Also meant to ask for opinions or preferences on SxS vs. french door regarding interior space utilization. I don't know anyone with a french door fridge.

We have the GE Cafe french door, counter depth with freezer on the bottom. It is 20.9 cu. ft. and 36" wide.I was afraid that I would find it too small for a family of 4 but I find it really efficient. You can see everything and nothing gets lost or hidden. I wouldn't go back to standard depth and I like the french door look. As to SxS I've never had one some people love them and others hate them. The people I know who put them in wish they hadn't because the fridge side is too narrow for casserole dishes, pizza boxes etc. How wide is your fridge now compared to the width of the fridge side of the SxS? Look in your fridge and see what are the biggest things that you keep in it and see if it will fit in the fridge side of the SxS,

We also have the GE Cafe french door and I finally like it alot. There was definitely an adjustment period, although we all ready had a bottom freezer. Would not have a SxS, but that's just personal preference. We are 4 as well and cook at home primarily. The only thing I'd like is more crisper area. I like the french door mainly because of the great door storage, but this one doesn't have water or ice on the door.

I swapped my bottom freezer standard depth fridge for a counter depth side by side and I couldn't be happier. I am not certain of the exact measurement, but I have a narrow walkway (similar to your walkway) restricted by a small peninsula directly in front of my fridge. The standard door meant anytime the fridge was open, no one could get by. I considered the french door fridges but the pull out bottom freezer would have caused the same impassable walk way when open. The side by side allows one or both sides to be open while people can still pass by behind the doors. I also prefer to only have to open a single door in order to access the entire fridge, since I often carry food in and out of the fridge in one hand while opening with the other.

For the most part, we have plenty of food storage space. We are a small family, but cook at home nearly all of the time and mostly with fresh ingredients. I can fit pizza boxes and my largest casserole baking dish into the fridge. So, you might try measuring the interior dimensions of the fridge you are interested in and comparing against the largest dishes you like to store in the fridge (or even bring them with you to the store). I also have an easier time finding things in my narrow shallow freezer than I did in my larger bottom freezer. All in all, I couldn't be happier with my side by side for my space.

We used to have a side-by-side and then had a french door. I am eagerly awaiting a side-by-side again! I think the grey sides would like nice in your kitchen - since it is most similar to the SS already. :-)

We just switched from a standard SxS to a standard FD (the counter-depth is too small for my family of 5). My first impressions are mostly positive.

*Moving things over, I realized that the fridge door storage is a lot less in the FD. That will take some adjusting.

*I *love* the bottom freezer. The SxS freezer was so tall and narrow, it was about impossible to get everything to fit in it, and things fell out regularly. I also couldn't see what we had very well without dragging everything out. When I moved things over to the FD bottom drawer, I was very pleased with how I could "file" the ground meat, the pork ribs, etc. Now I can see them with no problem, and I didn't have to wedge the ribs in to keep them from falling on my toes.

The counter-depth is more expensive than the standard, but I think that over the course of years, you'll appreciate how nicely it fits in your kitchen, and you won't even remember what you paid for it.

I would favor a bottom freezer over a SxS; I'd get a FD only if an ice maker/dispenser were important.

Have you seen these models in person? I was ready to buy a Maytag SS fridge.... until I actual saw it in the showroom. The handles were gray plastic instead of metal. The look and feel bothered me. Maybe this isn't true with all the Maytag models. Their prices are pretty good though...

Appreciate the responses.
I've found a couple Kitchenaid FD refrigerators and a Whirlpool Gold that might work. I'm checking into prices. According to the salesperson I talked to Whirlpool makes the following in order of quality: Jenn Air, Kitchen Aid,Whirlpool,Maytag and then Amana. Hopefully the SS would match between models.

Like red_eared said, I have things falling on the floor with my SxS that's why I prefer the FD.
No, I haven't seen all of the models in person. That's another issue. I'll look into the handles.

My vote would be for option 3. I just switched from a side x side to a french door with the freezer on the bottom and I couldn't be happier! I've had SxS's for years and I didn't know what I was missing. It is so nice to be able to fit a party tray or pizza tray in the frig and to be able to actually find things in the freezer! My set up is very similar to yours and my new frig sticks out further then my other one, but I've gotten used to it.

I, have the Kitchen Aid french door cd, and I, really like it. It is the 72 in high one with the water inside. I, have had it for about nine month's. We have a open floor plan and you can hardly hear it run.

I know what I'm about to say is close to blasphemy on this site (jk) but really...it's a kitchen and you have a refrigerator in your kitchen. That shouldn't come as any surprise to anyone so really, a 'regular' depth fridge shouldn't be shameful!
Actually...that's what I'm getting in my re-do...Whirlpool Gold 22 cu ft FD in black. I'm a rebel, what can I say?!

I don't like FD because you have to open two doors to get to things. I prefer single door bottom mount. You also lose storage on the doors because they are all chopped up and you can't store nearly as many items in the doors as the single door bottom freezer models.

They are making less and less of these... You should have enough clearance to be able to open a large single door.

Just my two cents.

We have both. Just got a Samsung 26 c.f. f. d. for our new Ariz condo-at the Sears scratch and dent outlet. Absolutely love it. Spacious and smart. No water in the door. The door cubbies hold at least 2 gallons of milk and are adjustable, so there's lots of ways to configure. When my dd who lives there full time shows someone the apartment, the first thing she brags about is the fridge. She drags the innocents straight to the fridge. Opening two doors is nothing. It's two hand motions, nada.

I detest our 1980's sxs fridge. Can't fit stuff in either the freezer or refridge. Can't find it if you do stuff it in. The only reason we bought it back then was to clear a stupid countertop. Very narrow.

Samsung is 36 wide and 32+ deep. Cold. Spacious. great layout. We did put an 18" Costco 'ready to bake' pizza in one of the side compartments, not even the wide deli section. What's the downside? Two doors to open? V. tons of well organized space?

I too have been looking at french door Fridges and from my many tests at the stores/showrooms most not all but *most* of the doors open and close independently of each other. I was really surprised, I expected to have to open in a specific and close in a specific order.

I also am anti-ice in the door, we dont use that much ice and it is one less thing to break :)

The pictures seem to indicate that the current frig is wider than the overhead cab. I would be tempted to go with a narrower frig for balance. Given the location I would consider a single door (with handle on left) unless you are use to unloading the frig onto the island because I think side by side or french door would limit access to the countertop to the left of the frig. Although I might prefer the gray, I would also consider the color on the other appliances. My SS stove and dishwasher have black trim so my frig has black sides. However, I do have a wood box around which hides most of the color.

We have a french door Amana fridge and I love it. Switched from a side-by-side and it is infinitely easier to fit stuff in it. I disagree that you need to open both doors, that's only if I want the wide drawer or if I'm putting something really big in it. As mentioned above in mine you can open either one door or the other, no special order - I think most of them are like this.

I also really like the bottom freezer - it's not awkward, ours has slide-out drawers in it so I can see exactly what I've got looking from the top. Overall the freezer does not get used nearly as much as the fridge. And I can see my produce before it liquefies, which is a plus. ;)