When I was shopping for the new refrigerator, I narrowed it down to two options. They were very similar, but one came in a absolutely smooth white glossy finish, and the other came in the textured white I was more familiar with as the owner of a refrigerator that was made before some of you were born.
The salesperson said the glossy smooth kind was more current. I wondered if it would get all scratched up and crappy looking, and she said no, she didn’t think so, “unless you put a lot of magnets on it or something.” Which is kind of funny, considering my fridge:
Front: photos of friends’ children, school reminders, children’s drawings, timer, coupons, Leap Frog alphabet magnets set plus two supplemental lowercase letter sets.
Photos of kids, decorative magnets, kitchen utensils hanging from magnetic rack.
Grocery list, school information, commonly used phone numbers, magnetic basket holding pens and pencils and batteries, baggie for box tops, decorative magnets, magnetic notepad, recall notice about one of our cars, and a little cluster of magnets in case we have something else we need to put on the fridge.
So I got the textured finish.
Good call!
As the previous owner of a fridge made pre-my-own-birth, I can say that I totally get the joy that is a new fridge. We’ve totally junked it up by now, but how glorious when it was all shiny and new.
I think you made the right choice. Our fridge looks sort of like a space ship BUT it matches all of the other space ship appliances, so I guess it works.
I tried to ban the excessive magnets in our new place, but I gave in. And undecorated fridge is a sad fridge.
I have never had a fridge that wasn’t textured. To be honest, I think of shiny flat fridges as being very retro. I’m not quite sure why.
my fridge WANTS to be covered in junk, but i don’t have enough magnets. it keeps frustrating me. i’m not sure why i haven’t bought more, yet..
I like having stuff all over my fridge. I have pics and invites and just stuff….
Congrats on the new fridge! And it’s good to know that you’re helping me confirm that there isn’t a single house in America with children that does not have that Leapfrog alphabet toy!
Hey! Why are you posting pictures of my fridge on your blog? =)
(Change out a few of the pictures, and it looks nearly identical… I even have that magnetic pen holder- got mine at Target, you? and the Leap Frog letters.)
I love it!
My fridge would be like that if I had my druthers and completely bare if hubby had his. So we compromised and the front is bare and I have the side plastered with magnets and all kinds of other things.
This made me laugh out loud, so I read it to August, who also laughed out loud.
Who needs glossy? I mean, what is a refrigerator surface FOR but magnets?
You’re making me grateful my fridge is non-magnetic.
My fridge is covered with magnets because it’s very old and ugly, and the magnets hold it together and make it look… well, not pretty, but significantly less ugly.
When our fridge went we got a shiny new stainless steel one in the hopes of updating our kitchen soon…so, kitchen still hasn’t been updated and no one told me that you can’t stick magnets to the front of a stainless steel fridge (only the sides) and the fingerprints. OMG, the fingerprints! I’d rather have it covered in magnets like our old fridge!
is that a corded phone?
jeb
that’s how a fridge SHOULD look, IMO
Marie Green- Ha ha, yes! I got the pen holder at Target! Part of a set, I think, with a napkin holder and something else? I gave the other two things away because I only wanted the pen holder.
Deb- JEALOUS, you mean. JEALOUS your fridge isn’t magnetic.
Melissa- Stainless steel isn’t magnetic-fronted???? Why isn’t this information being pamphlet-dropped onto all the major cities???
Jeb- Yes! Aren’t we very, very retro? Are we Out enough to be In yet? It’s a 1950s-style corded wall phone with a fake rotary dial (looks like a rotary but is actually push-button).
Refrigerators covered with stuff are the best ones of all. And you won’t even be able to see the finish!
HA! good call… just think of the fingerprints you would have ahd with the other finish too!
What’s the point of having a fridge if you don’t use it for magnets? Er, and juice.
Good decision.
