Functionally, I like the Kenmore. If you go with a freezer bottom, I would definitely not go with a swing door, but would choose a pull out.

Reaching into a bottom freezer is great if you can squat over and over again, but still, it's ergonomically less desirable. Just seeing what's in back there is going to be difficult.

I'd also go with Stainless, but think white could work, too. Personal choice call there, imo.

Do you live near a Sears Outlet? I got a 36" counter depth Kitchenaid panel-ready fridge there new off the floor w/a couple dings for $900. It's a $3k+ fridge. There also used to be a Pacific Sales outlet not too far. You might be able to get a decent deal on counter-depth which will probably be better in the space.

I like the look of the GE. Does it come in interesting colors? :)

It won't be as annoying to have it stick out since it's against a wall...

1929, I pretty much can't find a counterdepth that fits in the space! They all seem to be French door which won't work with the wall there. Well, except for a couple of 24 inch wide models, but that's smaller than I'd like to go with this as the only refrigerator and a teenage boy in the house. There's a fisher Paykel that sells for around 2k, which is pricey and I don't know that there's service for it. No Pacific Sales in our new state. We won't have time to shop really--moving in with two kids and no refrigerator just won't work. I am actually trying to buy now and have a family member who lives in our new city take delivery for us.

Fori, it comes in white and black. Other colors would be fun! But I'd be happy with the looks of the white.

Ok. Then I'd go with the Kenmore, but only after checking the reviews. If they suck, my second d choice would be the GE in white as long as it's in a similar color range as the cabinets - meaning both warm or both cool white.

Here's a thought. You can gain about 3 inches in depth by recessing the fridge. Just google recess+refrigerator+depth+gardenweb and check it out. I did just that and our LG looks built in, kinda. I dont think it will be expensive. Be sure to get a plug that is flat or otherwise will accomplish the deed. Your kitchen looks very pretty. Is that a pantry door?

Recessing it would mean reworking the wall behind it--I think they would even have to remove cabinets to do it, wouldn't they? I looked into that with our current ktichen and my GC quoted me a grand to open up the wall (that wall wasn't otherwise being disturbed) and redo the studs. That kind of money (though I admit it might be less money for labor in our new location) and mess just isn't possible at this point.

It is a pantry door! One of the upsides of the new kitchen. I have never had a pantry before. I'm envisioning Costco runs. :)

Many fridges have the option of a left-hinged door. If you get that, you won't have the fridge door banging up against the wall when it's opened. I don't think they're more expensive, but may have to be ordered rather than be immediately available. But maybe that will take just a couple days more.

i think the Sears website and maybe the ajmadison website lets you sort fridges that have a left-hinge option, but am not sure. The brands' websites will tell you.

Have you seen the artistry in person? It's pretty junky inside, IMHO. That whole line seems geared for young buyers who value style over quality. Too bad, because they are nice looking on the outside.

The side the hinge is on isn't a constraint here. All of the refrigerators I am considering can have the hinge on the left, which is my plan. Obviously not ideal to swing the "wrong" way, but at least then I can get bins out to clean. This is why I am only looking at single door models.

No, I have not seen any of these in person.

Do you need a freezer? I love my Frigidaire all-fridge. If your pantry is big enough, maybe a freezer could fit? You left the Bay area?

I'm even more envious of your pantry now that I see the pocket door.

I'd go for the top-mount, which I vastly prefer and are usually cheaper to boot.

I am leaving the Bay Area very soon. New house is outside the Bay Area.

I do need a freezer and I do not want a separate freezer, both space and cost constraints.

I know! A pantry with a pocket door. It almost makes up for this stupid refrigerator space. I feel like tracking down the "designer" and explaining why she or he should never ever do this again.

cawaps, would you go white or stainless?

Is this the Fisher Paykel?

https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/E522BRE5.html

Cluelessincolorado, yes. Although I was looking at the stainless steel version with the drawer freezer which bumps the list price up to basically 2k.

No advice on specific models but thought I'd chime in to say you may still be able to get a fridge that opens the "right" way for your layout (hinge on right). I had this exact situation in a previous house. We put in a Fisher Paykel fridge (36" counter depth into a 37" hole). Only one drawer wouldn't come all the way out but then I realized that when I removed it's partner (they were 1/2 width), I could then slide the other over and take it out to clean. It opened far enough to use on a daily basis. Having a fridge door that opens the wrong way would really bother me, a personal deal breaker. Because you have a wider opening than most of the options you're considering, you can put the fridge all the way to the left leaving a few inches of space on the right. Fill this in with trim just behind the hinges (as forward as possible, as close in line with cabinets above as the fridge will allow) so that you don't have a big black hole at the wall side but still a bit more clearance for the door to open towards the wall. Every inch counts and I'm sure you can make this work even with the right 33" fridge.

