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Unnecessary paneled fridge end between fridge and pantry?
On the left side of my 36″ Sub-Zero (SZ) column fridge with a 26″ deep case, I plan two stacked cabinets: lower, a Hafele pantry pullout with a second narrow cabinet stacked on top of it to meet the 84″ height of the Sub-Zero. The pantry pull-out et al will be the same depth (26″). (A regular pantry will be on the left side of the narrower Hafele pantry, giving it support.)
I have carefully watched the SZ tutorial video several times and understand the need for a rail on the left side of the fridge (actually on all three sides). In the tutorial, you also place a finished end panel on the left side–and then you slide a pantry into place right next to it, effectively “ruining” the need for the finished end panel (in every way except the 3/4″ edge that faces outward). It seems to me there should be another option. Can I affix that left-side fridge rail to the right side of the stacked Hafele unit and avoid the cost (and extra space) of the the finished end panel? Of course, I will probably want to match the rail-plus-end-panel on the right side of the fridge, so is there a product that is plywood that has a finished outward-edge-only? Could I put in a second rail with a corresponding piece of plywood behind it? The cost of a second rail is $166, but the cost of a finished end panel (that will be buried) is about twice that price.
Surely I can’t be the first person to be struggling with this, so please forgive me if I have misunderstood something.
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1 Reply
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Sure. It sounds like you are deciding between trimming out the refrigerator opening or leaving the opening bare and setting the refrigerator flush, with no filler or separation piece between the refrigerator and the tall pantry stack. Either approach will work well.
I actually did this in my own kitchen and chose to install a square trim piece between the refrigerator and the tall pantry stack to create a bit of visual separation between the appliances. In hindsight, this was not strictly necessary. High-end refrigerators such as Sub-Zero and Liebherr are designed so their doors can open fully with zero protrusion, even when placed tight to adjacent cabinetry. While I would not recommend placing one directly against a wall, this highlights how well these doors are engineered. This is very different from most standard counter-depth refrigerators, which often require a completely different cabinet configuration to prevent door interference with adjacent cabinets.
You can go either route. You may add trim to the top and right side as shown in the photo below, or omit the trim on those sides and run the refrigerator tight to the tall cabinet on the left. In the worst case, you may see a small amount of exposed cabinet-case maple when the door is open, but this can easily be painted or touched up to match. If you have plenty of space and do not mind sacrificing an additional 3/4 inch, trimming out the opening as I did is a clean, finished option.
As for the trim pieces themselves, they do not need to be as wide as the ones shown in my photo. I used 12 inch material simply because I had it on hand. I would recommend ordering a couple of Tall Slim Fillers, which are inexpensive and deep enough to adequately shield the exposed cabinet sides.
https://www.barkercabinets.com/Slim-tall-cabinet-filler-p/tslimfiller.htm
