If you really need to hide the fridge, get the integrated.

Are you trying to hide the fridge, or just enclose it? We had a regular KA french door (not paneled, not built in) in our previous home, and we built the cabinetry around it to fully enclose the sides and top. We really liked the way it looked, and definitely wouldn't want to be looking at the black sides of a refrigerator from any angle :-)

Here is a link that might be useful:

I'd enclose it in cabinetry like in the tiny photo above--makes the cabinet above it look better (and you do of course want that cabinet to stick out about as far as the fridge so you can get into it).

Green, unfortunately I'm very limited in my layout options and the refrigerator wall is the focal point from the living and entry area. The wall is only 138" and needs to include the range and a corner cabinet. I'd like to have the hood stand out more than the refrigerator. Your comments did make me search yet again, and I see that there is a Thermador 36" Integrated Panel Ready French Door (which I need for door clearance). Of course it costs more than twice as much as the KA panel ready. No reviews on it.

Thanks for the picture sjhockeyfan. fori's right. I love how the upper cabinet is flush with the refrigerator. Great attention to detail, I will definitely remember that.

If I decide to stay with the only panel ready french door non-integrated refrigerator available, the KA, the doors must protrude 3" in order to swing open, and the sides of these doors are black.
My cabinets are white, and the sides would be utterly ridiculous. I did call KA and they said if I had the sides painted white it would not invalidate the warranty in any way.

I wondered if anyone from that 2011 thread had any luck/photos of the painting/veneers...

But maybe I'll just have to come to terms with stainless the way I came to terms with a 30" range...

I think a stainless frig is a great look with a white kitchen.

>the sides would be utterly ridiculous

Honestly, I've never seen this fridge installed where it didn't look like a child trying to hide by covering his eyes.

Even if you painted the side, the fridge gasket is still black and will show, because it will need to sit forward of the enclosure for the doors to open. It's not really a "built in" fridge. It's a Halloween mask without the costume.

We used this fridge not because we wanted to fake a built-in, but because we didn't want a bunch of stainless in the kitchen. I decided to have fun and put our magnets on the side. After a year and a half, I don't notice and no one has commented on it.

The fridges that stick out but have panels on the front just look to me like someone pulled them out and forgot to push them back in.

I agree with sjhockeyfan. It would bother me. I would want to push it in every time I saw it. But if it doesn't bother YOU, that's all that matters. If it's not illegal and not hurting anyone, do what works for you. :)

I completely agree and should have said so! BTW, what color are your cabinets 1929 Spanish - it's a beautiful shade (looks like a green-grey on my monitor).

1929Spanish, sorry to go off topic, but your arabesque backsplash is beautiful & so well suited to your design.

Thanks guys. No offense taken. We did a 250sq ft room addition/bathroom addition/kitchen move/whole house rewire with cash in a neighborhood that doesn't support high end. We did what we wanted with what we had while keeping it in check. In another neighborhood with more money, things could have looked a lot different.

The cabinets are Dynasty Omega in Pesto and the backsplash was about $7/sq ft. online at Home Depot. The fridge was brand new for $900.00 after bargaining down the Sears Outlet. For 70% off, I have a place to put my magnets!

1929Spanish You are so lucky you found that refrigerator for $900! I love your kitchen, the cabinet color is so calming and the knobs and pulls are perfect.

Your point that you don't even notice it is well taken. I need to keep moving forward to get this project on track. Without refrigerator dimensions my layout order is at a standstill.
Plus, I know that whatever I get will look better than what I have now.

Green, you're right about the gasket. I hadn't thought about that. What, you don't think I can paint that too?? LOL :D

You made me laugh writers block! That's a lot of personality for a refrigerator.

Thanks for your comments everyone. I'm going to go refrigerator shopping and see what I can find. romy's got me thinking in a new direction...