We went last night to Costco, Lowe's, and a smaller local appliance store (not big box). Costco didn't have the Whirlpool models on site, but we played with a lot of fridges at the other 2 places. I think we're going to go with French door, as the single door models we saw didn't have the freezer configuration my husband prefers. We both like the solid plastic baskets as opposed to open wire baskets. He also liked the Samsung's "auto-open" tray that pulls open with the freezer drawer so you don't have to pull it open yourself. The one thing we noticed, which chipshot points out, is that many of the French door models don't close well when you close the right door first and then the left door. The Samsung, the Maytag, and some higher end ($2000+) models had some built-in feature that barely "popped" the right door so it shut again, as opposed to staying open when you closed the left door second. Still, I think I'm neurotic enough to either check every time or always close the left side first. Hald: I think you make an excellent point about food loading/unloading that we didn't realize until last night while standing in front of both a french door and a single door model. The single door model completely blocks off using the island as a loading/unloading spot, since the angle of the door and where I'd be standing means I can only use the counter next to the fridge. Thanks again everyone! I think now we're thinking it's either the Samsung French Door or Whirlpool French Door given the Costco return policy.

Sorry to sound a discordant note, but I personally don't like the French doors at all. I think an arch would be perfect. From the kitchen, the doors seem unnecessary, but more importantly, they would interfere with light unless you added the sidelights, which, as several folks have said, will look pretty busy IRL. But it's the view from the FR that really makes me dislike the doors. Sometimes it's easy to overlook the obvious, and here, the obvious is the fact that you'll have wall after wall after wall of French doors. Together they form an overwhelming block of glass and muntins and frames and grid shapes, with no easy way to soften them (these aren't windows and won't have soft, poofy window treatments). I think they could look even odder IRL. Either you'll have a shade or something on the patio door, and nothing on the others, or you'll leave all three doors nude, which will give you one black door at night and two others that have indoor light behind them. They will look similar, but wrong. Plus, in reality, I find that people actually keep interior french doors closed far less often than they think they will. I think the arch avoids some of these problems. It pierces that corner so that the FR won't feel so much like an isolated addition or a 3-season porch that's been tarted up--instead, it would be connected to the house. And having the curved arch lets you break up that infinite repetition of rectilinear grid, grid, grid without having to add anything. Finally, it will connect the FR and the kitchen with the rest of the house architecturally by repeating a motif you already have. Sorry to add confusion--just my $.02!

We did white interiors with natural wood doors with the Ikea cabinets we used in the laundry room. The person I ordered from looked at me like, "are you sure" when I said I wanted the white instead of the fake wood. I preferred the crispness of the white. I really like it, but maybe it's because it's in the laundry room and there is a lot of other white in the room with the w&d and big shelving/hanging unit. I believe you can get some sort of wood edging tape to put on the ends of the interior shelves and frame so that any frame showing in gaps around the doors and drawers blend in with the exterior. We had a cabinet maker friend make our bathroom cabinetry 20 years ago. They are beautiful cherry. At the time, he used white cabinet interiors and drawer boxes. He does it differently now.

You can order what you want from TruStile in Colorado. If you specify a 1 3/4" thick door, the panel will be thick without being a raised panel. For an 8 ft door I would not risk using any other manufacturer. Their website is very helpful.