would look fine.

Will you be able to reach the upper shelf if you make the cabinets 4" taller? Why are you changing the cabinets? Are you changing the layout? If not, those cabinets look nice to me, maybe change out the tops to a nice black soapstone with a stainless steel sink. I think that and new hardware would make it all pop.

Yes, the layout is changing a bit. The U is getting a little bigger to add a garbage cabinet next to the sink and the microwave is going into a shelf at the base of the wall cabinet next to the fridge for a little more work space. The cabinets are okay, basic builder grade. We’d like soft close drawers, pullout shelves, just a few upgrades. We’ve had this kitchen since 1998 and have taken good care of it but we’d like something a little nicer.

The extra height will give you room for things you don't use often. I have a deep cabinet over my frig I use for trays and platters. It is more accessable. Get all drawers or double cabinets with sliders for all your counter cabinets. It is so much easier to retrieve and put away items.

Why not add a panel to the right side?

"Will you be able to reach the upper shelf if you make the cabinets 4" taller?"

Most women can't reach past the second shelf, or even past the edge of the second shelf, without a stepstool regardless if the upper cabinet is 30", 36", or 42". So reaching a top shelf should not be a decision factor. I think taller upper cabinets will be a great improvement in the OP's kitchen, both for storage and aesthetically.

As to the cabinet over the refrigerator, absolutely make it as deep as the refrigerator. I don't know why that cabinet over the fridge cannot have a side panel on the exposed side. Even the most basic cabinet line can do that. Ask your designer again.

Good uses for that cabinet over the fridge are vertical storage for baking dishes, cookie sheets, and similar. Or what I like is half vertical storage and half regular storage for bulkier items like pitchers or deep platters. You can also do pull-out storage for easier access.

I like to use that side of the fridge to hang things with magnets. Just how I like to use it. And I have to use a step stool now to get to the top shelf anyway so the extra height isn’t going to be a problem. It would be a little bit of a reach to use a deeper fridge cabinet. The fridge is tall and I’m 5’2”, so I’d keep what I keep there now, paper plates, etc.

I would at least consider selecting cabinets that are 42" tall and selecting a deep over-the-fridge cabinet that starts at the face of the refrigerator.

Why no panel on the side??? I hate the black sides of the fridges.

This is how it might appear with the taller cabinets.

@BeverlyFLADeziner - the OP's ceiling is not high enough to fit 42" upper cabinets.

Your kitchen, your choices. But: for cleaner and updated look purposes, consider: A. losing the magnets, B. adding the side panel, C. counter depth refrigerator, D. 24” deep cabinet above fridge and E. taller cabinets. I know with vaulted ceilings it’s never easy, but I’d even go with 42” cabs, IF you have the space. True, you’d need to use a step stool to get to the very top, but who doesn’t have things that need to be used occasionally that can go up high? It is very rare to hear anyone say “oh, I’ve got way too many cabs, I wouldn’t know what to put in them”…..usually people have the opposite problem. If you don’t need extra storage at all, however, have plenty of space as things are now, you could keep things as they are. We have 10’ ceilings (not vaulted) and decided to take all cabs to the ceiling for a cleaner look….we are so glad we did! At the very top we have glass doors for display purposes, and the very top shelves in the cabs below that are not full at all, but I’m still glad I have the extra room for things I don’t use regularly, even if I need a stool to access those items. (I have shrunk down to 5’7”☹️ but can still reach the 3rd shelf on my tippy toes.) Good luck!

I don’t think a side panel (or not) would alter the cupboard‘s depth decision.

Maureen, I think the side panel question was re the DEPTH of the over-fridge cabinet, not the height….it’s a valid point.

2 more comments, then I’ll stop: 1. When someone says “I am redoing my kitchen, getting all new cabs” etc, PLEASE don’t ask them why and that you like their current kitchen….it is maddening! I cannot tell you how many times I heard such comments when we decided to redo our kitchen, it was very frustrating….I felt like I had to defend my decision to others constantly, even though WHY we were redoing our kitchen is nobody’s business….our house, our decision, our $$. I heard “I really like your current kitchen better”, or “why did you buy this house if all you do is change things?” etc, I got so darn tired of it. Our kitchen was orange-y, cabs not great quality, poorly laid out (esp for us), and the cabs stopped 2’ short of the ceiling….we wanted it changed, different, better; we certainly didn’t ask for anyone’s input or approval! The OP asked about cabinet height and depth of her fridge cab/side panel, not whether or not she should get new cabinets…she has made her decision to do that already. Vilma: another benefit of taller cabs might be this: IF you are trying to get some things off your counter (such as microwave, toaster oven etc), you could achieve this by customizing your cabs with open shelves in some places so those items could go there….just as an option.

coray, clearly you considered your kitchen remodel a very personal project, and any inquiries seen as an intrusion. But the OP has come to a public forum asking for help - which makes their project no longer a private matter.

