get our Butcher Box delivery, I can unload it in the kitchen by the sink and put the items onto the cart, and then wheel it into the pantry and place the items in the freezer. I think this is the best of both worlds! I’ll have my landing zone, portability, and still be able to open the freezer door way past 90 degrees for easy accessibility.

        1. Absolutely! Solves the problem. I had a rolling cart in the centre of my kitchen when there wasn’t room for an island. It was just about 2’x2’ with nice big casters so it was easy to move wherever it was needed. It would be great in the centre of your pantry to set down grocery bags for easy reach for whatever cabinet they belonged in, made a landing spot for the freezer and even had a marble top for making pastry. Portability was what made it so useful. If it were to be built-in to a bank of cabinets it would have been difficult to pull out without scratching surrounding cabinets and it would have been heavy when loaded with tins or appliances etc. My next kitchen had a fixed island so I gave away the little rolling cart and I still miss it.

  19. If it’s used for extra frozen things, how often will you go in it. You only defrost very few times. It’s not a weekly thing. I wouldn’t want to see something that annoyed me. I say leave it. Enjoy the view. Frosting the doors defeats all your work of making it pretty. A pantry in my house has been a dream since I got married 52 years ago. I still have visions but no room. So I am enjoying yours so much.

  20. Have you considered simply frosting those doors so you could still get the natural light from that window and have pretty doors but not have to look inside your pantry from your living area? Even if you move the freezer to your other wall, that area will have shelving where you will have kitchen appliances or containers of food or whatever you are storing in there visible. If your pantry isn’t perfectly organized all the time, then there is the problem of people walking through and seeing a sloppy pantry (and let’s be honest…. who actually keeps their pantry perfectly organized all the time? it’s a pantry.). If you frosted the doors, you could have the practicality of the freezer in a functional location and never have to look at any pantry disorganization unless you were actually in there.

  21. Does it matter which way the door opens? Do you need it to be open so that you can conveniently pile things on the counter? Will the door actually open completely when opening against the wall? If the answer to these are ‘no’ then I’m voting form/pretty. But whichever way you go, I’m sure it will end up great.
    BTW, forgot to mention this on yesterday’s post, but I love the idea of the dark purple cabinets.

  22. I’m not sure who conquered their way to King of Freezers in order to decree which is the “correct” way a door opens, however, I will throw in my two cents! I have the GE fridge you have in your kitchen and if it were in your pantry, your “pretty” placement vs “practical” placement is what works for that fridge (without reversing the handle). The door on that fridge has to be opened more than 90 degrees in order to move the freezer basket in and out. Is that the case for this freezer? I haven’t seen inside, however if you need to get something in/out and need a scooch more room, will you get it with the “practical” placement? Love that you are getting s**t done! I’m currently on a “get rid of all the things” rampage 🙂

  23. Boy, this is a tough one! When I use my freezer, I need a counter to rest things on while putting in or taking out (which would speak to putting your freezer on the right side of the pantry), but I also need a wide swing to my door because I add wide trayfuls of food to freeze and it is hard to maneuver if the door doesn’t go wide enough (which would lean towards the left side being better, but I wouldn’t like being jammed up against the wall there either). If you close the pantry doors, is the freezer less visible when on the right side? I guess your decision might depend on just how much and how you actually use the freezer. Workhorse like mine, or mainly just a storage spot with occasional opening more like a regular refrigerator freezer. I know you will figure it out, and it will be beautiful!

    1. Judy’s making a good point about the swing.

      I just had a thought. What if you put one of those slide-out shelves (you typically see them done as cutting boards) between the countertop and the first drawer on the stack of drawers in the middle. You might be able to pull that shelf out as your “landing zone” and it might be just clear enough of the door to be in the right spot. Then, you can just slide it away. If you put it on heavy-duty slides, it should be sturdy enough.

      This way, it’s win-win-win. You get the door with a wide swing. You get to keep the freezer on the left. And, you get a landing zone for the stuff you’re putting in or taking out.

      1. This is such a good idea!! It makes Kristi’s ideal placement actually more practical than the right side, what with the door opening more fully and having a landing zone handy.

  24. Sorry, answering before I’ve read other comments, but…I would want it to open all the way, beyond 90 degrees and I’d leave it where it is.
    What if you’ve got your hands full, you’ve got a 3/4 full freezer and you’re trying single handedly to put in big ol’ ham or a 25 lbs. turkey because, surprise, you are hosting this year! (I kid, of course, because I know that for most of the year it is just you and Matt eating at your house on a regular basis.) But, personally, from experience, I’d leave it where it is so that the door will swing beyond 90 degrees.
    Our refrigerator door won’t open beyond 90 degrees and it is a PAIN! I have to take everything out to put something large, like a pizza box or a roaster pan into the fridge. I expect it would be very similar for you with your freezer in a corner that would not allow it to open beyond 90 degrees.
    Just a thought!

  25. Personally I would move it to the other wall and dress it up, whether it is paint or wood trim so it looks like cabinetry. I know that your pantry is going to be gorgeous regardless of freezer placement. All of the pantries I have seen have solid or frosted glass doors so you can’t see into them anyway. I know this is crazy but I would love it painted like the tiles you just finished but that is me.

  26. The comment about defrosting it changed my mind to move it and dress it up. You need the extra space to easily remove everything and add a fan etc. for defrosting. You can dress it up and it will probably look nicer than always keeping open shelves “company ready”. Can’t wait to see this completed room!

  27. Depending what you were planning on putting on the open shelves, I like seeing the fridge a lot better – even in an un-camouflaged state!

    1. I agree with this! I wouldn’t want to have to worry that my pantry is always picture perfect with the open shelving being seen from the front door.

      However, I can relate to the door swing. We have the same situation where our door swings the wrong way. Adding a cart or landing zone is great, but make sure you and the cart can fit between the wall and the open door. Otherwise it is a pain constantly having to work around the door to add/remove food from the freezer.

      I can’t wait to see what you do!

  28. I look at it this way – if you put it opening against the wall, it will only open 90 degrees and shelves on the door might impede you taking out the racks. Opening against the cabinets will allow you to open it as far as it will open, allowing you full and complete access to the freezer. My parents have this issue with their refrigerator and can’t open the door beyond 90 degrees making it very difficult to get drawers and shelves out. Just something to consider.

  29. I’m a Function person.

    Form- Someone will see it, choose which audience:
    living/kitchen guests or studio guests Or think who gets to see the open shelf?

    Function- Door swing on wall or into pantry? Additional concern-Have you tucked it exactly where it would go? Does the door need a few inches on the swing side to open fully, especially to accommodate a handle (see no handle)? If so, you may need a few inches between the wall and freezer to get a correctly opening door.

  30. You talked about open shelving across from the freezer in your plan post. Consider what kind of stuff you are putting on the shelf. Crock-pots, canned goods, pantry food items, etc? Whatever it is, is it pretty? Are you going to be re-packaging things into pretty containers? Is that realisting for your lifestyles (it wasn’t for mine). Also seems like a big area and big chunk of your storage to keep “pretty”. It seems to me that if you put the freezer on the opposite side (the right side was you walk in) and make it match the cabinets, you would end up preferring that view to open shelving with non-pretty items stored in it.

  31. I vote hide it. How many times a day will you actually open the freezer? If it was something that you would be continually using during a day, then yes, I would say function. 🙂

  32. I would definitely pick function over form, but I’ve been wondering if you had considered more of a galley style for your pantry layout? If you moved the freezer to the breakfast room wall, so the door opens to the left pantry wall. You could build a cabinet box/enclosure around it like they do for fridges, so you wouldn’t see the side of the freezer. In your pictures there look like there would still be enough room to have shelving between the freezer and the wall. This all assuming your pantry is deep enough to have the freezer door open without hitting the back wall cabinets.

  33. I am confused anyway. Doesn’t the freezer door open all the way back to 180 degrees? My sister’s uprights always have. If you are loading stuff in from the garage/workshop side, the original position means a straighter shot to the freezer to put things away. If you move it to the right, the door will ONLyl open 90 degrees. So…you have to pick your poison…not having a counter right beside it…or not being able to open the door wider. Same goes with defrosting. 90 degrees is all you will have if it is over to the right side.

  34. Could you use one of your rolling cabinets or a cart to use for putting frozen food on for sorting? Then you could have the freezer where it is and it would be very practical with the wide open door and cart.

  35. With your ability to dress things up, I’d go for form. Don’t work against yourself. Channel your talent for blending form with function, and consider painting the freezer with chalkboard paint & using all that surface areas for memos, menus planning, shopping list, etc. Here’s a link to a photo that says it all.
    http://stevelarese.com/refrigerator-decor/refrigerator-decor-best-25-refrigerator-decoration-ideas-on-pinterest-diy/
    Good luck and have fun😀

  36. Pretty pretty pretty.

    How often are you going to need to put something on the counter when using the freezer? Most of the time you’re going to grab that bag of peas and head back into the kitchen. BUT you’re going to see that thing from the kitchen every darn day. If seeing it is an issue, it’s going to drive you crazy more than having to take a few extra steps when using it occasionally.

    Hide that sucker! 😉

  37. I think in this case function and form has the same answer. It should go in the spot of your original plan. When you walk in to get something it will open in the right direction so that you actually have room to swing the door open past 90 degrees and that will be more useful than having the door open against a wall where you need to add a filler to be able to easily get to things or pull a drawer in it out etc. With a filler added you are reducing your usable space i the pantry further.

  38. I thought it looked awkward yesterday. There is no shame in owning a freezer. Friends, family, and clients will think no less of you because they can see your freezer in the pantry. It is an extension of your kitchen. You don’t hide your kitchen appliances. I vote to move it so that there is no problem with opening the door to remove items or put items in. Do you want to set stuff on the counter BEHIND the door and walk AROUND the door EVERY TIME you have multiple items to put in the freezer or to take multiple items out if you are looking for something in particular or just rearranging/cleaning out? That would grow old real quick. Better to go with the practical. But if you can exchange it for one that opens the other way, you could leave it in the original location. I know the pantry will turn out awesome and look forward to the finished product.

  39. Without a doubt FORM! You will hate it if you your choose function because every time to walk in there, of by it you will see it. I actually think having the door open wider is much more functional. Stay true to yourself and do what makes you feel good.

  40. Miss Kristi

    What ever you do we know:

    1. It will be gobber smack gorgeous

    2. You have to be happy with the end product so what others suggest are only suggestions YOU have to decide the end result

    Having said that you are going to building those pull out rolling carts (see where I am going) so if you have a lot of items to put in or take out just pull one of the carts out and use the surface to be your temporary counter so I would put it back in the corner that will allow the door to open the most and continue on my merry way.

    Wow the group of 1 room participants is really large this fall and so many of the spaces are common. Yours is one of the unique spaces.

    REALLY looking forward to the end result.

    My new project is to sister the 7.5″ existing 1915 installed floor joists under the kitchen. Otherwise I think we may be in trouble starting with the washing machine that is sitting in the kitchen.

    Lucinda

  41. What’s practical for you and your husband I think is the question here? Personally the door not opening fully (and the handle probably inevitably denting the wall) would bother me more. How often are you going to need to place things on the counter in the pantry when putting items in or removing items from the freezer?

    I think how you’re going to use this room matters more than anyone else’s opinion. If you’re constantly opening the freezer and having to dance around the open door to get to the counter, then that’s going to annoy you. But if you’re just taking things out and going straight to the kitchen, then will it matter which way the door opens?

    Mark

    1. PS How far away is the counter under the window really? Couldn’t you place items on that counter when loading/unloading the freezer? Then the side the freezer is on becomes moot.

      Maybe it would help you to stand in the pantry and kind of go through the steps you’d take.

  42. Since it’s just you and Matt, I don’t think you will be loading or unloading lots of things at one time. I think it comes down to whatever makes you happy.

  43. I absolutely hate having my freezer door open toward the wall because I can’t open the door as far – it bangs right into that wall! Go with your original plan and have no regrets.

  44. Do you have a separate broom closet? Will you need to store your broom/mops in the pantry? If so, you could move the freezer to the center of the side wall, or at least far enough away from the front wall to allow it to swing fully open, and have a landing spot on the side opposite the hinge. Then use the space between the freezer and front wall as your broom/mop storage. If my memory serves, you had a similar problem with your refrigerator, right? Just a thought, but I’d opt for function. The challenge of a designer is to allow for function while beautifying the space and I am confident that your mad skills are up to the task.

    1. In a post yesterday, she said eventually she’ll be building a broom closet in the utility room where the washer and dryer are.

  45. Since you want to know what we thing, I’d put it back where it was. I find having the refrigerator door open all the way is essential when I’m putting things away.

    But that’s my two cents and ultimately, you and your husband have to make the space work for you. And I’m sure whatever you decide, the end product will blow us away either way.

    Make sure you show us all what you buy!!

  46. I don’t really see a problem keeping it in the left side with it opening toward the cabinets. How often will you actually open the freezer? Will you need immediate access to those cabinets or counter when the freezer door is open? I would rather have it hidden unless the placement would be a huge and frequent inconvenience. Just my two cents.

  47. Form.

    It’s not like you’re going to be cooking in the pantry, just grabbing something out of it, and going back to the kitchen, or you’ll be loading the freezer, and you’ll want to be able to open it fully.

  48. Make it a win-win! Put it on the wall where it is hidden and the door opens all the way. This is form and function! It is so important to be able to have the door open all the way to make cleaning easier. Hope this helps!

  49. My hubby and I have had this exact same conversation in regarding to planning out our pantry. Since we will be building in a countertop with cabinets below in half the room, and floor to ceiling shelves in the other half….we have decided to place the freezer in the center on the main wall. It can be painted and decorated to look like it’s built in…..I’ll have a countertop right there to take out things and such and as others have mentioned, defrosting it will be much easier. The door will open all the way.

  50. I have a refrigerator that only opens the “wrong” way too. I thought it would bother the crap out of me. It has been in for 6 months now and to tell you the truth I never think about it. It is only something you stew over at the designing point. Once it is in you won’t mind it. So definitely form!! Plus I think it functions better also!

  51. I would go with function. And in this case it is the same as form (since you updated the post to show how far the freezer door opens given the freeer placement next to the wall). Win win!

  52. Original position is better and more convenient, but I wanted to make a suggestion on “beautification” even before I saw this post. How about a vynil Fridge wrap? Take a look at this, for example:
    https://www.etsy.com/listing/622666650/fridge-door-wrap-decals-refrigerator?ref=related-4
    I think it’s so cool. There’s so many designs and people and companies who make them. You can probably order a custom design that would fit into your overall pantry design.

    1. Function …and have you considered putting a drip tray under it like one might do for a washer?

      Claire! wow this cooler than cool!

  53. It comes down to which is going to bother you the most. Seeing it every time or opening the door towards the counter. If you are the only one that will use it then My vote is on pretty … you are creative … are you sure you can’t switch the door?

