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Kitchens Remodeling

Making a counter depth refrigerator flush with cabinets

last year

Hi everyone - am looking for some advice for a kitchen renovation I’m in the middle of. We are planning on buying the counter-depth Samsung 4-door flex refrigerator, which happens to have quite a thick door - about 4 inches. We had been hoping to make it blend in with the cabinets and have it be as close to flush as possible with the wall of cabinets in either side. We have a cabinet maker so have some flexibility with what we can do. If we want to have the door open we need about 3-4” of space on either side. He is suggesting that we use filler millwork on either side, 4” recessed so that the doors open and it gives the whole wall a streamlined look. I have researched what to do with counter depth refrigerators and am completely swirly now.

I’m attaching the drawing he sent me - this is from the top down. On the right side of the fridge are 3-15” pantry units. On the left side will be lower drawers and upper open shelving. You can see how the filler panels sit flush with the fridge body to allow the doors to open. We have a small kitchen and will have an island that sits in front of much of the fridge; and it is tight, maybe 30-35”, not enough room to push the island either.

Thoughts? Advice? Am I overthinking this - should I just let the fridge stick out 3-4”? Will the filler space look ok?

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Comments (5)

Buehl
last year
last modified: last year
It will look (and function) much better if you install it the way it should be installed - with the doors extending out past the surrounding cabinets, etc. The 4" recess will look like a mistake.

The best thing to do is build it in --

Install it with finished end panels on each side and a full-depth cabinet above.

Both the end panels and the upper cabinet should be flush with the refrigerator box, not the doors.

Here's an example:

Alcove for the refrigerator:

Refrigerator installed with filler b/w refrigerator upper cabinet. This is so we can install a taller refrigerator in the future, if needed:

Don't forget to include the required air clearance b/w the end panels and the refrigerator and b/w the upper cabinet (and filler, if used) & the refrigerator.
PRO
Charles Ross Homes
last year
I might be in the minority, but I think what your cabinetmaker is proposing will work and look fine.
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Joe, that looks great. The other thing they did that I hate, is that they ordered a cabinet for above that is too short - there is a huge gap between the bottom and the top of my refrigerator. They will fill it with trim, but I've lost 3" of usable cabinet above the refrig, and now cannot put awkward size appliances up there. I am going to insist that they replace this...at their cost. They DID measure the refrigerator and saw all my pictures. I think (heck, I KNOW), that I"m much pickier than clients they usually have. My city is sort of a laid-back/lethargic/accepting kind of place. I constantly hear friends say that something that was done by remodeler or designer was not really what they wanted, but their reaction is always "...oh well" and they always tell the person who has done it that the just love it...it would be "rude" to complain. Did I mention that this is a somewhat southern city? My grandmother may have been a Lee but I am NOT a Southern woman who thinks it rude to complain if something is not done right.
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I'm with crl. We re-used a 33" regular depth fridge that we love, but put in 1.5" of filler on each side so that when we need to replace the fridge we'll have more options (as 36" is a common size). Also to consider is that 'counter depth' is a non-standard term, and can vary by 2 inches or so. Many people have purchased a counter depth fridge and been disappointed to find that it still sticks out from the cabinetry. So either a) choose carefully, b) spend another several thousand for an integrated fridge, or c) you still need to have the cabinetry customized to a degree for a flush fit. For us it was an easy decision as we had the room for a regular depth fridge, and had custom made cabinetry so the cost was negligible. So net-net, going with a regular depth fridge saved thousands.
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Seeing your whole layout, I can understand why the refrigerator isn’t on the end of the run. Do you have a plan and purpose for that isolated stretch of counter? Would it be better to move the other tall cabinet up against the refrigerator and leave the counter on the end? When I see those types of counters separated from other kitchen functions, my mind always goes to a coffee/beverage center. A microwave there might be nice for snacks and reheating things from the refrigerator. A bar sink would be great for getting drinks, and making coffee without entering the kitchen and interfering with the cook. Sorry to to mess up your thread with these comments if you’ve already thought all this through.
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Dimensions: 69 7/8 H x 32 3/4 W x 31 D https://www.geappliances.com/appliance/GE-ENERGY-STAR-17-5-Cu-Ft-Counter-Depth-French-Door-Refrigerator-GYE18JSLSS
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Helen
last year
last modified: last year
I have a counter depth refrigerator and my cabinet installer also did an "optical illusion" in terms of making my refrigerator look more built in but still fully functional.

The counter and cabinets were extended a bit so that they reached exactly to the point of the hinges - minimizing the side exposure but still enabling the doors to fully open.

My refrigerator is paneled so the cabinet maker clad the sides with matching wood so that it looks more seamless and "built in" with the rest of the cabinetry adjacent to it.

These photos aren't highest quality but I think it illustrates what he did

Because my refrigerator is a bit higher (72" versus standard 69") and I have structural soffits, the cabinet over the refrigerator is somewhat shorter but fairly functional since I have rollouts and keep flat items like sheet pans and cookie sheets.
Helen
last year
last modified: last year
@User If you are referring to my refrigerator, why does it look weird. Without being clad with wood on the sides it would have black or stainless sticking out. Why would that appear less "weird" to you?

Granted the photos itself are shot from a strange angle - here is another example of a different refrigerator which clad the sides of a counter depth refrigerator to create somewhat of an illusion
Jaime M
3 months ago
last modified: 3 months ago
cohencl - What did you end up doing with your fridge cabinets?

I am very curious because I am in the same boat you were in and trying to do the exact same thing. Please send photos of your end solution! Thank you!

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