I think an understanding of WHY someone wants to invest the time, effort, and money in a disruptive kitchen remodel can give folks a much better idea of what help is being requested. I tend to phrase it as "What are your goals for the remodel?", because when we remodeled our kitchen we had a number of very specific goals in mind.

So Vilma, what ARE your goals? Does your layout change include moving the cooktop off the peninsula and adding a hood? Your designer should be starting there.

Thanks Everyone for the opinions, ideas and images. All have helped.

So long as you get a skin or panel for the open side of the cabinet i think it will look fine.

M Miller, looks like there is 12" above the cabinets to me.

AnnKH: I can understand the “why?” question if someone is not sure….”should I or shouldn’t I, what’s everyone thinking?” The OP did not ask whether or not she should replace her cabs, simply had a few questions regarding size.

Vilma, I like to have the magnets on my fridge also. I do not like the look of those wood side panels around a fridge, It looks like you stuck it in the cardboard box it was shipped in. I do like the deep cabinet over the fridge for cookie sheets. However, I have the short cabinet and it is working well. I put my special baking supplies and cake decorating supplies there.

😁Sherry7bNorthAL, that’s funny! To me, it does look like that with the wooden panels too. After over 25 years here, believe me, we’ve talked about moving the range to get a hood. We never opted for just installing a suspended range hood because my husband absolutely dislikes the duct suspended overhead. It’s a small house and the vaulted ceiling gives it a more spacious feel and he doesn’t want to interfere with that space. We’ve managed so far without it, once we got smoke alarms that we could turn off, so it’s fine. We’ve thought about changing the floor plan because a U-shape is great for one cook but very challenging for two. Maybe open it up, add an island…our designer even drew out that option. But again, it’s a small space and we’d lose too much storage. Thought about a counter depth refrigerator but they just seemed too shallow for the aesthetic and I had a side by side that I really disliked for way too long. I love my French door fridge and since it’s only a little over a year old and almost paid off, I won’t be replacing it. But I think that we can do better with the cabinets and countertops and get a garbage cabinet. Currently I have a pullout that we added to the only base cabinet available to install one but it’s 24” wide and such a waste of that space. So, we’re opting to open the U a few inches to accommodate a 12 inch trash pullout next to the sink. I appreciate the opinions on increasing the height of the cabinets. I’m worried that it will be a lot of wood in a small space, especially since our maple dining set is right on the other side of the pony wall, so I’m thinking about white painted cabinets above and stained wood bases. Thoughts? P.S. Keeping the pony wall. People love to sit and watch as I cook and I know that a level counter is more on trend but I don’t like the range so easily accessible from the dining side. Plus, it hides the mess in the kitchen when we eat at the table. 😁

Is there any way to put in the duct work for a down draft range?

"People love to sit and watch as I cook and I know that a level counter is more on trend but I don’t like the range so easily accessible from the dining side. Plus, it hides the mess in the kitchen when we eat at the table." That was always my thought.

Oh boy, we went back and forth with that one. But the reviews on its efficacy weren’t great and reviews from friends and family weren’t much better. We decided instead to spend the money on a new induction range, which we LOVE, and open the window or grill outside.

I did not read through all the notes, but you will need the panel to support the deeper cabinet. It will hold a lot of items and can't project out that far without support. For my customers who like magnets, I tell them to purchase a piece of magnet board and tack it to the side of the panel - easy peasy.

The extra height of the cabinets will be nice as you configure the shelves to fit your items. My kitchen now only has 30" high cabinets and I can't tell you how many times I wish I had those few extra inches of height because things won't fit where I want them to go.

Good luck!

Her cabinet can go against the side and back wall, that should be plenty for a few cookie sheets.

