I have taken a couple random pictures of my refrigerator, without straightening it out…just an everyday look at it. You can see I have a lot stored in it, because it holds a lot. And it is only a 10 cu. ft. That means it is 2 feet wide and 5 feet tall. It works really well for my husband and me.

You can save a lot of money purchasing this size, which can be found at places like Home Depot or Lowes. I’ve seen beautiful specialty sizes in some of the tinies that are on display at the popular tiny house events around the country; but I am sure they cost more than double. If you are on a budget, one of those might not fit.

Now, the size you choose when deciding on the kind of refrigerator for your tiny home depends on how large your family is and, literally, how close you live to a store. But keep in mind, if you consider a larger-sized unit, most people spread their food throughout the refrigerator. The more space, the more they fill. But a smaller size, like mine, can easily hold a lot, if placed in a thoughtful order. This kind of information can help when you are purchasing your refrigerator, as well as all your other appliances, and designing your space in your tiny home.

Other things to consider include:

• How long you will live in your home?

• Will you add members to your household?

• If you decide to sell it, does it fill the future owners’ needs?

• How much space you have available in your original design?

• If you are on wheels, the weight of an appliance should be taken into consideration when you are making purchases.

As a footnote, I recently read an article listing, in their opinion, all the foods that we shouldn’t store in our refrigerator. Each food item on the list had an explanation as to why it should not be refrigerated. It read that refrigeration is bad for some foods, especially tropical fruits, which were never meant to be in the cold. If this is the case, then a smaller sized refrigerator would fit more people’s needs.

If you are considering going tiny, you’ll be grateful for the information you find while doing research and investing a lot of thought into your move.