  54. I’d simply find a different handle that might give you more room, but also wonder what are you putting inside that would require it be opened completely? And for times you really need to open the door completely I imagine it is on wheels – you could always just pull it away then push it back.

  55. I would say leave it where the door opens ALL the way, you’ll like it better because it’s “pretty”. Not being able to open the door all the way will be a pain in the long run. It’s pretty (form) and the door opens all the way ( function) ( Unless there is an option to return the freezer and get one with a door that can be reversed. – Then I’d choose that one) So hows that for riding the fence? 😉 I look forward to seeing what you end up doing! 🙂

  56. Well it would drive me CRAZY to have the freezer to where I couldn’t FULLY open the door for access or defrost- NO WAY I would move it to the other corner. Plus you have the issue of not wanting to “see” the thing. The “wrong way” door opens for proper use – and I’ll just bet with it fully open there is counter space to the right of the door if needed, and you will have the rolling carts if you need to load/unload a bunch of stuff.

    You will rue the day you put the freezer to where you cannot fully open the doors, I promise. Leave it where you first decided.

    Frankly, I would return the freezer and get one that opened the proper way for the placement you have.

    1. If I return it and get one that opens the other way, and then keep it on the left wall, then I’m back to it not opening all the way (or even opening 90 degrees).

      1. Yep. Guess I should have added that by exchanging it at least you would have it where originally wanted it and opening in the right direction (even with the door restriction), rather than being where you didn’t plan it, felt the need to “disguise” it AND having the door restricted, lol.

        For me, having the door restricted would be a big bummer though I wouldn’t be happy with it opening the wrong way either. A real conundrum. It will be interesting to see how you decide this one.

  57. I’m so excited to see The Pantry coming to life!

    I would want the freezer placed, and configured, how it is most convenient to use.

    A main problem I see is that this freezer is not self-defrosting.

    Dear Kristie, if it were my pantry, I would, post haste, return it for a Self-Defrosting, Upright, freezer with a reversible door…and an alarm that buzzed if the door is ajar.

    That would solve all the problems. You could keep the freezer where you want it. The door would open the way you wish. It would be where you like.

    If you keep this freezer, you’ll be sad everytime you have to pull everything out to defrost. You probably win’t Like the door jammed up against the wall.

  58. Okay, call me selfish. After hearing all of your plans with the built-in and gorgeous tiles, I am a little disappointed to think you might move the freezer. I like it tucked away. I guess my only argument against would be to ask, “Do you get in the freezer very often?”. I know whatever you decide if will look great!!

  59. Once everything is in there you will be able to see all sorts of non-pretty things from the living room and kitchen and maybe even the front door. Make the pantry pretty, of course, but frost the doors. Light will still get through. It will still look great when you open it, but no one will be seeing your soup cans from halfway across the house.

  60. This may be a bit late, but I wanted to offer a suggestion on your corner cabinet problem. I have a corner cabinet (angled front door) with three shelves. On each shelf is a huge 32″ lazy susan with low guard rails around the edge. There is no center post so the entire surface area is usable and each shelf holds a lot of stuff, mainly things like food processor blades, strainers, colanders, salad spinner, small appliances like mixer, chopper, coffee grinder, tea pot, etc. Nothing has ever gotten lost in the 20 years I have had these cabinets and I love how easily they turn and I can find what I need. Not sure how to attach a picture, but can send one if desired.

  61. I have mine in the “wrong way” also as I can get the door to open wider, and believe me, that makes a difference. Now, if it was a fridge which you would open multiple times each day, I would have to have it in the “right way.”

  62. I think it is more important to have the freezer open all of the way than to have it open with easy access tot he adjoining countertop. Keep the freezer where it is.
    Besides: in the picture you show with the door wide open it does not look like a huge reach to set items on the counter of the back wall.
    Function is very important, ie: having the freezer open all of the way and having access to a counter – which you do.

  63. I don’t know if I didn’t read carefully the first time or if you updated after I commented, but I missed the photo showing the “unpretty” placement and the door not opening all the way. I have a similar situation in my kitchen, with my refrigerator. Big error on my part my planning my kitchen 25 years ago. I can’t even open my fridge as wide as you have that freezer. It means one produce drawer on the bottom can only open a few inches.

    However, you can fix that by moving the freezer a few inches over to the left and putting in a filler strip. You might even be able to turn it into a very narrow door, just wide enough to store a folding step stool or a full-length pullout for a broom or something else tall and narrow.

  64. Certainly you will have your pantry doors closed more often than open, and the light will be off also….especially when having company. With the panes in the doors, will the freezer even be noticeable? You’ve made mention a few times about how the pantry will look when the doors are open. I would go with function, all the way. Thanks for asking us :).

  65. Unless you’re prepping food on your pantry counter tops, I think it would be more functional to have your freezer open wide, placed on the left of your French doors as you enter the pantry…easy to grab an item from the freezer as you enter. Use a rolling cart to gather multiple items from the freezer.

    By the way, I use an extra refrigerator an awful lot when hosting a big dinner. Are you sure you don’t want an extra frig in that pantry also?

    I love your blog!

    1. The ultimate goal for me is to get rid of my fridge/freezer in the kitchen and get an all refrigerator for the kitchen. That way I’ll have the fridge (which I use several times a day) in the kitchen, and the freezer (which I don’t use often, but still want and need) in the pantry.

      1. This is what I want to do in my house. Have a fridge (only) in the kitchen, freezer in the garage, and an undercounter pull-out ice drawer.

    1. Several people have suggested it, but I’m really trying to avoid it. It’s that whole “pretty over practical” thing. 😀 But I can always add one later if I find it’s necessary.

  66. Well, I’ll throw in my two cents. You need to be able to pull the drawers out for access and cleaning. Although the door opens wrong, it is still a better option you want to access things and the fifty fifth time you smack the door handle against the wall because it won’t open all the way, I think you will wish you’d left it on the left.

    1. These are my thoughts also and because of that I’m not sure that this is really Form or Function when the Function works better when you can open the door all the way ! And since you only use the freezer once a day at best but you’d see it all the time on the other side I’m definitely voting for the side it’s on now.
      A couple of people have brought up blocking the view of the pantry with frosted glass or curtains, but that would totally defeat the purpose of looking at your awesome tile work.

  67. Not sure if this was addressed or not…I didn’t have time to read all the posts.
    Is there an option so you would have a landing spot? You know, a counter area to put things going into the freezer, or put things coming out of the freezer? Especially if there are lots of items.
    I know that’s how I do things….not sure if it’s an issue for others.

  68. My freezer is in the garage and opens “wrong”…it drives me nuts!! (This is a rental so no choice in placement). If you decide to put it on the other side all you need to do to clean it is roll it forward until door will swing open in the pantry doorway. Is it not self-defrosting?? I keep mine clean and in order so there’s rarely any need for any major cleaning.

    You are my favorite blogger!!…..

  69. I think the door swings open without the wall obstructing it with it on the left side, out of sight. But it is YOUR freezer and YOUR home, so I say go with whatever makes you happy. 🙂

  70. The freezers that are NOT manual defrost go thru an off/on cycle or something similar so the food does not stay at an even temperature.

  71. How often do you use the freezer? Once a day, maybe twice? I don’t think it’s a big deal to leave it where it is and have the door open wider. For me, access is more important than having to step around the door to put something on the counter. And most times the item isn’t huge, so you will grab with one hand and close the door with the other so there just isn’t a problem!