Absolutely go deeper. It looks like a mistake to have it that shallow. And you can put things up there that use infrequently and get a lot of storage out of it. I think it is going to look cheap and like you forgot to add a panel without one on the side of your fridge. It is really easy to put up a magnet strip or magnet board so you can still enjoy using it as you do now and make your cabinetry look complete. Congrats on the redo after 25 years.

I do not think that most of you realize that I, at least grew up without that stupid panel, and it looks odd. I will never like it and even though the rest of the kitchen looks fine, that box around the fridge looks contrived.

ETA: I am not alone. If your generation likes it, fine, but I hate it.

I strongly agree with the posters who recommend adding a side panel to the fridge and putting in an upper cabinet that is the depth of the refrigerator (and taller than current cabinets). Put in vertical dividers for the most useful, accessible storage. Have your contractor make a neatly trimmed bulletin board for the side panel to use instead of magnets on the fridge. I did this when we renovated the kitchen in our previous house and it was genius.

"I, at least grew up without that stupid panel...If your generation likes it, fine, but I hate it."

I disagree with @Sherry8aNorthAL about the refrigerator side panel. And I have no idea what her age or generation has to do with it. I am betting that I am in her generation, and cannot imagine why finishing off a side of a refrigerator - which is a black unfinished side because that is how refrigerators are made today - I have no idea why she deems it "stupid" and why she "hates" a side panel. Such vehemence against a piece of carpentry?

The cabinet above the refrigerator provides storage that is deeper than other cabinets in the kitchen, which is a valuable addition, so I would get it, without question. I'd also get the fridge side panel.

@Debbi Washburn pointed out that the side panel can provide support for the cabinet above the fridge. But the cabinet is actually supported by screws going into at least two studs, the way all upper cabinets are supported. But because the cabinet over the fridge will be much deeper at about 24" than typical upper cabinets, the side panel's extra support helps with that. I for one would not want to risk loading a 24" deep upper cabinet without as much support as it should get.

Good point about the weight bearing. I check with the designer. Thanks!

My last house had the cabinets above the refrigerator that were flush with the front of the fridge and deep enough to store cookie sheets, etc. in the slotted format. Loved it because it was easy to use and practical.

The third photo that M Miller posted at the beginning of this thread (with the pullout above the fridge) is my previous kitchen! Imagine how silly that cabinet would look without a side panel.

Our current kitchen was built in 1995, and while there is no side panel, the cabinet above the fridge is deeper than the wall cabs. I plan to remodel the kitchen in a couple of years, and will definitely have a side panel on the fridge. I currently have a magnetic white board on the side of the fridge with our weekly schedule; with a side panel, I'll add a bulletin board as Caroline O suggested.

Show me a photo of an original 1950 to 1970 house with a side panel and deep cabinet over the fridge. All my houses have short cabinets and no panel. I keep plants and flowers on top of my fridge.

The side of my fridge is black and the front is black. They match. If I ever have to redo the kitchen, that is how it will be done.

Hmmm. A cabinet over the fridge that stops at the door gasket would be about 30” deep, which it needs to be for me to be able to reach cookie sheets without a step ladder. And I’m not sure I understand what the the point would be of side panels if they don’t completely cover the sides of the refrigerator, minus the doors. So…add that to the additional height to match 42” tall wall cabinets, and it would be the biggest cabinet in the whole kitchen! I beginning to really appreciate the builder’s choices. 😜

"Hmmm. A cabinet over the fridge that stops at the door gasket would be about 30” deep, which it needs to be for me to be able to reach cookie sheets without a step ladder."

As I mentioned near the top of this thread, the reality is that the average woman will need a stepstool for anything above the second shelf level regardless. So I would not let needing a stepstool govern your decision, since you will need one for a cabinet above the fridge in any case. You will probably be able to slide a cookie sheet or baking sheet out with your fingertips without a stepstool, but if there is a pitcher up there or something heavy you want to retrieve, you will need the stepstool.

As to 30" deep, I realize you said earlier you aren't going with a counterdepth fridge, but perhaps think that through a bit more. Another thing to think about is that some kitchens have some space behind the drywall where the fridge will go, so that you can carve out a few inches out of the drywall behind the fridge to set your fridge a little deeper into the wall. That has been done by a number of Kitchens Forum people.

