Actually, I like the fridge panels better and I'd have a vertical span put on the DW panel to break up all that flat space. ...but that's just my opinion.

First, it's not a long post.

Second, I happen to really like the look of your fridge panels. A lot. I like how it's not just this huge blank panel (not a pejorative, just thinking of your dishwasher panel sized to fit your fridge), and I think it looks v. rich (as in "high-end") and clearly custom. I think it's an incredibly thoughtful detail and, let's face it, it's really easy to gloss over a lot of stuff because planning a kitchen is just so overwhelming!

Have you seen bayareafrancy's dishwasher panel? That's exactly what I mean about an incredibly thoughtful detail. Look at what perfect visual sense it makes in her kitchen. That's how I feel about your paned panels.

While our styles are really different from yours, have you seen either ricklish's kitchen or mine?

My refrigerator closed:

and open:

Again, I know neither of these are the direction in which you want to be headed, but I wanted to give you my perspective why I esp. like the panels.

Ultimately, though, it's your kitchen. And if you think there's a chance that every time you go to open your fridge / freezer you'll think "ugh," then you should definitely have them changed. It is more important for you to be happy in the long run.

I like the refrigerator panels like they are, with the horizontal rails, but I wouldn't put another one on the DW panel. I think the refrigerator panels look very custom and unique! I can't wait to see the rest of the finished kitchen. Good luck!

I think they will look even nicer once you get your hardware on.

Thanks so much for all of the responses. I think after reading the responses, and the more I've sat with it the more I'm getting to be OK with it. I actually do like the look in rmkitchen's post above (thank you for the pictures!). I do like your kitchen style also, but alas, I have only one kitchen and had to choose one of the many kitchen styles I liked. :-) So now I'm wondering if I could get away with that look with my hardware ,or if it would look too "phoney" since the horizontal pieces are all equal distance from each other? I took some pictures with the panels on the floor and the hardware in various configurations. This first one is an attempt at the "doors on top drawers on bottom" look like was in the picture posted above:
{{!gwi}}

This one is the handles only, centered from top to bottom:
{{!gwi}}

Finally, the handles only, but more towards the top of the panels:
{{!gwi}}

Any ideas/thoughts/opinions would be greatly appreciated - thanks!

Thank you for the compliment and I totally know what you mean -- only one kitchen but so many fun ideas! How to choose, how to choose ....

My preference, based on those lovely doors and what else I can see of your kitchen, would be to have just the pulls wherever makes the most ergonomic sense for you and your husband and the efficient opening of the fridge itself (if not center, then it'll be close).

To me, the knobs look fussy and your kitchen is anything but fussy -- it's got those beautiful clean lines and that gorgeous wood. Any time you want to share more pictures I'd love to see them!

It sounds from your post that you wanted a more integrated look, something that looks like the surrounding cabs. If that is the case, I would ask for it to be changed.

Here's some pics of my refrig. and DW:

DW is on the right:

How the refrig relates to other cabs:
{{!gwi}}