  72. Form! Since it’s not your main fridge that you’ll be opening and closing all the time, I don’t think it matters. If it was a fridge where you’d be using it all the time and pulling multiple things out at once (like condiments and sandwich meat etc, I’d say to pick function. But with this, you’ll only be going to it periodically to grab something (and when you do I imagine it will just be one–maybe two items to defrost and cook). Plus, things always tend to fall to the back of a freezer and you’ll want to be able to swing the door all the way open and hunt for things anyway–which makes this (to me) more functional anyway. IF you do go the other route, I will say that my sister had amazing success with wall papering her big white fridge to make it blend in with the walls in her super tiny kitchen!

  73. Totally leave where you planned so door opens wider……that is the key point!!! And the added bonus of not having to ‘see’ it all the time👍🏻 Our powder room is set up backwards and for 25 years I have HATED that the toilet is what everyone sees at our front door and foyer and from living room😫 Go for out of site if any doubt.

  74. I would definitely choose form! I wouldn’t want to be irritated that I could see my freezer and not my beautiful custom built cabinets…what if you scooted it over and had a hiding place for tall things like an ironing board and or brooms/mop? That would give the door more room to open, but still be hidden out of sight.
    Also, after living with cabinets that had pull-outs, I decided for my kitchen that I just gutted and remodeled last April, that was was just going to install big, deep drawers……why open a cupboard and then pull out drawers when you can just pull open drawers instead!
    Looking forward to seeing it all done!

  75. function for sure. I think it’s great to have a surface to sit things on whenever you are taking things out of or putting them into a freezer or fridge. We have a basement freezer with no countertop or “drop zone”. It drives me crazy when I need to rotate stock or am looking for something specific and have to move things around. One time I accidentally thawed a huge ham by placing it across the room to get it out of my way. I forgot all about it and my husband found it later that night partially thawed. So we had easter ham on a Wednesday in September last year.

  76. Kristi, I may have missed it but why does the freezer have to be completely in the corner? In the photo that shows your freezer open it doesn’t seem to open to a full 90 degrees. If you placed it on the right side how far away from the adjoining wall would it need to be to open fully? Do you have those inches available? If so, then my suggestion is to move it to the right wall but not directly into the corner. Knowing your love for ‘pretty’, you will end up making it decorative sooner or later because it will look too utilitarian for your taste (mine too). The space between the freezer and the wall, if big enough to matter, is an excellent place for a tall, slender pull-out storage on casters. I saw this type of unit on the internet somewhere, maybe Hometalk, Pinterest, or Houz. They had built cabinets around the fridge and the rolling pull-out was disguised with cabinet doors. Now your freezer is fully functional and as pretty as you want to make it. I’m sure you will come up with many more wonderful ideas for ‘pretty’.

  77. Put it on the left because I know from experience if the door doesn’t open all the way your going to be fighting it until you give in and buy a different one. Need a counter? use one of your rolling carts

  78. I really don’t see a problem with it opening the “wrong” way. You might have to take a step to the side as you open it, but our refrigerator was located in a similar situation to yours FOR YEARS. I never had a problem with it; I never even wished it were the other way. Especially since the door on your freezer opens so widely with it on the left wall, I think you will regret it if you have to look at it all the time. In your situation, I would regret something ugly more than I would regret the (possible) step to the side as you open it. FORM!

  79. These are my thoughts: If I had your knowledge and skill set, I would move it to the right side, remove that huge, cumbersome handle, and pretty up the front face in such a way that I could create a recessed/pocket grab/handle area at the side of the door—or maybe at the top of the door.

    I looked for several years for a new fridge, until I could find one with recessed/pocket handles…I’d *never* go back to a handeled one!

  80. I had the same thought when I saw the post yesterday wrong placement). But now when I see it on the right, with the door unable to fully open, I think the left side of the pantry will be more practical. Especially when it comes time to clean and defrost the inside.

  81. function, every time! Having said that function will trump pretty every time (for me) I will also say that I attempt to make the best function look as pretty as possible too! So, I want my cake and eat it too! Keep up the good work.

  82. I would go with plan 1 that you shared yesterday. First because you won’t want to look at a freezer. Second the door opening all the way would be a deal breaker to me. Ours in the garage won’t open all the way and it is at times very hard to get things in it. Love the whole design. Can’t wait to see it as you progress!

  83. I´d say “LEFT” for both form and function.

    Form: The freezer is mostly out of sight. The countertops/cabinets get the beauty spot instead and you can play with that. My sense of form would be ruffled it the door banged the wall every time I open the freezer. I open my upright freezer only once or twice a day and it is tucked out of sight.

    Function: Being able to open the freezer door all the way is so important for access, defrosting and cleaning. If you have drawers inside the freezer, these will be difficult to open properly if the door doesn’t open fully. You do have a freezer with drawers, don’t you? The door opens fully 180°, doesn’t it? If the freezer is on the right, the door shelves will always hit your shoulder.

  84. I would much rather have a freezer that opens fully than one that opens into a wall. If you keep it where you originally designed it, you would be able to open it fully and not be able to see it from the kitchen. For myself, I pretty much just open, grab, and go when it comes to things in the freezer. If it was a fridge, I would prefer to have counter right there to place things on as I’m taking them out. I don’t need that for a freezer so I wouldn’t care about the swing of the door.

  85. Ha! I was getting ready to comment, but you beat me to it with your edit! I actually thought you intentionally put the freezer on the left in yesterday’s post for exactly that reason – the door will open wider. Win, win – you get form and function!

  86. Hi, Kristi. I am working on my pantry now. Have some upper shelves done (look similar to what you are planning!) and am just waiting for you to show me how to build my lower cabinets! 🙂
    My upright freezer is in a corner and I did plan for it to open with the hinges away from the wall so that I could open the door all the way. I had a side by side next to a wall once and it drove me crazy that I could not get the door next to the wall open enough to slide wider things onto the shelves and to get the ice maker out to dump ice! I do agree that it would be nice to have a countertop next to the opening side to set things on. I have a rolling cart that stays in my pantry and I place my items on there, roll it next to the freezer and then open the freezer and put my things in.
    I can’t wait to see your finished pantry!

  87. Pretty. You won’t be using the freezer like you do a fridge, so it makes
    More sense to place it where it looks best.

  88. I like it where it is. You can open the door wider. So what if you have to put the groceries on the counter & walk around the door. I like it hidden from view.

  89. I actually think it functions better on the left side of the pantry. It will be very aggravating trying to put groceries away if the door doesn’t swing open all the way.

  90. I personally would want it the way the door opens wider. And it serves your idea of what looks better also…but I know with my upright freezer I had to put it in a place where the door opens wider. You could always make a very narrow cabinet on wheels to fit between the french doors and the freezer…where you could move it out a little but would give you some counter top to work off of when cleaning or putting your weekly freezer purchases in the freezer. That is if there is any room for something like this. It could also serve to move to the other counter tops when more is needed when working on “something” on them. Extra storage also. Just a thought.

  91. I have the same freezer and think given your skill set you probably could have flipped the door anyway except that the handle wasn’t made to flip so it would leave holes in the front. Had to go back to the last post and look at the plans. I say leave it on the left side where it is and get a cute basket or rolling cart to bring things to and from the freezer. I wouldn’t want to look at mine each time I walked into the breakfast room even if the realistic side of me knows that eventually I probably wouldn’t notice it.

  92. I say don’t second guess your plan and keep it where it was. If it was your main fridge, the door in the way could be annoying, but since it’s a freezer that you won’t get into as frequently (and should be left closed anyway), I think the door in the way of the cabinets is manageable (especially if it creates a wave of changes to move it!). Excited to see how this room turns out!

