If you love the idea of a statement fridge that actually makes you smile every time you walk into the kitchen, the Smeg 50s Style range is probably already on your radar. The Smeg 50s Style Retro Right Hand Hinge FAB28RDPP5 153cm Small Fridge in Matte Perfectly Pale cream takes that classic curved look and soft, vintage styling and gives it a modern, practical twist that works in a real, busy UK home.
Why a retro-style fridge can work in a modern kitchen
Retro fridges aren’t just about looks. Behind the rounded door and pastel or cream finish you’ll still find modern cooling tech, better insulation than old appliances, and a layout that suits today’s food habits. A model like the FAB28RDPP5 is a freestanding tall fridge, so it slots neatly into many kitchens without needing integrated cabinetry.
If you’re weighing up whether a retro fridge will actually fit your lifestyle, it’s worth thinking about how you shop and store food. Tall, single-door fridges tend to suit people who:
- Do regular top-up shops rather than huge weekly hauls
- Prefer fresh food, fruit and veg, and chilled drinks close to hand
- Are happy using a separate freezer elsewhere (garage, utility or under-counter)
To understand how the layout, storage and day-to-day use feel in real life, it’s worth reading a hands-on review – you can read our full review of the Smeg FAB28RDPP5 small fridge here for more detail.
Understanding the Smeg FAB28 footprint and capacity
The Smeg FAB28 family, including the FAB28RDPP5, is designed as a tall, relatively slim fridge with a compact footprint. At around 153cm tall, it’s slightly shorter than some full-height larder fridges, which can make it easier to fit under wall units or into alcoves in older UK homes. The design also lends itself to being a focal point at the end of a run of units or on its own feature wall.
When planning your space, think beyond the headline height and width:
- Door swing: Make sure the right-hand hinge of the FAB28RDPP5 won’t clash with walls or units when you open it fully.
- Ventilation gaps: Leave breathing space at the sides, rear and top to keep the compressor running efficiently.
- Skirting and handles: Measure from the skirting board rather than just the wall, and allow for the protruding handle at the front.
If your kitchen layout would work better with the door opening the other way, the Smeg 50s Style Retro Left Hand Hinge FAB28LWH5UK 154cm Small Fridge in white offers a mirror-image option. You can get a sense of how it compares by checking out our in-depth look at the left-hinge FAB28LWH5UK.
Choosing the right hinge side for your kitchen
Hinge side is one of those practical details that’s easy to overlook when you’re swept up in colour charts and retro aesthetics. The FAB28RDPP5 is a right hand hinge model, meaning the hinges are on the right and the door opens from left to right. That works brilliantly if the open door swings towards open space, for example into the middle of the room.
It’s worth sketching your kitchen layout and imagining the daily dance around the fridge. If the fridge is tight to a side wall or near a doorway, a right-hand hinge might block your access to the shelves or make it hard to pull out drawers. In that case, the left-hinged FAB28LWH5UK could be the smarter pick, even if you’re originally drawn to a different colour.
If you’re set on a right-hand hinge but fancy a more playful shade than cream, the Smeg 50s Style Retro Right Hand Hinge FAB28RPB5UK 153cm Small Fridge in pastel blue offers the same layout and hinge orientation but with a bolder, ice-cream parlour look. You can see how that version looks in a kitchen setting in our review of the pastel blue FAB28RPB5UK.
Colour and finish: matching the FAB28 to your style
One of the big draws of the FAB28 range is the colour palette. The FAB28RDPP5 in Matte Perfectly Pale cream brings a softer, more contemporary take on retro, with a muted finish that’s easier to coordinate than some of the bolder gloss colours. It can look particularly good in:
- Neutral shaker kitchens with warm wood worktops
- Modern Scandi-style spaces with light flooring and pale units
- Compact flats where you want something interesting, but not overpowering
If you’d prefer a more traditional white, the FAB28LWH5UK gives you the same iconic curves in a cleaner, brighter tone. At the other end of the spectrum, the FAB28RPB5UK in pastel blue becomes a definite focal point. When deciding, think about whether you want your fridge to blend in softly, or to stand out as a feature piece.
For a deep dive into how the cream finish holds up, stays clean and resists fingerprints in daily use, you can read our full review of the Smeg FAB28RDPP5 in Matte Perfectly Pale cream.
Storage layout: making the most of a small fridge
As a small fridge, the FAB28RDPP5 is about clever organisation rather than sheer volume. The tall format works especially well for bottled drinks, jars, dairy and fresh produce. To make the most of the space, consider:
- Door storage: Use taller shelves for milk, juices and bottles; smaller compartments are ideal for condiments and smaller jars.
- Main shelves: Group items by category (e.g. cooked meats, leftovers, snacks) so nothing gets lost at the back.
- Crisper drawers: Keep fruit and veg separated if possible, to help them last longer and avoid bruising.
If you often cook large joints of meat, store tall celebration cakes or keep multiple trays of leftovers, a compact fridge might feel restrictive. In that case, you could pair a FAB28 with extra storage elsewhere, or opt for a larger-capacity larder fridge instead. But for everyday family groceries and a regular top-up shop routine, the layout is surprisingly workable.
