SZ and a 55K appliance budget. In a 350K kitchen. In a 2M+ house.

Hi Zumi. I'm not sure I understand your comment.

Panel ready appliances are a luxury option. If you are having sticker shock at the appliance cost wait until the fridge panels end up being the most expensive line item on your cabinet order, and the installers want that cost again to install them. Oh and the fight between the gc, cabinet guys, and appliance guys on who actually has to install and level the fridge. I’m exaggerating a tad (but not much). I do paneled dws all the time because it’s just one panel. I don’t hide fridges the same way I don’t hide TVs. We all have them so why pretend we don’t? Obviously if you want a paneled fridge have at it, they can look great, but expect one added cost after another.

That makes so much sense. I realky like a clean, modern look. Simplistic. wanting paneled refridgerator is mostly because it fits the style I am aiming for. My husband is a general contractor, so fortunely he does the work - however he doesn’t have experience with this particular trait.

SubZero sets the standard for integrated appliances. But you just described wanting a 25K+ expense for just the refrigeration.

I'm in the process of getting a SubZero with cabinet panels. The panel ready fridge was actually less than stainless and with the added expense of cabinet panels and hardware it was about the same as stainless. I wasn't initially going to get panels but I'm not a fan of stainless - especially large swaths of it. It won't be an integrated model. I don't feel the need to disguise my fridge, just don't care for stainless. I'm pretty confident Ferguson and my cabinet maker work well together. Cabinet maker specifically stated they don't install the panels and Ferguson specifically stated they will do so for $300.

Thank yoi. I’ll give Ferguson a look!

"I am finding that panel ready is more expensive than stainless steel."

That's because the panel-ready models are all built-in and are specialty products. But you can get free-standing, stainless steel column sets with trim kits for far less, $4100 to $6700.