  93. Hello, Kristi
    Sorry for my English. I know that he is very bad.
    We have a very very small kitchen (61 square ft). The refrigerator is in the corner and its door does not open to the wall. But this is the only option for us. I was worried that this would create problems. But no! We quickly got used to it. And there is a bonus – the door opens much wider. As in your case. Moreover, the freezer is used less frequently than the refrigerator.
    PS: I prefer not to write comments because of poor English. But I always look forward to your projects and blog entries.
    Today in our country is the holiday “Teacher’s Day”, when it is customary to say thanks to the teachers. You are a talented teacher. And you teach your readers not only DIY projects. So let me say thanks!
    Greetings from Novosibirsk.

  94. Is this freezer like a refrigerator in that you can change which way the door opens? Most refrigerators are made now that you can simply move the handles & top hinge to the other side….have you looked on top, Kristi? If the door swing is able to be changed you will see three little plugs on the other side on top and you can just change it.

  95. You have enough opinions here, but just want to share my experience with my refrigerator… both in this house and the last one, the kitchen design has the fridge in the end against the wall. The last house, we had a side by side, and this house a french door with bottom freezer. The door by the wall only opens about 86 degrees, which most times doesn’t bother me. But cleaning means pulling the whole thing out and at an angle in order to remove bins and shelves. At the last house, we had a couple of inches between the wall and fridge, so no problem. With this house, it’s a tighter fit, and they actually gouged the wall putting it in place. I had a package of beef roast that leaked blood all on the bottom shelf and into ( and below ) the bins. I was afraid to pull it out to clean, so did my best to get what I could. There is still a bit around the framework of the shelf that I can’t get unless I move the fridge.
    Because of that, I would highly recommend function over form, and keep it where you originally planned. If I had my way, we would rebuild that dang wall or take it out totally, which would mean including my laundry room into the kitchen. At this point, that sounds good to me!

  96. Who says the door has to open any particular way? It has to fit how you will use it. If you need the door to open wider and be out of sightlines, leave it where it was supposed to be. The form in your original plan supports the best function of the freezer. Access is optimized and visualization is minimized.

  97. Soooo many fantastic ideas!!! I would go for function over form as well, because you’re bound to gussy it up no matter where you put it! I also thought about frosted glass or lace/sheers for the inside of the pantry doors until you actually get it prettied up. But you know what? I trust you completely. You’ll wind up with a pantry that is not only beautiful, but functional as well!!!

  98. Does it really matter if the door swings towards a wall versus a counter? Both are obstructions to it fully swinging? I’m not sure I understand why the original location is a problem.

    You could glue wood panels to the door to help it match the cabinetry and paint it the same color?

  99. Does it really matter if the door swings towards a wall versus a counter? Both are obstructions to it fully swinging. I’m not sure I understand why the original location is a problem.

    You could glue wood panels to the door to help it match the cabinetry and paint it the same color?

  100. Kristi……. take it from me….I made this decision which became a COLOSSAL Problem……. you absolutely, positively DO NOT want to inhibit the full swing of the door….. right now it is empty. But without the full opening you will find cleaning will become a BIG ISSUE…. also large items like a Turkey will be impossible to get out from the hinge side without first emptying the entire shelf. If you must leave the door opening against the wall….perhaps you could figure out a repositioning of the handle, which will give you a wee bit more maneuverability…

  101. BTW, I think swinging it towards the counter lets it open more and makes it easier to access. It opening against the wall would drive me insane because it blocks access. I’d leave it where you originally had it–it works better view-wise and function wise. (My kitchen fridge would open towards cabinets/counters either way because cabinets are on each side).

  102. I would say function, it is a pantry and pantries are meant to be functional and since it has beautiful doors that can be closed when not in use, than function should be the entire pantry. Like others have said you can always make cabinet panels and attach them to the freezer door to make them “pretty” you have the know how to do that. So there is the form in function 🙂

  103. I’d say keep it where you intended. Both spaces have pros as far as function goes, but being able to open that door wider is absolutely crucial for ease of use. If Matt needs to get something out, that will be a benefit to him, the wider it opens, the better it accommodates reaching from a wheelchair.

    If having counter is crucial, you can always have a folding table or rolling cart that you can move over as need be.

  104. The door opening wider seems to be better for function. I’ve lived with a door that didn’t open all the way before and hated it. I think I would also smash my fingers if the door opened towards the wall too. (I’m clumsy)

  105. I’m a form over function girl too 🙂 It’s got to be pretty first or hidden somehow. I have a French door fridge, one door opens towards the counters. It’s really not that much of an inconvenience. I think refrigerators are one of the most unsightly appliances so I would choose form over function and place it where it is less visible. It’s not like you use a freezer all the time like being in and out of the fridge unless you don’t have a freezer in your fridge?
    I can see the end panel of our fridge from the dining room and I hate it. I’ve considered boxing it in but we have a dog who has bladder control issues due to seizure medication and it’s difficult to move a boxed in fridge since it won’t easily roll over our rough tile floor. I’m still trying to figure out a way to disguise it.

  106. Go with your original plan. My upright freezer is against the wall and swings toward the wall……drives me nuts! The shelves in the door get in the way when I am getting stuff out. It has a pull out basket on the bottom level and the door shelves get in the way.

  107. I don’t like it when the hinged portion of the door is right against a wall. It prohibits you from getting the door opened past 90 degrees. I never like a frig or freezer up against an end wall, but since that is what you have, I think you had it in the best spot. The handle might be a little bit harder to reach in the corner, but the door opens as it should which is wider than 90 degrees. Keep it where you had it and don’t second guess that decision.

  108. Form. It’s a freezer, not a fridge… you won’t be opening it as much as you would a fridge. Keep it where you originally planned, hiding it from the entry and living room line-of-sight.

  109. You obviously would rather not see it. So long as you can get in and out of it, which appears to be the case from the photos, I’d say stick with the form, rather than ultra function. Otherwise, you just aren’t going to like it.

  110. I think the door opening as the most functional issue of placement.- this leaves it on the original “pretty location! Have you considered adding a small cabinet to the left side of it? 8-10” wide as a place to put food as its being stowed or removed from the freezer? like what is often put on 1 side of the stove?

  111. I haven’t read through all the comments, so forgive me if this has already been addressed, but the PT in me is coming out! Is this freezer someplace Matt will have to access via his w/c? Which placement and door swing will make it easiest for him?

    So glad you’re participating in the ORC, I’m excited to see what you do in this room! I don’t blog, but I always get super motivated during ORC time to see if I can complete the home projects in 6 weeks that I’ve been putting off! 🙂

  112. Left side!!! I have the same with my freezer against the wall on the left and door opening to the right. Believe me…I am not in the habit of defrosting it regularly which would eliminate HAVING to defrost it when has gone too long. But, I can’t imagine how inconvenient it would be to not be able open the door completely to defrost and clean the shelves.

    No matter what your designs always come out great!

  113. Sometimes I opt to shove a whole box of ?? (think zaycon chicken/hamburger etc or any bulk products) or whatever into a freezer shelf. If you can’t get the door past that straight out position, so that you can access the entire shelf, that is impossible…Also, mine has a drawer in the bottom and if the door won’t swing wide enough, you can’t get the drawer out far enough to put things in or out?…on the rare occasion, If i have too much stuff, I just set it on the floor as I remove or til I can add it so the cabinet next to it is a luxury I don’t ‘have to have’…nice, but not a necessity?.and your roller cabinets or a service cart would serve just as well (if you have room for a wheeled service cart)..your original plan seems to be the best idea to me.

