We have had a number of enquiries from architects, interior designers and cabinet makers about customising the refrigerator doors to match surrounding cabinetry but without protruding handles. Generally our advice is to have a protruding handle as it is easier and more secure to open, what can be a heavily laden door, ie with bottles and other dairy products. Our particular concern is with long finger nails and young children. A handle is much easier to grip. However, a specifier contacted us recently and designed a rebated edge on the overlay door front with a depth of around 30mm and running the full height of the door. We explained our concerns. The client understood but preferred the clean look of no protruding handles to match the rest of the kitchen. Of course a handle can always be fitted afterward, should the rebated handle be too cumbersome.
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