People made similar comments on my previous thread. Unfortunately that spec does not seem readily available. My current refrigerator needs nineteen inches to get the bins open more than a couple of inches (they don't slide over). I live chatted with GE and they said I need 55 inches total for the refrigerator and door swing. I tried emailing lg and I got a non-answer about clearance for air circulation--not sure if it was a completely automated response or someone who didn't really speak English.

Get white. SS is SUCH a PITA.

IF You can swing it, believe it or not, the dual compressor refrigerators (SubZero, Thermador, Bosch, etc.) are worth every dime, IMO.

tibbrix, nope not in budget.

I always prefer white appliances.

I am not understanding why you think that the door swing is a non-issue. I see a wall and that the installation instructions for the GE artistry say that the refrigerator only needs an 1/8" of air space around it but buried deep in the manual is the additional information that in order for you to pull out the drawer, you have to swing the door open to 155° that's quite a swing, it's almost the width of the refrigerator door again you do not appear to have 45" of space there. I could not see how wide the door swing has to be on the Kenmore model, but it probably has to be more than 85° which is about how far you will be able to open it before its handle hits the wall.

I would definitely pick the refrigerator on top.

If you think that stainless is really the way to go looks wise I would still go find it in real life and touch it and see if it picks up your fingerprints. If it does there's no conditions under which I would buy it. You just don't need to spend your life polishing the fridge.

The handle on the GE refrigerator is coming all the way to the center of the door that is going to impact how far the door goes out before some part of the door hits the wall.

The F&P fridge is really great but the freezer presumes that you are buying frozen goods they come in boxes. It's quite limiting.

The door swing is not an issue because I am planning to have the hinge on the left. So the door would not swing into the wall.

I don't necessarily think stainless is the way to go. I said in my first post I like white appliances better. But with everything else being stainless, I'm not sure about how the mix would look.

Re mixed finishes on appliances. I was planning to switch all my white appliances to stainless. I got new stainless DW and fridge, and then realized I got stainless out of my system. My stove is white and I no longer desire to replace it. Guests in my house may think I have non-matching appliances, but what do I care what they think? :) I don't even notice it.

And as for a stainless fridge, if you use its handles, it looks fine.

https://www.ajmadison.com/ajmadison/itemdocs/E522B5uc.pdf

see page six, measurement J

I promise, I have no connection with this brand! Just seemed to work with your constraints and it has a $100 rebate ;)

Well, I placed my order.

I went with samsung's counter depth french door model. I was able to see it in person and I believe I will be able to open the right door far enough to access the right vegetable bin pretty well, though cleaning beneath it will require moving the refrigerator. In the end I was swayed by it being counter depth--I really didn't want the refrigerator sticking out a bunch from the cabinet box. It had mostly very good reviews online.

Also it was a Black Friday special so I got it for under 1k, which fit my budget nicely.

I do have thirty days after delivery to return so if it is a dreadful mistake, I have some remedy.

Thanks for all the suggestions and help trying to sort out this challenging refrigerator space.

crl- no help here, but wanted to chime in and say congratulations on the new home! Congrats on your Black Friday special:) I like the vertical backsplash, but wanted to add that you could always add a pop, with your lovely neutral palette.

Whichever you choose, I will choose the ones with the freezer at the bottom. I made a mistake many years ago and bought on a whim with the freezer at the top. It was very inconvenient and I've hated it for years. You use the refrigerator much more than your freezer and it will save you the headaches when looking for stuff and your back will thank you for it.

oldbat2be,

Thanks! I'm planning to replace those pendants (too much glare) with these:

And I am planning to use these blue counter stools.

The first floor is open plan and I'm planning to have blue accents run throughout the space.

Get the first one listed. Stainless for sure.

My SS fridge does not show prints, but then again, we only put our hands on the handles. It's been VERY easy to care for.

I thought about white appliances when we did our kitchen, but DH nixed the idea. I'm happy with our SS, I have to say ;-)

LOVE the pendants. Agree about glare. I don't want to stare directly into a bulb.

I don't know if you would consider this, but when we had the fridge against a wall, we bought a smaller/narrower french door. It's a KA Architect II that is 30" wide. We were able to open the right-side door without issue.

We're still using it now, even though we now have a 36x72 area and no longer have the wall issue.