  114. I would absolutely go form over function on this one! I had a deep freeze in my laundry room, off of my kitchen. And, because it wasn’t pretty enough, I moved it to my basement where I don’t have to see it in my pretty laundry room. I don’t mind the “inconvenience” one bit!

  115. I recognize not having a counter right next to it to set things on will be annoying, but I think leaving it on the left side and having the ability to open the door the whole way wins in the end – especially if you every have to defrost it.

  116. Even though you won’t have a counter to set things on right next to it, having the ability to swing the door completely open is so much more important! My fridge door opens onto a wall and I curse it anytime I need to get something big into it or attempt to take the shelves out for cleaning. I’m always banging into the shelves in the door and if I am really trying to shove stuff in there, the door bangs into the wall.

  117. PRETTY!!!!! And who wants a freezer with limited door access????? That is just a pain, plus you will be hitting the wall every time you open the door…..don’t listen to others…just go with your initial feeling!

  118. You have to live with it, so your opinion rules.
    It seems clumsy having the door open to the wall. What about a very small counter on the left of the freezer on the left wall?
    BTW, love your podcasts recommendations! Just finished Dr Death.

  119. In our very first house, the refrigerator door only opened ninety degrees because it was next to a wall, just like in your picture. It drove me CRAZY. I had trouble when I went to clean it or take a drawer out, etc. I would put yours wherever you can open the door the widest! And then you can always make it look like a built-in wherever you put it if you need to (unless I’ve missed a post and there’s some reason you don’t want to do that). 🙂

  120. I look at it from the standpoint of being able to open the door further than 90 degrees which is a necessity at times. When my husband purchases a big-a** brisket at Costco and I want to place it in a pull-out drawer in the freezer, I need to be able to open the freezer door further than 90 degrees because the door storage hinders the drawer from pulling out fully.

    Place the freezer in the pantry where opening the door wider than 90 degrees is possible and still camouflage it to look pretty. I believe this will mean placing it where it isn’t view-able from the front door/living room. That way you have full function of the appliance and the beauty when you do see it when walking into the room. Win-win!

  121. Leave it. A small rolling cart inside the door is a easy remedy. Either you want to disguise it or leave it as a fridge. Please no wraps, paint, trim or resin on the fridge, you’re not fooling anyone with that🤨. And your tiles should be the focal point. If you want to conceal it you can make a “pantry” cabinet for it with a small vent at the bottom. Remove the handle and attach the cabinet door to the freezer itself- so you don’t need to open two doors. As long as you have some space surrounding it, heat shouldn’t be a problem.
    As for the open shelves it seems they will do the bulk of the storage for everyday “non pretty” items, so aren’t you in the same predicament?😐 I’d have to go back to your floor plan, but if this open shelf cabinet is going to be counter depth (24”) how will you keep track of things way in the back? Pull out shelving?

  122. From experience, I know that it’s far easier to remove chunks of ice, and there will be chunks of ice, when the door opens at more than a right angle. I really like the idea of a small cabinet/counter to act as a landing pad. Do you plan to leave the pantry doors open or will they be closed to preserve the walking path? Bottom line? How much inconvenience can you live with in order to choose form over function. Only you can answer this. I might be tempted to take the middle path and frost the pantry doors to admit light while hiding the mess.

  123. I’m not familiar with your freezer brand, but mine has a “reversible” door; an option to have the hinge on either side that allows for a left hand open or right hand open. Look at the horizontal flat strip on the top of the door. If your’s is the same, you’ll see a round plastic disc, which covers a screw hole, on the opposite end of where the current hinge is placed. Just switch the hinge an the handle and you’re good to go.
    If your freezer door can’t be switched, I vote for function over form. I’ve had my freezer for five years now. If I had to open the door on the ‘wrong’ side every time I used the freezer, I’d be in a seriously bad mood by now. ;o)
    PS: I discovered your blog just last week. I LUV LUV LUV IT !!!!! I’m crazy about color and pattern, but have lived my whole life conforming to the neutral, matchy-matchy opinions of others. Wish you were my sister so you could redo my whole house, hahaha.

  124. Just a crazy thought… In the Texas heat and driving home from the grocery store, you pull into the carport. You are carrying bags into the house at the back door. Is there a place inside the back door at the carport to place the freezer? You could drop the freezer items there and then go straight to the kitchen with the rest. I know you have a restroom on one side of the back door, but what was the other side going to hold?

    You could also have the pantry full of the cabinets and counters, leaving room for storage, etc. and keep your frozen things right at the back door, possibly on a tile floor, so when you do have to defrost it wouldn’t accidentally ruin those beautiful floors.

  125. Oh Kristi! I haven’t read all the readers comments. What you are calling form is actually what I think is more functional. I prefer the door opening to the cabinet instead of the wall. It’s like feeling welcomed inside of it and it will open all the way instead of banging against the wall.

  126. I am a kitchen designer. When a refrigerator door opens toward a wall and the door won’t open past ninety degrees we use filler on that side. Usually three inch filler is enough, but occasionally I spec six inch and have the installer cut it down. This is often the case with refrigerators that have an ice maker. Those doors can be very deep and we want our customers to be able to remove their drawers for easy cleaning. You would have to cleat the filler to the wall to give it stability and to the floor as well.

  127. Function! On the right! But move it away from wall enough to have a tall space/closet for things like broom, step ladder etc. You can always paint, tile, cabinet door, decoupage freezer so it doesn’t look like a freezer. You will thank yourself for having a counter and a space for tall things between freezer and wall. Also will be able to open door more than 90. Another important factor is that the room light will enter freezer!

  128. I actually wondered about the door swing as I read the original post and after seeing the update pictures it feels like a no brainer to me! I can’t imagine how frustrating that would be to deal with a partiallu opening freezer… Makes me think of the linen closet issue you already dealt with.

  129. Seeing how much the door opens on both sides makes me recommend you leave the freezer on the left. If you leave it on the right you may run the risk of banging up the wall each time you open it to access the contents.

    Plus this is the ‘pretty’ option too 🙂

  130. I like it on the left side of the door where it opens the “wrong” way. At least there you can fully open the door. I don’t know why that’s considered “wrong” since it’s way more functional that way. I would think that whacking the wall every other time you open the door would get old fast.

  131. All this talk about defrosting when most modern freezers are self-defrosting. I’m 45 and I’ve never defrosted a freezer in my life. Is this really something over which Christie need be concerned?

  132. My parents fridge/freezer open the same way your “pretty” design does, and honestly, it has never bothered them. I guess if you need to pull things out of the freezer and put them directly on the counter it would be an extra step to go around the door, but is that really going to happen frequently? I think if it was a fridge, in your kitchen, it would be a much bigger issue. Do what makes your heart happy!

  133. Haven’t read all the comments (don’t have time but did want to contribute) so apologies if already covered. How often do you actually open the freezer? If it is just for longer term storage then go for form. Once or twice a day will not bother you. It is not a fridge after all 🙂

  134. For me being able to open the door wide is the way to go. Why not take a blind test using your refrigerator. ? Close your eyes, and open the door. In my house we stand in front with the door wide open when we are thinking about what we want !! I just did the same thing “looking” for something to cook! I could see all the items on the door, as well as the items in the way back corner! And…Just because the door opens towards the counter doesnt mean its “wrong”

  135. I’m being practical, can you remove/adjust the shelves? With the door against the wall it might be difficult to slide them out. I have this problem with my fridge, the door doesn’t open wide enough and I have to remove compartments from the door to slide the shelves out.