Only downside to the textured fridge is that all kinds of stuff, kid covered-finger goop, juice, etc, always seems to collect in the little textured ridges, and it’s impossible to get out! That’s when you rearrange the magnets to hide it!
I bet that phone is from Pottery Barn… or is it Crate and Barrel? I have a friend who has that same phone, and I really, really like it. It reminds me of being a kid.
I’ve got one of the shiny, non-magnetic ones as well. I’ve got a couple of things stuck to the side, but that’s it. I do think that I’ll soon be in the market for a Leapfrog alphabet set–those are pretty much a neccessity. I just bought one for my friend’s daughter. I guess I”ll just have to stick them on the side.
Oh god, that’s just funny.
B Esq- I know! I went back and forth: “Well THIS one would show scratches and damage but THIS one would get gunk in the texture!”
Marie Green- I got it on Amazon.com. In fact, I’ll bet I can still find it…*checking*…here it is!
Awesome.
I have so far totally banned magnets on our new fridge; although it will not last too long.
As well our non textured fridge shows every darn fingerprint and already has a scuff mark, so I think you totally made the right choice.
1. Love that you posted your plastered, old fridge!
2. Stainless steel fronts aren’t magnetic!!! Upgrade, I think not.
3. Mr. Clean Magic Thingymabob is great for getting out the ridge gunk!
Happy new fridgerating!
I got a brand new, gorgeous fridge with a shiny finished.
That got scratched when my crazy father and crazy husband DRAGGED it through my front door without TAKING THE HANDLES OFF.
So, now we have big pictures on the front to cover the scratches.
We have stainless steel type fridge (probably a cheap version…) but those letter magnets have scratched the heck out of it. Oh well. I would probably go for something different if I had the choice but that was in the house when we bought it and I did not think about the fact that it would scratch the heck out it.
Also, a plain fridge is sad fridge. We put everything on our fridge just like you do and I would hate it any other way!
We have stainless steel type fridge (probably a cheap version…) but those letter magnets have scratched the heck out of it. Oh well. I would probably go for something different if I had the choice but that was in the house when we bought it and I did not think about the fact that it would scratch the heck out it.
Also, a plain fridge is sad fridge. We put everything on our fridge just like you do and I would hate it any other way!
We have stainless steel type fridge (probably a cheap version…) but those letter magnets have scratched the heck out of it. Oh well. I would probably go for something different if I had the choice but that was in the house when we bought it and I did not think about the fact that it would scratch the heck out it.
Also, a plain fridge is sad fridge. We put everything on our fridge just like you do and I would hate it any other way!
You know, a fun slash insane fact about BR is that he does not like ANYTHING hanging on the fridge. No magnets, artwork, ANYTHING.
Yeah, I don’t know either.
Sigh. Totally jealous that you get to use the front AND sides of your fridge. My fridge is tucked into a wall frame thingy. I had a mental breakdown when I realized that’s what I’d designed for the kitchen. So, we put up a cork board on the side of the wall frame and I feel a bit better.
That looks just like MY fridge. I do have a smooth one though and I have never had a problem.
We’re in the market for a new fridge so this is good information! I’m glad my fridge isn’t the only one that looks like a magnet explosion happened two feet away!
“Unless you put a lot of magnets on it.” Ha! I say good call.
My brother used to live in a house where the fridge was not magnetized. He said for the first couple weeks he and his roommates kept trying to figure out what was wrong with their magnets. Proof that, alas, beer does not make you smarter.
Looks a lot like my fridge, and I don’t even have kids yet!
Our frige has a very similar feel. We do have the smooth finish type, but if it is scratched I cannot tell, due to all the magnets.
hahaha! Good call. I have tons of magnets on mine too.
My next sofa purchase will be made with the dogs in mind.
Heck – the next HOUSE purchase is being made with the dogs in mind.
*sigh*
Hooray for families! I love the clean look of stainless but it won’t hold a magnet. I laughed at your picture and decided on white with texture because I just can’t live without posting all of the family stuff on the fridge.