Here's my GE Profile side by side with wood panels. All the specs for making the panels are in the instruction manual that came with the panel ready fridge. In my case, nobody bothered to look at the specs, so we went thru three different versions of door panels. It would have been so simple for the KD to look at the instruction manual first. Duh. -Babka -Babka

We have had a SS Liebherr fridge for 5 years and I hated all the fingerprints and smudges for all those years. We will still use it in the breakfast room but I paneled the new Sub-Zero for this remodel. I feel it was one of the best decisions, especially having a small child around. If you decide to panel, you can always get an extra piece of the wood (that you are using for the panels), large enough to fit the cabinet opening width-wise but taller than current fridge. (I have noticed that fridges tend to get a little taller. When our old fridge broke, there wasn't any other fridge on the market to fit the opening, they were all at least 1.5" taller.) This way, you'll have the material for new panels if you have to replace the fridge before the next remodel. I know it is an extra expense but may be well worth it. Also, there is a *rumor* of SS becoming "outdated". I know that many KDs said time and again that is is not going to happen as nobody has been able to come up with a good alternative. But, having been in love with SS for 10 years, I am now really tired of it and don't want to see any large chunks of it in the room. Just my 2 cents... Good luck with whatever you decide.

Hi 39york. It's not that panelled fridges are out of style, they are actually very in style. It's that the panelling on a fridge which is not "integrated" is out of style right now. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't get it; it just means that you won't see as much paneled fridges that are not also "integrated" fridges. And as you've noted, those integrated-fridges like Subzeros are expensive, and the "fully integrated" fridges even more so. An integrated fridge means it's completely flush with the cabinetry, though you will still see a toe kick or and the panels will not be seamless from the cabinetry. A fully-integrated fridge is completely seamless, and you cannot tell there is a refrigerator behind the panels. I will link a thread below with pics so you can see what I mean. A less expensive option to an integrated fridge is simply to apply panels on a "panel-ready" fridge, which is I think what your OP is about. Some people do not prefer this because you can still see the fridge's trim, the fridge handles, and the water dispenser if there is one. So given the expense of the panels, and that nothing is being hidden or integrated with the cabinetry, people think it may not be worth the expense and the effort to panel a non-integrated fridge. A lot of people feel it's fine to have the fridge look like a fridge in the kitchen, or at least they prefer it to having panels plus the fridge trim showing. Others don't mind the fridge trim, like the look of panelling, and they don't want to deal with fingerprints on stainless steel. If you want to panel a non-integrated fridge, I recommend the Kitchenaid panel-ready fridges. They perform well, and while expensive, are not nearly the cost of Subzeros and Thermadors. You can also go to the ajmadison website, and sort for fridges that will take panels, and then sort by price. Thread called Pictures of Built in Refrigerators ajmadison website- sorted for panel-ready fridges

I think an integrated fridge (or, an integrated-looking fridge, like a built-in with an overlay installed, or even a stand-alone fridge that's inset into an opening in cabinets or into a closet-type space), w/ panels to match either the cabinets or perhaps plain to match the surrounding wall (for example, if the fridge is inset into a drywall-covered closet-like space), is fine. As long as it looks nice, that's all. Sure, it's nice to be able to stick stuff on the front of the fridge. But even w/ little kids, it's not necessary. There's a stereotype about "putting their artwork up on the fridge," but you can use any vertical space for that. Or, don't do it at all. There's a stereotype about "kids playing with the fridge magnets," but you don't need to do that either. (Often you can't w/ stainless anyway!) (Heck, you could rig a way to put Homosote on the fridge and have a bulletin-board front if you wanted to.) Me, I'm a big fan of a white fridge. I have dark cabinets and white counters and woodwork, so I decided that my white appliances are simply an extension of my counters. HERE ARE SOME IMAGES TO LOOK AT (I googled "integrated refrigerator") Look at this one: the covering panels only sort of match the cabinetry; they could be painted wood, or anything. https://www.houzz.com/products/miele-k-1801-refrigerator-fully-integrated-prvw-vr~816262-K-1801-Refrigerator-Fully-Integrated-refrigerators-new-york Here's another; the center one has the panels that are flat melamine/wood, and if you had a surrounding drywall closet-type space, you could simply put wood there; the closet frame would minimize the effect of the gasket showing. http://blog.bostonappliance.net/hs-fs/hub/308869/file-387359087-png/built-in-vs-integrated-vs-overlay.png And here's an interesting article about the terminology, etc. It might help you frame your thinking, or your questions. http://blog.bostonappliance.net/built-in-vs-integrated-vs-overlay-refrigerators#.VMJu4WTF9_g In the first picture here, where a stand-alone fridge has been set into a framed space. Think of what that fridge would look like if it had plain white wood panels on the front--it wouldn't look that bad. Note that it's the same depth as the opening, though--it doesn't stick out. That might look a little funny--even with paneling to match the cabinets. http://www.remodelista.com/posts/5-favorites-counter-depth-refrigerators