  136. I am no expert but I would want to door to swing as wide as it can. I am also in a wheelchair and appreciate having it open wide so I can roll up an get right in. Have you thought about maybe putting it halfway on the left with it centered and cabinets on either side?

  137. Will it fit on the pretty side , but with the back of the freezer against the same wall as the doors? Then you can build a mdf cabinet around the freezer to look custom and hide wires. Leave a gap on the left side of the freezer for tucking away brooms/mops etc

  138. I think I would find it more problematic to have the freezer on the right, where the door won’t open all the way. Our refrigerator is like that and it bugs me. But I see that a commenter (Susan, a kitchen designer) above suggests that a spacer would work if you put the freezer to the right. That would make it so the door opens all the way. I think I would consider that.

  139. My first time to post, but a regular reader. You are so darn creative! Have you thought about keeping the freezer on that wall, but moving it over a little bit? I know, I know, that might throw off your symmetry of the whole room. But if you installed a cabinet or shelving that was even a foot wide, it would give you some leeway between the wall and when you open the freezer door. Maybe in that space, you could put a tall cabinet that could hold your dry mop? Or, better yet, a cabinet that could hold cookie sheets, etc.? Can’t wait to see what you decide. Btw, we once had a fridge that opened next to the wall like that and it was a pain!

  140. I don’t know if you can still return it, I thought about mentioning months ago, but there are freezers you can buy that go the oppsoite way. They are few, but they do exist, I know this because I just dealt with the door dilemma since freezers aren’t reversible. I do remember one that was white for not muh more ( it was one that could be a fridge or freezer). Basically none have reversible doors though. They are not like fridges that way.

  141. How tidy will your open shelves be?

    I love the look of open shelves, but I have difficulty keeping them neat looking – they start out that way, but slowly get cluttered as I hurriedly stash stuff away.

    I would rather have people see a freezer door than my junk.

  142. I had the issue of a wall preventing me from opening my freezer door all the way and it drove me bonkers. If I read it right, putting your freezer where u wanted it originally has 2 things going for it, out of sight and opening up all the way. I think u’ll b happier with it on the left in the long run. I don’t miss my old unable-to-open-all-the-way freezer one tiny bit.

  143. This was actually a shock to me… I never would have even thought of having the door swinging open into the cabinets as an issue. I would much prefer to have the door open really wide and I absolutely think it will look better there too. So in my opinion, you get both form and function by leaving it exactly where it is!!!

  144. Every day I resent my refrigerator,2 doors on top,one door freezer on bottom. Our kitchen design has the refrigerator up against my dining room wall and I can’t open my left door all the way and I can’t pull mt freezer drawer out all the way before it hits the trim on the wall.
    FUNCTION!!! You will be much happier if you can move your freezer door all the way. You will come up with a wonderful way to disguise it……..

  145. I would go with the larger door opening. To me, that is better function. Mine only opens about 90 degrees and it is cumbersome to put larger heavier things in there. Of course, If you don’t bulk shop or bulk cook, that may not be a problem for you. Either way, I’m sure the pantry will be beautiful.

  146. Wow, you’ve got over 200 comments so far and I haven’t read most of them, but if you are looking for some form of inspiration for camouflaging your freezer, look at Jennifer Grey’s (not the actress!) home story from when she had her blog The Old Painted Cottage, and was featured on Southern Hospitality blog. https://southernhospitalityblog.com/feature-friday-the-old-painted-cottage/ She had an old but working side by side unit that she “basically slip covered” with bead board and hinges, and it looked and worked great. I think Jennifer has shut her blog down and now works as an interior designer in Thousand Oaks, California; maybe you can find a better explanation of her refrigerator project in the internet archives/wayback machine?

  147. I love pretty too but I know that “pretty is as pretty does” and if it’s a pain, you’ll ultimately be unhappy. You have a problem no matter which way you go – opening the wrong way or not opening fully. I know this house is just for you and Matt but if you’re entering the OMC where the whole world is judging, you WILL be judged! Kitchen planners will always have the hinge on the correct side and will also put in a filler strip so the door can open fully. I believe you can be happy with placing it on the right side of the room, if you add the filler strip. I also know people who have changed their handle. Yours really does stick out far. You can disguise the freezer if you want (and I believe you can/will do amazing things), but I have a hunch that it will not stick out like a sore thumb once the room is filled. It will just be another element in a pretty room. Remember, we’re all goin to look at your beautiful tiles!

  148. Manuel defrost never bothered me. Doesn’t take all that long. You definitely want that door to open all the way. My refrigerator (years ago) didn’t & there were times I had to move that heavy bugger out. It was a PAIN.

    Love your pantry plans. Can’t wait to see. You go with your plans & don’t agonize too much!

  149. I don’t know for sure, but I know I would hate it if the freezer door didn’t open more than it does next to the wall on the right side. If it doesn’t affect the rest of the plans for the left side, I think it
    is much better to be able to open the door like it is on the left. AND, you won’t see it from all the other rooms – am I correct on that? Form AND function, both on the left! Looking forward to seeing the progress! (I know you will make it look better if you decide to put it on the right, but why make it harder than it needs to be.) Also, when you want to remove the shelves for cleaning, you will not be able to slide them out past the door where it is in the right.

  150. I have not read any of the comments, yet, but my first thought was that you would see all the open shelving the way you had it originally and that those shelves could get messy. I think putting the fridge on the right and decorating/painting it somehow would work so much better visually.

  151. I like the door to swing wider. up against the wall it won’t. I like the left. Best wishes. I love your home. and your can do spirit. Blessings!
    PS So MANY people commenting on a freezer door is funny to me!

  152. Form and function are the same to me regarding this … the wider the door opens, the better! I absolutely HATE having to squeeze into fridge/freezers that only open 90 degrees … feels claustrophobic. So I say tuck it into the corner where it hides and enjoy your wide open freezer! 😊

    1. Yes!!!! Couldn’t agree with you more!! Once I saw it in the pictures, it made perfect sense to me! Imagine that door slamming into the wall multiple times per day or catching your fingers if you open the door too fast. The original plan is the best of both worlds. The perfect mix of form AND function.

  153. I too have a completely over the top need for symmetry. I would put the freezer and a second refrigerator on the back wall, one on each side of the window. An extra refrigerator is so handy for holidays, beverages, and simply being able to stay organized. Plus, now that you and Matt are eating differently, I bet you are storing more perishables. I’m sure you could find a small inexpensive one that would have dimensions really close of the those of the freezer. You might even be able to find one that is all refrigerator. It should be easy (for you) to apply cabinetry panels to the fronts. My refrigerator and dishwasher have them, and we ordered an extra dishwasher pull bar handle and mounted it vertically on the refrigerator. It really gives it a custom look. The door swing direction and full access issues would be solved, and your open shelving could then flank the french doors. Function and FORM!

  154. Could you keep the freezer on the left wall but put it in the middle of the wall and build cabinets and counters around it? Best of both worlds. Young house love blog did something similar in thier beach house pantry. It looks so good and you can still open the door all of the way and still have a counter to store things on when accessing it or putting groceries away.

  155. Think about putting it directly on the left of the doorway, that way it isn’t a focal point and the door will swing into the entryway of the pantry! You loose no space and you have to be in the pantry looking back at the entryway to even see the thing and it fully opens back to give full access!

  156. I absolutely despise our current fridge because I can’t open the crisper drawer more than a couple of inches unless the door is open all the way. I’d stick with your original idea of having it on the left wall. You will wind up hating yourself if you settle for a limited door opening.

    PS I am willing my fridge to die so I can buy one that I don’t have to swear at so much.

  157. I’d go with form (left). I think this makes so much more sense… and it is still plenty functional.

    You’ll probably be using your open shelves more than your freezer so it makes sense to be able to walk straight to them from the kitchen.

  158. First let me say, I think you are so brave to put yourself out there for comments from the public. I am definitely too thinned-skinned for that.

    I think the doors to the pantry are lovely, but I think the ability to see into the pantry is problematic. Open shelving is going to result in a cluttered look. I would constantly be straightening everything up so that it doesn’t look messy, in addition to cluttered.

    Seeing the pantry interior is probably not part of the design element I would want while being in other parts of the house.

    Regarding the freezer, I would want counter space next to the freezer to place items that need to go into the freezer, or items I have to unload. But, the ability to open the door fully is also important.

    I know whatever you do, it will be beautiful, and functional.

  159. My two cents: Do what you want. In reading your explanation, form is more important. I think the door opening out into the open space gives you more room. If you choose function, you will be able to see from other rooms in your house plus the door will open against the wall. Form you can place it closer to the wall and function you have leave some space against the wall so you can open the door. Bottom line: Do what you want…it is your pantry, and you have to work and live with it. You don’t have to justify anything to us. I love watching your plans come to life. So roll it out Kristy!! Can’t wait to see it!!!

  160. How often are you in it? I think the loading it is the biggest job…do you buy in great bulk and done for the month? If so, once a month you are dealing with the door in your way. The rest of the time you open, grab, close. If you buy daily, you are opening, toss in a few things from your hands, close.
    If this were the fridge, function would be important. It’s opened and closed all the time. I say do what won’t drive ya nuts.

  161. Someone mentioned the idea of a galley style placement of the cabinets. I think that would look lovely – with the freezer on the DR wall encased in a nice cabinet to match the other cabinets in the room and some counter space at the open side of the freezer door.

    On the other side of the French doors you could build a wall of closed cabinetry to hide all the stuff you don’t want on your open shelves. Then, you would be left with a lovely long cabinet under the window and you could put open shelving above that on either side of the window.

    I’m not much of a decorator by any means! I know your decision will be beautiful and something so unique I never would have thought of it! Your kitchen cabinet design blows my mind it is so pretty!

  162. Kristi;

    As a compromise between form & function, how about keeping it on the left side, but moving it to the right 8-12 inches. You could hang/mount a narrow counter on the left to set things down for loading and unloading. You could then store a rolling cart (shelves) underneath that you could pull out when you need to move items for defrosting.

    It would still be a hidden view from the rest of the house, would open more than 90 degrees and you would have a place to set things.

    Just an idea since I didn’t think you want to cover/obscure your french doors. Otherwise you will only get to enjoy the pretty view of the room when you open the doors.

    Barb

  163. Fwiw, I have a freezer that opens with the door against the wall and I hate it. Not being able to swing wider isn’t always an issue, but when it is, it’s a pain in the ass. So, no matter what is “right” I’d opt for the “wrong” way, 100%.

  164. Try it to the right of the door facing to the back of the pantry, then it will swing left into the entryway to the pantry that way you don’t lose any space for cabinets and storage! Where you have it now you lose the wall in front of the freezer! Where you have it now it takes up the whole wall on the left of the doorway!

  165. I don’t see why anyone would think having your freezer on the left side is wrong. It would be my top priority to have the door open fully. No need to over think this one, stick to your plan. It’s your pantry.☺

  166. I vote for left side. I would want the door to open all the way. I have a fridge/freezer in my garage and it doesn’t bother me to not have a counter right beside. I think it would always bug me right there where I would see it everyday (in the right) and know that I could have put it on the the other side. And, then, there is the defrosting issue. When you defrost, you are going to have coolers or boxes to put stuff into so not having a counter there won’t matter.

  167. I have had an upright freezer for fifteen years. For some reason they all open on the left! Mine is in the corner so a wall is on the opening side. I like this as it allows me to open the freezer door nice and wide to defrost it and also to reach the caddies on the door. I did comment on a previous post that I use plastic bins in mine. When you get food delivery or go shopping you can quickly pull out the bin, add the recent purchase to the back of the bin and slide it back into the freezer. I just put the bins on the floor. It is definitely easier to have full open access to your freezer. I suspect continual frustration if you are not able to open the door fully. Be kind to yourself and make your life easier rather than more difficult.

  168. 2 things: 1) while I totally understand the need to have the door open as wide as possible – this would only be critical if the freezer had pull out shelves or drawers etc that would be blocked by the limited opening. I don’t think that’s going to be an issue with this particular freezer. So, it may really just come down to your preference on its location. 2) If visibility into the pantry becomes an issue, have you thought about adding decorative glass on the doors? Wouldn’t have to be extensively colored or beveled, maybe a frosted pattern of ivy or something like that. You’d still be able to see inside, but it would have a pretty, decorative touch.

  169. I vote for the original (left) position. Would also add, if it’s possible, to put one of those “catch tray” thingies -I’ve seen them under washing machines- under the freezer. Power outage + freezer build-up melting = big mess. The outage kicked out the breaker and we didn’t know it. My freezer is in the garage, so it could have been much worse. I can’t imagine what it would have been like for my finished floors.

  170. I would personally want the door to open as wide as possible and counter space on the left side to sit items I am either putting in or taking out. I tend to carry multiple items to and from my freezer.

  171. It’s not like this pantry is a giant room. If you leave the freezer on the left where you originally had it, you get the wide open door swing and it’s only a step or two to the right to the cabinet counter top for a “landing zone”.

  172. In most rooms, I would say put the appliances where they are less visible. However, this is a pantry, and I’m betting those top shelves are all open. I know I definitely prefer open shelving in my pantry (although my pantry came with doors, i removed most of them). My pantry also gets unruly! In this case, I’d rather have a solid color, plain jane appliance in the more visible spot so that fewer of my open shelves are visible from another room.

  173. I haven’t had a chance to read all the comments, and originally I was going for function over form. Having a counter accessible when you open the door is so convenient, even if the door doesn’t open all the way. That being said…. I realized that I don’t have a counter accessible to my refrigerator, it’s a side by side. So, every time I open the fridge side, I don’t have a counter close by. My son has a 3 door, so every time he opens the top fridge, he doesn’t have a counter close by. Apparently, having a counter close by isn’t as important as I assumed! So, I would completely go with the freezer on the side that allows the door to fully open.

    I’m sure by now (Monday), you’ve already made your decision and started work!

  174. I’m voting left, as originally planed. You’ll have your rolling carts to use, if you need them. You might make your planed cabinet on the other wall the size [large enough] to take out and move it should you so desire[symmetry thing?] Or if you put it on the other wall, turn the light off, till you get it dressed up!!!!! LOL! but that would defeat the purpose of the beautiful tile! LOL!

    I’m a LEFT.

  175. I thought all freezers and refrigerators had doors you could change to open in either direction. Maybe that was back in the day!

  176. um, outfit it with hydraulics so that the door lifts from the bottom like a car trunk? The clearance would be phenomenal! Okay, just joking!

  177. I know it will be perfect whatever you decide! That being said, I definitely wouldn’t want freezer on right wall where opening would be impeded. Not to mention being seen from so many other rooms. I would consider returning it for one that opens from other side and centering it on left wall and building cabinets on either side. Just a suggestion that I’m sure you’ve considered already. But whatever you decide, I’m sure it will work out perfectly!