Do an online search for counter depth refrigerators and compare dimensions. They are considerably shallower than standard. I have a counter depth but it's very wide so I still have plenty of storage space in it. The doors extend beyond the counter but the unit itself is the same depth as the cabinets. I'm not sure how much room you have but it's worth looking at in making your decision about whether to swap.

It might just be big and new and bright and take a little getting used to also. Good luck to you.

I would definitely exchange it for a counter-depth fridge. It may cost you to exchange and probably a little more for the fridge itself (I know, smaller is more expensive in this case) but it will really be worth it.

How much space do you have between the two counters? Is this the approx. 33" wide unit? Jenn-Air, for one, did come out with a 36" counter depth fridge, bottom freezer, that for those of us who can't do custom built-ins. Don't recall offhand what the capacity is. Think it was a tad smaller, maybe 20 cf.

Same issue here. I just can't handle the depth on those things but was hoping to get a larger fridge. Bright white doesn't help : )

Are your countertops installed yet? If not they might be able to pull those lower cabs forward to meet the fridge. Then you'd have a nice deep counter too.

mimi - i'll have to do a search. I almost don't want to know.....

snookums - i'm afraid i'm going to have to get one of those really tiny ones. I really have a feeling this is going to be a struggle with DH. Again, he thinks it's fine (he's a boy) and he'd rather have more fridge space.

squirrel - the width is 35 5/8". there's actually a decent size gap on both sides between the fridge and counters/cabinets.which also looks stupid. add more to the width ..cut some off the back and waaallaa..balance. :)

budge1 - yeah of course everything else is installed and ready to go! blah.

I did think maybe it was just that everything is *POW* white but oh my...
so is the guy full of crap when he says this fridge is "standard"?

When we remodeled our kitchen we had the problem that we didn't have a lot of depth or width to work with. We ended up getting the refrigerator that took up the least amount of space that was still a decent size. It wasn't easy to find something that didn't stick out far.

We ended up getting a top freezer Frigidaire and it is working out great. It's not the most exciting refrigerator, but it fits the space. I think it was between 29 and 30 inches deep. Here's a picture. My counters are 25" and you can see how little space we had, because we didn't want the refrigerator to stick out into the doorway.

{{!gwi}}

Good luck.

Kelly

I think that it is often normal for fridges that are not built in. In this house, losing refrigerator space would be a definite no-no. In fact, eventually I will have to get a unit that is all refrigerator and just keep my freezers in the garage (so please, send dying fridge vibes my way). However, if it bothers you and your household does not need the extra space then a smaller one is not a bad idea. The extra hundred or so to have them move it would certainly be worth it for your satisfaction.

What will be in the space immediately behind the refrigerator? Would it be possible to borrow a little space and recess your refrigerator so that it becomes counter depth?

Yes, it is normal for a standard depth fridge to stick out that much. As has been mentioned you can get a "counter depth" fridge. Although they are smaller, they usually cost more than the larger standard depth. We got a counter depth because I like the look, and I figured that most of the stuff in the back of the fridge went bad because it was so far back there I couldn't see it!

My fridge sticks out 11 inches past the counter. The one previous to this stuck out even further.

I don't notice it anymore. I have a big family and a smaller fridge would drive me nuts.

I'm more calm now. ..

after digging around online, digging through my paperwork and going back over to the house to look at it and take more pics...this is the conclusion i came up with.
This is more normal than what i thought. The size we were suppose to get was a 21.9. They actually wrote on the invoice and installed a 25.1. We only paid for the 21.9. I'm assuming this was a mess up. I can't imagine noone caught it. Not sure what happened there. I know when we were looking at them we were back and forth with the sizes. I wanted the larger one but we were suppose to go with the smaller.
The dimension difference in depth is only an 1" less for the 21.9. The width and height is also less. (all coming back to me now..i think that's why i wanted the bigger one. never gave it a thought about the depth)
With all that said... at this point i'll probably end up sticking with it. I can't imagine going to like an 18 cu ft and having it look short all over.

As far as possibly recessing it back.. there's a laundry room behind and part of it would interfer with the side entrance...
Wish i would've found the gardenweb sooner in life. Refrigerator depth is something i never gave thought to.

hopefully it's just the "white" that's throwing me off. :) i'm about exhausted..
Thanks Everyone for listening to my freak out!

Our fridge is an Amana, freezer on the bottom, and it sticks out from our counter in the same proportion that yours apparently does - I am guessing we have the same capacity as well. The only difference is that it is on the end of the cabinet run, and there is a wall on the other side. To be honest, I never even thought about it until I read this post - obviously it has never bothered me! LOL Plus I am so happy with my fridge that the depth in relation to the counter wouldn't override the positive things.

If it is going to drive you crazy, and I can see how it might in the middle of the cabinet run, then by all means make the change now. It is too big an expense to settle for when you have options to correct it.

Sounds like you settled in with the fridge, but I'm still going to chime in. When I built this house I felt my fridge stuck out too much...still do. We are doing a kitchen remodel and I am going with the counter depth and moving this one down to my kitchen in the basement. They are ONLY more shallow, not shorter, not narrower (side to side). Most will not hold an 18 party tray BUT for a couple of exceptions. The one I am going with does hold one. I know I am going to be much happier, since I am not changing the fridge area with the remodel. My full depth is in a corner which helps, but I still hate the way it sticks out. It is almost on my trim around the kitchen to dining room door...drives me nuts. You can count on a counterdepth costing $500 or more than the same fridge in regular depth.

Looks like a lot of mfrs have jumped in now. They seem to run about 20-21 cf. The side-by-sides go up to 22 cf. Generally starting around $2K.

well this morning after loading the pics on my computer... i think i could cry again.
meet BRUTUS. . .

{{!gwi}}{{!gwi}}{{!gwi}}

i actually think i'm going to have my dad extend the countertops so there's not a gap on the side and make fillers.... (he made my countertops)

Honey-I feel your pain-I lived with a white fridge just like that for a looonnnggg time. I don't know what to advise as I hated mine but it doesn't look as bad as what WE think it does. The space around the sides looks normal to me-it's the way the cabinets over the top of the fridge are so much shallower than it is.

Depending on if you have kids or not-going to a CD may be bad. What's behind your fridge wall (what room?)? Could you recess it some? I have a CD now (with 3 kids) and can tell you that would not be enough room without my minifridge (the kid stuff) and I have one in the garage for party plates etc.

If you decide to leave it find something nice for the top of the fridge-wine rack etc. And once you get your room done-accessories etc it won't be as bad!

Your kitchen looks lovely!

I tend to think that once some accessories are up, window treatments, items with color and normal day to day living items are out you just won't see it so much. I'd suggest putting some things on top the cabinets (baskets, a plate, just anything you have on hand) and put some things here and there on the counter and taking another photo. See if that doesn't change the perspective a bit. ;)

Pretty kitchen!

bebetokids - oh thank you! you just made me feel better!! I don't like it but i don't know that i'm going to like anything else in that space better with how the rest of my kitchen is set up. So...

The room behind is a already a not so big laundry room and it would interfere with part of the side entrance walkway.

We don't have an kids yet but plan on having two. DH isn't into getting a smaller one. I sooo should've had my counters/cabinets deeper. blah.

So do you think I shouldn't mess with the side gaps? (extending the countertop and adding filler)

I was over there last night thinking..."I don't even like this kitchen. Should've had maple cabs put in. Should've picked granite countertop....shoulda shoulda."
SO again you made me feel better! I have asked quiet a few other people there thoughts on the refrigerator and they just looked at me like i had a chicken on my head when i was complaining. :)

Well, I just don't see it being that big a deal, (I guess because that is exactly how mine fits) but what matters is how YOU feel.

I wonder - is it too late to switch the end cabinets and the fridge? I am not sure I would want the fridge right across from the island anyway,as I would feel kind of trapped in there when the door to the fridge is opened, and it would also make it hard to stand in front of the freezer drawer when you open it.

I agree with moonshadow. Once accessories come in it will take the focus off of the refrig. What about a nice island chandelier for a main focus?

That is the same fridge I had in black and it "was huge" when delivered. I had no clue it was going to be that big. One of the things I did was remove the handles. Amazingly the size seemed much smaller. The doors easily open without them and there are plugs for the screw openings. If they didn't leave them, ask where you bought it.

I'd ask your dad to move the cabinet out. It would take away from the overpowering of the fridge. Would leave a space behind the counter, but perhaps a built in shelf to fill the space. I had a tall pantry installed next to mine (after the fact) which met the front edge of fridge. This also helped the fridge not look like it was sticking out.

Moonshawdow is right, accessories/color will make a big difference. And your kitchen is wonderful.

paddytc - yeah, we'll be changing that "boob light" as i've heard someone on here refer to before. ha
DH is against pretty chandys for some reason. (I managed to get a mini one in the foyer area though) Either way we'll be changing that light.

Les - i don't think at this point i'll even mention about moving stuff all around. I can see DH's face now... Plus my poor Dad would be the one to have to change them since he made em. He's already spent so much time taking care of odds and ends over there. And we really just need to finish up and get in this house. (got the construction loan thing going on still)

I don't think anyone has mentioned it but counter depth refrigerators can be taller than regular. So double check the height and the height of your cabinets.

That does look like a large fridge but the depth is very normal.

cathy

les~You don't have a SS Amana by any chance? I hate mine, the freezer on the bottom was not a good idea for us. :(

I am assuming that you mean stainless steel by SS - nope, I hate stainless appliances, wouldn't have them in my house. I have a textured black Amana that I absolutely love, with the freezer on the bottom. Would NEVER go back to a side-by-side or freezer on the top.

What don't you like about yours?

Shersharee,

It looks like a normal depth. There are 2 options:
1. Order a 2 side panels that match you cabs to have placed on each side. These panels are made special for refrigerators and would be the same depth. The panels are finished on both sides and add a nice deocrative touch. This will eliminate looking at so much white.

I would not go to the builder for these since they will charge you an arm and a leg. Your cabinets look like Aristocraft which you can order from a kitchen place.

2. Many recess regular depth refrigerators into the wall. This is costly after the fact.

My suggestion woulb be #1. I posted a pic of my refrigerator so that you can see what I mean by side panels. It's a nice finish Mine is counter depth which is fine for 2.

How about having your dad make wood sides for it. That would fill in the gap and also show less white. If you move the cabinet out will you be able to open the door still? My frig is at the end and the "wall" at the end is just the same wood as my cabinet. So why can't you just run two panels of wood on either side and if possible on top --cannot see if there is enough clearance--if there is not then he could use a thinner wood than the sides just to give a finished look. Actually, the top can butt up against the cabinet if need be as few would be tall enough to tell, as long as the door can still open. This would make it look like it is in a finished box and completely tone down the whiteness. And in this case it is easier to add than to change. It is a nice kitchen and you will love your house! and we are all here to help!

jerseygirl - you don't think the side panels would look funny since there's cabinets and countertop on the other side? We were originally going to do that but now i'm picturing that to look worse.
Really like your kitchen by the way!

Jerseygirl -we must have been posting at the same time! Good picture and nice kitchen

noodlesportland - should i have him run the countertop over the frige as well? The top is pretty tight against the cabinets. The door opens fine as it is now..doesn't hit the island (and there's still room) but if we moved the cabinets out it probably would. I will say there's no overhang on that side for a barstool. Think someone above mentioned that being in the way with the door opening.

Gosh, please excuse all my typos in my last post!

Sheesharee,
No, I don't think it will look funny at all. It will make your kitchen look more finished. If you go to a kitchen center, they will suggest the same as I have.

Building a new house can get a little stressful when things are not exactly as you expect them to be.

Take a deep breath and say "this will work out".

You have a beautiful home and kitchen!

Yes-basically you are trying to make a box for the frig. It will soften the look and also give you a sort of shelf to put a basket or something vs having it sit right on the top of the frig itself. It looks like you have room between the cabinet and the frig and that will work better than a filler. It does not have to completely cover the sides of the frig (need room for the door to open so be sure that is measured and remeasured. As for the top -it does not need to run under the cabinet --can just butt up against it. Hope this makes sense. I just looked at mine-which is built in so isn't quite the same. The wood side is 3/4's of an inch of wood and the top is 1/2".

ok so jerseygirl and noodlesportland - you're saying not to move the upper cabinet above the frige forward..? and just box around it. i will say if i move the cabinet above forward it will be the only one in the kitchen like that. the side panels...should they meet the countertop? the front is still going to stick out like a sore thumb.

I don't think you need to pull it forward-I don't think I would

There are two reasons that your fridge looks so shocking to you. One is that you don't have accessories out yet, so it's very stark. The other reason is that photos, magazines, books, and advertisements show lovely kitchens but they rarely even show the d^mn refrigerator! They are the hardest thing to deal with aesthetically b/c they are so large and hulking, and they are virtually ignored in all the kitchen eye candy. So when you're confronted with your own real-life functioning kitchen with a good size refrigerator, it's overwhelming!

An addition that you can consider after you move in is have a nicely customized "filler" installed between the cabinet/counter runs and the fridge. It doesn't have to be done right away, but you could add a lot of functionality if you used that space for some TALL cabinets with cubbies for wine bottle, coffee cups, cookbooks, or whatever suits your fancy.

Also, will you have seating at your island? The dimensions and placement of the island mirror the refrigerator, and that also emphasizes the big old cold box. An end panel on the most-visible end of the island would break that up, as would a colorful rug, nice dishtowels on a towel bar at that end of the island, or many other accessories that are just waiting to jump out of their boxes and come live in your lovely home.

You won't notice the front as much because the side panels encase it like a built in. You will only see the door and a little bit of the sides (so you can open the door). The panels should not be counterdepth since your refrigerator is not. They should be more like the depth of the refrigerator with clearance for the door. A kitchen store will give you the depth of panels that you need in accordance to the size of the refrigerator.

If your Dad can pull the top cabinet out, that would be great. This is good not only for looks but also easier reach. If you pull the top cab out you will only need side panels. I have never seen panels on top of the refrigerator and don't feel it would be necessary it you pull the top cab out.

The reason mine is counterdepth is because my refrigerator is. Am I explaining this okay to you? I know it gets a little confusing.

The reason why I know so much is because we gutted the builders grade kitchen after settlement of our new home.

lynnski - you're right about not showing them in magazines! Never really thought about that.

So this customized filler (notice i still have no idea what i'm going to do) i'm assuming i would have to actually take away from the counters and cabinets that's already there? seeing as the gap on each side is only about 1 1/2".

Ahh yes, the island. The cabinets are merillat. I did not expect them to have fake wood looking pieces on the ends and on the island. Here's a before pic. Had i of realized this ahead of time i would've ordered the panles. again, didn't think about it. was too busy picking out carpet colors.. :)
{{!gwi}}

SO the cheapest fix i found was to have my dad order some oak wood veneer to slap on it. That was just done a day or two ago and i don't like it. Shhh.... The oak is a lot lighter than what's on my cabinets. it's not like he was able to hand select it.. it was shipped. Different lightings it doesn't look so bad.
I do plan on putting seating at the island. The over hang is on the largest side and the end away from the fridge. How many barstools...? i have no idea. There's only two of us and only planning two kids. Plus, the barstools i like with the high fancy backs all are dark wook. I've yet to see a barstool with oak that wasn't all country looking. I also was planning on buying these from vandykes and having them put on the corners to spruce it up a bit. yeah the island is a whole nother thread in itself.
People really put towel bars on their island?

{{!gwi}}

OK wait a second....it's EASY EASY EASY to cut a hole in the wall behind the fridge and push it back into that hole (between the studs, and you'll need to frame in the one or two studs that get removed with a header). If your dad made the counter tops he can do this in an hour with a sawzall and 2x4's. You aren't pushing into the landry room...just right up against the back side of it's drywall. You'll gain 3 or 4 inches this way. Just trim out the edges with a matching wood trim to your cabs, or do a nice clean drywall finish on the edge.

I have counter debth fridges in both places because I hate the look of a big fat fridge. I know how you feel, but it's not a hard fix to get that space to work better...really. Talk to your dad or GC about it.

Do what igloochic said AND box it in.

igloochic - the appliance guy had to install a line for the icemaker yesterday. will pushing back into the wall be a messy issue with that or the electrical stuff. i didn't see any of that. it is drywall behind there.

I think it is fine the way it is. Fridges are just huge now. That's why I don't think I can ever part with our beautiful, creamy, curvaceous 1957 Norge fridge. We just learned to live without an icemaker. Cover it with magnets and no one will know it is there!

But I like les's idea about switching the placement of the fridge and its little top cabinet with the base and wall cabinet to the right. That way the fridge is next to the wall and isn't protuding really INTO the room.

It looks like you haven't done a backsplash yet, and if you haven't done the flooring already, it should be doable. The water hookup for the icemaker can be routed out the back of the cabinet and a longer line used. The only issue would be the countertop -- if you bring the far-right cabinet over next to the left cabinet, there will be a seam. And you may have to swap an outlet location.

Yes, you will have to move the electrical outlet back a little, but I don't know about your water line -- is it coming up through the floor? In any event, I agree with igloo -- recess it into the wall now -- much easier to get it over with now, rather than later. Your dad or your contractor should know how to do this without a problem. I wouldn't want to have my refrigerator sticking that far out, either -- you'll be gaining a few inches by pushing it back -- and this sounds like it would be the easiest fix for you.

Now that I've seen the pics it doesn't look as big as I had imagined from the initial post! I thing it really looks just fine.
It would never occur to me to examine the difference between the fridge depth and the counter depth--another indication that I'm way out of touch! We got the smallest fridge we could find that would still be functional mainly because we don't have a big kitchen. It's on a wall by itself, so counter-to-fridge depth is not an issue. We just didn't need a big one, and my only big concern was getting wire shelves for durability, as opposed to the clear plastic shelves which always seem a little too frail to me.

I wish I could have igloochic with me when I plan our kitchen remodel, she makes everything sound logical! That's all I'm saying...do it her way. ; )
Susan

Brutus is growing me. :) a little. i think we're going to see about recessing it back. Going to wait a little awhile. Almost have the c of o! i'll update when something happens with it!

We recessed our wall 3 - 4 inches and my fridge is flush with my cabinets. It really isn't a big deal. We did it before sheetrock, but because it will not show, I really don't think cutting the sheetrock out will be a big job.
But then what do I know?? I'm a girl!! (ha ha) My DH always says whats done is done. Thank goodness we did before sheetrock or I probably would have to live with it.