If if is within your budget, the door panels really make a difference in finishing the cabs.

I think in this case, the door may be too busy. You already have the window trim in that area and I think the arched door may be too much. However, it's probably all personal preference!

Could you remove a door and hold it on the side to see how it would look? If you could post a picture of it I think we could give you better advice...oh, and a wider angle shot would help as well.

Does the doorstyle end panel come with a wood skin to make it flush? Make sure it does, if you go that route. A loose door will not cover the entire end of the cabinet....and will not help with your crown molding application.

I think either would look fine...it's a personal preference decision. If you're not putting them anywhere else, I would just prefer the wood skins. You can always add the doors later if you want. It would be a replacement door for a W1230 or W1242....whatever your cabinet height is.

Kompy

Check to see if they have the option of a matching wood skin instead of plywood. This plain wood matching panel without the door detail was an option with our cabinets.

We did extra door panels on any cabinets who's sides were showing. It was a decent amount extra, but I really think it enhanced the overall look off the kitchen.

The plywood is cut to fit flush, oak veneer, stained to match. The door panel style is the same thing, with the arched door applied. Hmmm, have to check - I don't know if door is full height or if it would be normal height of door - it would look strange if it were taller than the door around the corner from it. Also, should check on price of replacement door app. 10" wide and 28" tall (30" cabinet) - it may be less $$ to do that as long as door is less than $73.

I was wondering if it would look too busy myself - but I like how it looks in other people's kitchens.

Here's shot of whole area (sorry, can't take door off, hold it up, and take pic by myself). If I can convince DH to help (he thinks all this decorating stuff is a waste of time and $) I have a wider replacement door (for 18" base cabinet, square not arch) that's about the right height, maybe he'll hold it up so I can take a picture.

{{!gwi}}

with crown mockup on one side

{{!gwi}}

Here is a link that might be useful: JCP toile valance

I prefer a plain end panel...I don't see the point in making it look like a door, especially with the arch, and like Buehl said, think it would be too busy, or may too heavy.

IMO, its not a door, so why make it look like a door?

Furniture does not usually have false panels or doors on the sides, it is usually a smooth finished side. For my money, especially so close to the window, I would do the furniture end.

There are times, perhaps, for the door panel, but I dont think this is one of them. Since you have overlay doors, the panel on the side is going to be overlay as well.

What Kompy is saying is that most applied door panels don't come with the skins that flush out the recess on the cabinets. If you choose to have the applied door panels, you'll also need to order skins as well. Some manufacturers do have an option for flush finished sides from the factory where the installer doesn't have to deal with applying skins in the field. Kraftmaid calls is "furniture finished plywood ends" and it's what I usually suggest to a customer who is DIYing an install whether or not they also want the applied decorative cabinet doors for the sides.

Thanks - I have seen the door style end panels on some of the kitchens here, but come to think of it, they've all been square. The arch is a little too busy.

These are Merillat cabinets, they call the 3/16" oak veneer plywood a "wall end panel " (WEP) and the kind with the door on it a "wall decorative end panel" (WDEP).

I'll go with the "skin" to make the ends flush, and have real lacquered wood (even though it's veneer) there instead of the fake wood-grain laminate.

Now, wondering - I have a tall corner cabinet that I need about 6" on each side of. You really won't see it when the crown is applied on the lower cabinets flanking it. But it would help to make the sides flush just to install the crown on the taller cabinet. Is it worth ordering the WEPs longer than I need and cutting them down so I can do the sides of all 3 cabinets? 1/4" plywood would be too thick. Also need to do it to tops of refrigerator end panels - I'm not sure why those aren't flush, I don't want to do the whole 7ft, but do need a strip just to shim out the sides for the crown wrapping around. Cut them from 36" or 42" panels I order for 30" cabinets? Order one 30" to use as is and a 42" to cut another foot off to use for shims?

I would let your pretty valance be the focal point and not put the raised panels on the cabinet ends right next to the window. IMO, a plain end looks nicer.

Here's the corner cabinet I need to get sides shimmed out for crown to lie flat

And the fridge cabinet

So do I order one or both of the WEPs extra long so we can cut strips off to make the crown and half round lie flat on thse 2 cabinets (will see edge from underside of fridge since I'm not getting panels to flush out the whole 7 ft side(s)), or can my carpenter just notch the solid wood on the top fronts of the fridge panels? I don't know if he can build up 3/16" with something else - the thinnest plywood we can find is 1/4" so it's 1/16" too thick.

Love to hear how KDs deal with this when customers goof and don't order flush sides to begin with :-)

The WEP or TWEP (tall wood end panel) should have been installed on the cabinet sides before the cabinets were installed to the wall. The only good choice ifyou want real wood sides instead of melamine is to uninstall the cabinets and apply the WEPs. Cutting them to fit the cabinet sides around the other cabinets, especially on the fridge cabinet, will be far too tricky to accomplish. And, they won't look right if you piece them with a seam. The other option would be to flush out the sides only underneath where the molding will be with the thinnest strip, or apply scribe molding there to hide the gap. That would still leave you with the melamine printed side panels though. And melamine definately ages differently than wood does and is noticable down the road.

You'll need the TWEP (24" in depth) on that whole fridge right panel in order for your countertop to not have a gap on that side as well as for your crown molding and the general appearance of covering the melamine with real wood. You'll also want to check on the fridge panel on the left and possibly order one for that as well so that it matches.

I'd have to see what Merillat sells for refrigerator end panels (they call them REPs). I think they only sold these, never noticed in catalog that they weren't flush.

Cutting a piece that goes just under the half round that I'm using at the joint is what I was thinking of doing - since the corner cabinet sides really won't be visible once the lower crown is on, I'm not worried about anything showing there, just want to make sure the bead (will apply since the very front edge might be visible) lies flat. I'm more worried about the fridge.

But not worried enough to get real wood. That area doesn't get as much sun as right by the window, so really don't care if it doesn't match exactly as the cabinets age. Maybe eventually we'll pull those panels and that cabinet out if it does get noticeable, but I just don't want the hassle right now. Just want to cover the cut splintered top where they cut down the 96" panels (REP 3296 is what I ordered - but you're right they're only counterdepth so I don't know if the cut down the backs too, or installed something different than what I ordered)- of course they had to cut them down from the *top*, not the bottom!

I just checked Merillat's specs - sure enough, I ordered the REP 3296 which is 32" deep *AND* is 3/4" thick veneer both sides, edgebanding, no "lip". I expected they would cut it from the bottom to the proper height (I spec'd flush with 30" cabinet next to fridge). What they used was an End Filler EF-84 or EF-96 cut down, and they cut it to the same height as the 36" corner cabinet (which I said I could live with, but 4 months after giving them my list of cabinets and parts, I didn't notice the difference in the edge).

Too late to go back to builder now - it's been almost 2 years. At least I noticed the wrong LS and got it replaced right away. But should I be keeping a list of things as I discover them (not just kitchen, framing issues) and eventually take builder to Small Claims (6 year limit)?