If the hinge side of the refrigerator is against a wall or other obstruction and the refrigerator is not a built-in that's designed for such a situation, then you will need to do one of two things:

1. Install a 12" wide cabinet b/w the wall and the refrigerator to provide room for the refrigerator to open fully for both access and cleaning.

2. Shorten the wall so it is no deeper than the carcass (box) of the refrigerator. This will allow the door to open into the doorway and will allow the refrigerator to be opened fully.

Any obstruction (cabinet, wall, counter, etc.) adjacent to the refrigerator should be no deeper than the carcass of the refrigerator - the doors must stick out past the obstruction(s).

In our case, we reduced the wall next to the refrigerator to 24" so we would not need to put a 12" cabinet b/w the wall and the refrigerator. We also "built-in" the refrigerator for a more custom look by:

• Installing 3/4" side panels on either side of the refrigerator (no deeper than the refrigerator carcass)

• Installing a full-depth (24" deep) cabinet above the refrigerator.

Here are a couple of pics:

Here is a link that might be useful: How to install a built-in refrigerator

Very helpful Buehl. Thank you.