I agree with Janet – chilling uncooked potatoes does them no favours at all plus they often turn a rather unappetising dirty grey colour which means that you will tend to keep them in the fridge for a few days and then throw them out anyway! If you have an extra prepared potato (ie one that has been peeled and/or cut) don't let it sit around chilled or unchilled – cook it anyway with the rest of the spuds and then you can keep the cooked (boiled, roasted, mashed, whatever) potato to use in any number of ways for tomorrow's breakfast or lunch or as a snack (potato salad, potato cakes, potato gratin... ) or even (if you have an odd aversion to using up left-overs) chop it into the dog's dinner or the chooks' scraps...

I LERV ginger! I always keep mine on the bench, slice it, stick them in boiling hot water and enjoy as a tea. I don't put it in the fridge, it seems to lose its flavour when stored there.

Hmmm, I initially had same idea as bigreader about fridge placement where microwave shelves are, but I doubt there's ample width for a fridge there. Then there's issue with fridge door opening into same area as that door that we are wondering about. What size is your fridge? It sounds like you are considering placing the fridge on the carpeting with the back in the dining/living space. Is that correct? It's generally not a good idea to place a fridge on carpet in case of leakage and subsequent damage to the carpet. Do you own the apartment/unit? If so, this may give you more options. If you were able to remove the bench/cabinet to the right of your stove and the overhead cabinets there, that could be enough space for a fridge. But you would lose food preparation and storage space. As has been suggested, the wall opposite the stove could accomodate more overhead cupboards. It would be helpful to know what that door is for, the size of your fridge, and if you are able to do renovation to the apartment.

I would be reconsidering my open plan options. Completely open plan living looks great but there can be privacy and noise issues for a family of four people. A traditional upright fridge is the most practical and cheapest option for your family. A wall, recess, or nook for your fridge should be part of your design brief requirements, otherwise you are making a huge compromise for your open plan concept. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls