Kitchen Design: Should You Reverse Your Fridge Door?

A friend of ours recently lamented the layout of appliances in her kitchen, which required the performance of an awkward dance every time she wanted to retrieve something from the refrigerator. She felt resigned to this annoyance ... until someone pointed out a simple yet revolutionary solution: change the direction of the refrigerator door!

This simple switch – moving the door hinge so it swung open on the left instead of the right – made a huge difference in the efficiency and enjoyment of her kitchen. It was something our friend had never considered, or even known was possible.

Most refrigerators have reversible doors, and even those that don't can sometimes be changed with some extra hardware. It's a solution worth considering if you find yourself having to squeeze by an awkwardly placed door.

Here are some tips and tutorials for reversing a refrigerator door:
• Getting the Refrigerator Door Into the Proper Swing at The Washington Post
• How To Change the Direction Your Refrigerator Door Swings at How To Be a Handyman

Of course, you should also check the instruction manual or manufacturer's website for your particular model.

Have you ever done this yourself or hired someone to do it? Any advice?

(Image: Flickr member bradipo licensed under Creative Commons)

Comments (16)

We used to this in the on-campus college apartments after they would buy new fridges. It really wasn't hard at all.

My father did it once when we moved into a new house. It was amazing how much the direction the door opened improved the flow of our kitchen. It wasn't very hard to do & my 8 year old self felt very important helping out. You do need to make sure the door seals correctly after the change.

The first thing we did when we got our new refrigerator, 20 years ago, was to switch the hinge on the door. It was a lifesaver! With the swing of the door now reversed I could place items from the refrigerator onto the counter right next to it. If we had left the door as it came I would have had to juggle items over to a counter 3 feet away. I'm so glad we COULD change the way it opened.

I was certain that everyone knew this about fridge doors. I mean, seriously, who doesn't know this?! That is until...I visited my parents last year.

They'd just redone their kitchen a couple years ago but I hadn't seen it yet and there they were, with a refrigerator that opened to the right when the rest of their kitchen was to the left. I was ready to switch it for them but they insisted they had better things for me to do (which they did, I was visiting my dad post-surgery). Well they just got a new fridge last month and I made sure the door opened to the left for them.

That's one of the first thing I did when I bought my house. Every time it's come up in conversation, people are surprised to hear that this is possible. For some reason I continue to be shocked that they don't know this.

It's quite easy...and I've done it in apartments before too, not just my own. It makes a huge difference! If people can take their cabinet doors off, they can certainly change the way the fridge door swings.

We have one of those fridges where you CAN'T switch the handle (but you CAN move the hinge! seriously, wth?). It came with the house. And it opens into the DINING ROOM! I have to walk around the open door all the freaking time. I've seriously considered moving the hinge and just opening the door by grabbing it by the edge.

I switched my refrigerator door, since it opened right into a wall. Not real useful. The transition wasn't perfect...I have parts left over, but the door is functional so I guess that's all that matters.

i'm with a few others here, I thought everyone knew this was possible.

kind-of similar to find out someone doesn't know you can flip the little lever on your rear-view mirror in your car at night to keep the lights behind from blinding you.

Thank you for this posting! This has always been a huge peeve of mine when I see AT house tours. It's so simple and makes a huge difference. As a trained chef, efficiency in the kitchen is very important to me.

We had one that you could move the hinge, but you had to turn the door (what had been) up side down to get the handle at the correct spot.

If you are buying a new refrigerator, insist that the store switch the door(s) for you. This is a standard part of their service and it should be done for free. If the store wants to charge you, walk away. It's not hard to do yourself, but you shouldn't have to do it on a new appliance.

A guest/friend of my hubby's did this in my apartment... so that it would be easier to grab drinks and take them to the sitting area. Color me not amused. The door now faces away from the kitchen. Grr.
I could change it back I suppose, but I was just annoyed that it was changed without asking the person in the house who actually stocks the fridge.

Switching the fridge door was the first thing I did when I moved into my apartment. I have no idea how my landlords (the prior occupants of the apartment) lived with it like that for years!

When I bought my house it came with a refrigerator. The door opened towards the living room, so you'd have to walk out of the kitchen to get something out of the fridge - very inefficient. Me and my boyfriend switched the door and now it opens into the kitchen, the way it should. This is definitely a two person job - there is no way that it could be done by 1 person!

Last summer our landlord offered us the fridge from a unit he was remodeling in our building. It was much bigger and nicer than our current fridge, so we took it. We had to change which side the door opened on so that the hinge wouldn't hit the wall when it opened. It would have been nicer to have the door open the other way, but the space was so small that the fridge wouldn't have fit otherwise.