Energy rating and running costs
The FAB28RDPP5 is labelled as D rated under the current energy labelling scheme. That’s not the very lowest energy use on the market, but it’s also not at the inefficient end of the scale, and is a world away from a true vintage fridge in terms of running costs and insulation.
To put that into context for your household budget:
- Compare yearly kWh usage on the label with similar-sized fridges to see the difference in actual energy use.
- Bear in mind that a well-maintained fridge (good door seal, correct temperature, not overloaded) can perform more efficiently in real life than a poorly looked-after model with a better rating on paper.
- Think about longevity; if you’re investing in a statement piece you plan to keep for many years, spreading the running cost over that time can make slightly higher energy use feel more acceptable.
Whichever model in the FAB28 range you’re leaning towards, the cooling tech and rating approach are broadly similar across the modern versions, including the white FAB28LWH5UK and the pastel blue FAB28RPB5UK.
Practical tips for installing a tall retro fridge
Freestanding fridges are relatively straightforward to install, but retro designs benefit from a little extra planning to keep them looking their best:
- Protect the finish: Take care when moving the fridge into place to avoid scraping the curved sides or handle on door frames.
- Level the appliance: Use the adjustable feet to level the fridge so the door closes smoothly and food doesn’t slide on the shelves.
- Check the door clearance: Open the door fully to ensure it clears nearby units and can swing wide enough to pull out drawers.
- Allow for plug access: Make sure the socket is accessible without dragging the fridge out every time you need to unplug it.
Once it’s in place, let the fridge stand upright for a few hours before switching on if it’s been transported on its side, then allow it to cool down completely before loading with food.
Keeping a retro fridge looking good: care and cleaning
A big part of the appeal of a fridge like the FAB28RDPP5 is its appearance, so it’s worth taking a little extra care over cleaning. For the exterior, use a soft cloth and mild detergent or a dedicated appliance cleaner, and avoid abrasive sponges that could dull the matte cream finish. Wipe up splashes promptly to prevent staining, especially on lighter colours.
Inside, adopt a simple monthly routine:
- Remove shelves and drawers for a wash in warm, soapy water.
- Use a food-safe cleaner or a mild bicarbonate of soda solution on the interior walls.
- Check the door seal for crumbs or sticky spills that could compromise the seal over time.
This kind of routine applies across the FAB28 range, whether you go for the cream FAB28RDPP5, the white FAB28LWH5UK or the pastel blue FAB28RPB5UK.
Who the Smeg FAB28RDPP5 suits best
With its 153cm height and small-fridge designation, the FAB28RDPP5 tends to suit certain households particularly well. It’s a strong fit if:
- You’re a couple or small family who shop little and often.
- You have or plan to have a separate freezer elsewhere.
- You value kitchen design and want your fridge to be a feature, not an afterthought.
- You’re happy to pay a bit more for aesthetics and brand character as well as function.
If you tick most of those boxes but prefer a simpler, crisp white finish, the FAB28LWH5UK in white is well worth a look. If you’re all about colour and want the same right-hand hinge layout with more personality, the FAB28RPB5UK in pastel blue is a fun alternative.
Alternatives within the same retro family
Staying within the same family has its advantages: you get a very similar internal layout, build quality and overall feel, with the main differences being colour and hinge side. Here’s how the key FAB28 options in this line-up compare in broad terms:
- Smeg FAB28RDPP5 (Matte Perfectly Pale cream, right hinge): Soft, understated retro look; right-hand door suits many standard layouts.
- Smeg FAB28LWH5UK (white, left hinge): Classic bright white finish and left-hand hinge for trickier layouts or corner positions.
- Smeg FAB28RPB5UK (pastel blue, right hinge): Bolder, more playful colour with the same right-hand hinge convenience.
All three sit in a similar price bracket and share the 50s-style aesthetic, so your choice is mostly about which one fits your space and personal taste. If you’re mixed between them, browsing interior photos and reading the full reviews can help you picture each colour and hinge orientation in your own kitchen.
How to decide if a small fridge is the right choice
Before you commit to a small stand-alone fridge like the FAB28RDPP5, it’s worth doing a quick audit of how you actually use your current appliance. Ask yourself:
- Do you often find half-empty shelves, or is your fridge rammed after every shop?
- How much of your current space is taken up by bulky items you could store elsewhere (e.g. drinks, long-life items)?
- Could a separate freezer, beer fridge or under-counter unit take pressure off the main fridge?
If your current fridge is always chaotic and you’re frequently juggling space, downsizing might be a frustration. But if you’re drawn to a less cluttered lifestyle and a more curated food shop, the compact, well-organised interior of the FAB28 can be a nudge towards better habits rather than a limitation.
Bringing it all together
The Smeg 50s Style Retro Right Hand Hinge FAB28RDPP5 153cm Small Fridge in Matte Perfectly Pale cream is designed for people who want their kitchen to feel considered and characterful, without giving up modern practicality. Its compact height, right-hand door and tall, slim design make it surprisingly easy to slot into a range of UK kitchens, provided you think carefully about layout and hinge side.
If you like the idea but aren’t sure whether cream, white or pastel blue is the right fit – or whether left- or right-hand hinge will work best – the wider FAB28 range gives you room to tailor the look and fit to your space. For more detail on how the cream model performs day to day, you can dive into our full Smeg FAB28RDPP5 review, and explore the linked alternatives to find the version that feels right for your home.