I can't remember who did it in their kitchen, but I remember someone having a lot of success with the FX Sheeting.

Here is a link that might be useful: Stainless steel laminate

Are you surrounding it with finished end panels to give it a finished/somewhat built-in look? If so, I don't think it matters what the sides look like since they will be hidden behind wood end panels.

The Liebherr freestanding counter depth's have SS sides. They are coming out with a 36" french door style shortly. I believe in both a built in or freestanding.

I agree with Buehl that it depends if you're surrounding it with anything. Our Electrolux fridges and freezer are bright white on the sides with only stainless on the doors. The fridge-freezer set is in an alcove, and the lone fridge has end panels beside, so we can't see the sides at all.

I believe the GE Cafe advertises itself as having stainless steel sides. Our counter depth GE Profile has the gray sides, but no one would know it since the sides are concealed by a wood panel and the pantry. It would bother me to see sides of a different color so the contractor did some very careful measuring to make sure we had a built-in look.

I think they almost always look bad if the sides show and don't match--like a car that has been in an accident and had a replacement door from the junkyard and the owner can't afford a paint job.

They look fine if tucked into cabinetry panels or tall cabinets.

But if you don't mind the look, go for it. Some things bug me more than they ought to! And to me, if the sides are of a cheaper material, that means they aren't supposed to be seen.

Our fridge has gray sides and one side has about 2-3" exposed. The fact that it extends that far beyond the cabinet panel does bother me. I did not even know that this would be an issue during the planning phase (this was before I found GW). But the fact that the sides are gray is really not an issue for me personally. If I had it to do over I would get a cabinet depth and then the sides would not be exposed at all.