Have no fear, it will look just fine. More are done in this way than not when the fridge is not completely built-in along the sides. In fact, it would look odd to have only the over-the-fridge cabinet stick out all the way to the front of the fridge without accompanying that with side panels down to the floor.

The countertop gaps could actually be good, because they'll let you slide your fridge in and out more easily without dinging it, and should avoid problems with the door swing.

The way it is, the cabinet above the fridge will be useless. Not awful, but certainly of very, very little use. You can put some things in there, but you'll always need a step stool to get them out. You can put a few things on top of the fridge, but you'll always have to move them to get into the cabinet, and things stacked on top of the fridge tend to look messy.

Changing the over-fridge cabinet now is much easier than it will ever be again. But even now, you would have to either bump forward your 12" deep cabinet and 'skin' the sides, or buy/build a new 24" deep box with skinned sides and rehang the cabinet doors on the new box. If you need the storage space, I'd vote to do it and do it now. If you don't need the space, your little over-fridge cabinet won't actually 'hurt' anything just sitting there uselessly...

It's not going to look bad at all. Plenty of houses have their fridge cabs set back like that. In my last apt (which was brand new when we lived there) the cabs were like that and I simply used those cabinets to store things that were going to be not used on a daily basis and then I kept other things on the top of my fridge. It worked perfectly fine.

I agree that it will be fine - you'd have to go through the whole process of adding vertical side panels if you change the upper cab. We have your setup right now and just keep a decorative basket with apples and such on top of the fridge, so that it's easy to remove when I want to get to the seldom-used serving pieces that I keep in that upper cab. Your kitchen looks beautiful, by the way! How exciting to have it almost done!

It won't look as good as it could, but, more importantly, it will be a pain to use. I'm with Sweeby...Bring it out to the front of the fridge now, when it's easiest...Especially when you have a great resource like your dad to make it easier and, perhaps, less expensive. It's good you caught it before your kitchen is filled and you're trying to work with it.

I think you messed up! :) But not terribly. I think you should try to fix it now, but if you can't, it'll be OK. But it'll be soooooooo much better if you do!

Another possibility, depending on all sorts of things, is to knock a hole in the wall behind the fridge and recess the fridge. Not super hard, especially since at this point you KNOW what's in that wall. And certainly not too expensive, if there's nothing in the wall. If you can set the fridge into the wall about level with the lower cabinets, then the top cabinet will still look better bumped out, but it won't have to go out as far.

I vote to leave it as it is. I have the same shallow cabs over my fridge & prefer having the "open air" above it. Since I am short, a deep cabinet still wouldn't have been easy for me to use w/out a step stool. I have a couple of decorative items up there that I'm unwilling to give up counter top real estate to, but still want them seen.

I keep all my holiday china and other items that I only use once a year in that cabinet up there. It's great that I don't have to pack those things away to the basement or attic. Pulling out the step stool a couple of times a year is not a big deal.

Wow thanks everyone for all the feedback.

Fisheggs - thank you for the compliment! It will look a lot better once the countertop is in.

For now I'll probably have to leave it as is. We have some other stuff we need to buy..TV and entertainment stand are the main two. Just got married in June and we basically had to buy all of our stuff (appliances/furniture) and still would like to leave a little cushion in the bank. I know my Dad can fix it for a couple hundred bucks..so I guess we'll see how bad I really think it is once we move in and go from there. I am only 5'1" so even if that overhead cabinet was forward I don't know that I would be able to reach inside very well. Right now I honestly can't picture the kitchen either way!...
Thanks again!

Well, if you can afford to fix it, I vote for fixing it. I've had both types of cabinets, and will never NEVER go back to a goofy little tiny thing. My fridge sticks out (including handles -- which you would have to stand next to and reach over, so they do count) to almost 36". A 12" cabinet would be lost above that. In my deep over-the-fridge cabinet, I stored all of our paper products and picnic supplies, including giant Costco supplies of paper towels, paper plates and cups. There was also room for all of my seasonal stuff -- Easter baskets, egg dyes, seasonal cookie cutters, platters, etc., etc. I really miss that cabinet in my current house. Right now, we have paper towels stored underneath a wet bar we don't use in the family room.

Is that an open or a closed soffit area above your cabinet run (hard to tell on my monitor)? If the soffit is now closed with drywall, that would appear to become a whole new can of worms if you wanted to "build in" the fridge (sides and its top cabinet).

Congratulations on the wedding & new home!

As far as the fridge area, you only "really messed up" if it bothers YOU! ;-)

Personally, we opted to have our cabinets even with the front of the fridge. I love not having that spot full of clutter anymore! (seemed it always collected things up there...mostly to get them out of the kids reach) But only after really looking into remodeling kitchens on this site would I have really even thought about it. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE mine this way...stays much cleaner/neater & easier to access the cabinet...but it is not HORRIFIC the way yours is now. BTW, your cabinets look great so far!

BUT again...if your father can do it at a discount for you, & it is something you do want "eventually", I would do it sooner then later...wood cabinets change in color some as they age & you want them to all match. PLUS the paneling that would need to go around the fridge would have to fit with your countertops (not sure if that would be an issue or not)

Looking forward to seeing your finished kitchen either way! ;-)

JoAnn

teedup1 - "Is that an open or a closed soffit area above your cabinet run (hard to tell on my monitor)? If the soffit is now closed with drywall, that would appear to become a whole new can of worms if you wanted to "build in" the fridge (sides and its top cabinet)."

i'm embarrassed to say I'm not sure what you're talking about.. :) the cabinets are right up against the wall. it is finished up top...

I really am kicking myself hard for not noticing that. I knew i wanted it enclosed but there was so much other stuff i was paying attention to on the plans that it was missed! *sigh* you look at something over and over and over again..... you tend to get a little buggy eyed. :)

In the middle of a cabinet line like that, I would probably leave it at the standard upper depth also. To bring it out, not only will the sides have to be finished (which means probably reducing the size of the cabinet enough to apply finished sides or dealing with skins that could peel) but the greater depth in the center will further chop that wall in half visually. Having the upper at the regular depth will give your eye something to follow further back and the full length of that wall. I think it will make your kitchen seem larger and more open, especially if you have a counter depth fridge.

When I've had that type of cabinet, I've used it for vases or seasonal items that might only come out a couple times a year so that getting to them is not a big issue. If you need it for daily storage, then I'd pull it out.