Just wanted to share something that worked well in my kitchen Reno in case someone else could find it useful. This was mostly a DIY Ikea cabinet installation but I did hire the incredibly talented Beth Van Deusen of Van Deusen Designs to create my floor plan. I asked her to minimize the amount of fill so I could maximize cabinet space. This is not an easy ask with Ikea cabinets because their sizes are fixed but Beth managed to meet that requirement to a tee. (She also improved upon the footprint to a degree unimaginable to me but more about that in a future post when the Reno is 100% done.) Unfortunately, post floor plan phase, I selected a range hood that would have left me with no room to install the Ikea end panels designed to cover and protect the exposed side of the wall cabinets flanking the hood. I realized this as I was interviewing my finish carpenter and he suggested that I glue stainless steel panels to the cabinet box. Brilliant! His solution was easy to execute, it protects the cabinets and, IMO, makes them more aesthetically pleasing. Hope this is helpful!