Edited to add: just making sure you know that the depth of the cabinet above the fridge should be the same depth as the fridge without the doors. In other words, the doors of the fridge will not be covered by the cabinet above it. The fridge doors also have to be "proud" of the cabinet panel - that is so that the doors can open.

I have a cabinet over my refrigerator that is as deep as the frige. I think it looks fine.

It’s been suggested that I extend the height of my cabinets to 36” so that the new ones don’t look so squat. The current cabinets are 32”.

I don't think 4" is going to make a very big difference -- but you're replacing the cabinets regardless, right? Usually I'd say go to the ceiling, but the vault makes that difficult.

Would a deeper cabinet without side panels look strange?

No, not strange.

2 more comments, then I’ll stop: 1. When someone says “I am redoing my kitchen, getting all new cabs” etc, PLEASE don’t ask them why and that you like their current kitchen….it is maddening!

When you articulate your reasons, you solidify them and focus your goals. If that's difficult, it might be right to question your plans.

Keeping the pony wall. People love to sit and watch as I cook and I know that a level counter is more on trend but I don’t like the range so easily accessible from the dining side. Plus, it hides the mess in the kitchen when we eat at the table.

Never do anything because it's trendy -- they come and go. Sounds like you've thought out why you want something that's not currently popular, and your reasoning is solid.

@Debbi Washburn pointed out that the side panel can provide support for the cabinet above the fridge.

This would really be a question for the carpenter /cabinet maker, but it seems to me that if you bring the cabinet forward so it covers the whole of the refrigerator, support on the forward corner would be a positive. In this case, the cabinet is under the vault, so it cannot be connected to the ceiling. I'm ambivalent about the concept, but it looks like this upper cabinet would benefit from the support of a side panel.

My last house had the cabinets above the refrigerator that were flush with the front of the fridge and deep enough to store cookie sheets, etc. in the slotted format. Loved it because it was easy to use and practical.

I would love this -- looks so organized and convenient, but being just under 5' tall, keeping everyday things over the fridge isn't for me.

@duli has the best reason for a side panel!

Mrs Pete: I did not ask people for advice when it came to my kitchen, nor did I need it. We lived with the old kitchen for 5 years and had been thinking about the remodel for almost that entire time…..I very well COULD explain why we were doing it, but felt I SHOULDN’T have to justify it…my kitchen, my $$ spent. My point was simply that when people post a photo and ask about a specific item, having already decided to remodel, then no one needs to tell them they “don’t need to because I (random person several states away) like your kitchen as it is currently.”

@Vilma, yes to fridge depth cabinetry. Is your Kit 8’x9’? Or 8’x10’? All the narrow cabinetry is making your small kitchen look and feel even more cramped. Trick the eye with full overlay or inset cabinet fronts and fewer but wider cabinetry and full height pantry. On cooktop wall, trending now is covering hood fan and duct in drywall and painting it same color as the wall. For 8x9 kitchen, you get 5’ counter prep space along fridge wall and 4’ 6”along cooktop wall.

M Miller, thanks for the idea of carving out space behind the fridge to set it in deeper. My current fridge is new and I opted not to get a counter depth, function over form on that one. I’d only need an inch or inch-and -a-half to set it behind the wall on the left of it, not including the doors, of course.

Marylut, wow, thanks for the rendering. It’s not exactly my kitchen in that the range is not against a wall but open to the dining room. But it inspires me to check out kitchen layout apps to do my own (crude) elevations. Any suggestions? What do you use?

Try the free easy to learn kitchen planner at Cabinets.com. https://www.cabinets.com/createkitchen/guided-design I use the free app for iPad called Interior Design for iPad. For mood board, I use free app Morpholio

coray:

When you come here, you get what you get for advice. You don't get to second-guess.

sooo hard to access cabs over fridges. how about a really big round storage basket instead?

I agree with others about not storing everyday items over the fridge. I store big light-weight items over the fridge like bread, cake and bundt pans. Cookie sheets and cutting boards are stored in a tray base cabinet for easy access.

Treat all your cabs as real estate, the most-used items go in prime real estate of countertop, bottom shelf of upper cabs, and top drawers/shelves of lower cabs - in location closest to where it is used. Relocate everything not deserving prime real estate. Next, lightest items go above your shoulders because heavy objects are easier/safer to lift than to bring down. Finally, rarely-used items go in hard to reach places.