7 Reasons to install a Refrigerator Trim Kit in your Kitchen
Sam on Aug 3rd 2022
Experts agree the kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s the family hub. It’s where meals are created and shared. It’s where we spend the bulk of our time. It’s what matters most to buyers when it’s time to sell. Why not make it look great?
A refrigerator trim kit is a set of decorative metal trim panels which are installed around a refrigerator to give it a built-in look. They can be used when building or remodeling a new kitchen as well as customized to fit existing cabinets.
In this post we’ll share seven reasons you should consider adding a trim kit to your kitchen.
Table of contents:
Reason #1: Get rid of those ugly gaps around your refrigerator
Reason #2: Save thousands vs. a traditional built-in
Reason #3: Replace a dying built-in refrigerator with a freestanding refrigerator
Reason #4: Build your own 48", 60", or 72" wide double refrigerator
Reason #5: Future proof your kitchen
Reason #6: A DIY Built-in Refrigerator is better than a standard built-in or integrated refrigerator
Reason #7: Boost your home value
Reason #1: Get rid of those ugly gaps around your refrigerator
In most kitchens throughout America, the refrigerator looks like an afterthought. While other appliances get fancy trim kits or perfect cutouts, the largest appliance in the room sticks out like a sore thumb.
Why is this? Why do refrigerators have ugly, uneven gaps around them? Below are few reasons, and they may surprise you.
The first reason is that refrigerators vary in height, width, and clearance requirements (a lot). We’ve reviewed hundreds of refrigerator spec sheets and below is what we’ve found. For typical freestanding refrigerators, width varies from 35-1/2” to 36” and height varies from 69-1/2” to 72”. Clearance requirements range from 1/8” to as large as 2-1/2”. So how do you build a refrigerator cabinet to accommodate this wide range of sizes and clearance requirements? The answer…you build a cabinet large enough to accommodate any of them.
The second reason is there is no standard refrigerator cabinet size. With so much variation in refrigerator sizes, it sort of makes sense you’d see variation in cabinet sizes. After reviewing hundreds of customer-provided photos and having lots of conversations with contractors, we can tell you each contractor does things a bit differently. One may make the cabinet 36” x 72”, while the next builds theirs 38” x 76”.
The third and final reason is the difference between spec homes and custom homes. With custom homes, the builder typically has an involved client and knows which refrigerator will be going into the cabinet. This allows home builders to use the cut out dimensions provided by the refrigerator manufacturer for their sizing. Spec homes are often times sold without a refrigerator and therefore the opening must be sized to accommodate any refrigerator the future buyer wishes to choose.
At Refrigerator Trim Kits, we are on a mission to make refrigerators look like they belong. In fact, we think by getting rid of ugly, uneven gaps surrounding most refrigerators they can become the centerpiece of the kitchen.
Just What We Were Looking For
We were looking for something to cover the gaps between our refrigerator and our newly refinished kitchen cabinets when we came across this product. It looked promising, so we gave it a shot and we're glad we did. It looks great and the installation was a breeze. I highly recommend this product for those looking to achieve the built-in look with a standard refrigerator.
Leslie Ann Nilsen
Reason #2: Save thousands vs. a traditional built-in
Built-in refrigerators such as Thermador, SubZero, or Viking typically cost between $8,000 and $14,000. A typical freestanding refrigerator costs between $1,500 and $3,500.
Below is a photo with two beautiful kitchens – one has a $3,900 refrigerator (including the price of the trim kit) and the other has a $13,500 refrigerator. That’s almost $10,000…enough to buy that nice hot tub you’ve been wanting. As you can see, both refrigerators achieve that high-end look the client was after.
Trim Kit for Bosch refrigerator
The refrigerator trim kit transformed our new Bosch refrigerator and gave our remodeled kitchen a refined, high-end look. The trim kit provides a built-in, professional appearance like you would find with a Viking or Sub Zero refrigerator. The existing cabinetry around our refrigerator could not accommodate a standard trim kit, nor could it be altered so Sam worked with us to custom make a kit that fit beautifully. Throughout the process he was responsive in our communications and easy to collaborate with. We had the sense that he was invested in us having a solution and the result we were looking for. We could not be happier with our trim kit, and the personalized, customer service we received!
Kristine N.
Reason #3: Replace a dying built-in refrigerator with a freestanding refrigerator
A comment we hear often goes something like this… “My old built-in refrigerator is dying, and I don’t want to spend $12,000 to replace it. Can your trim kit be used to replace it with a regular fridge?”. Yes, it can!
We have worked with many customers who use our trim kits to fill all or part of the existing gaps around their old refrigerator. Below are two examples.
For this project, the customer used our trim kit combined with cabinet panels to fill in the gaps and achieve the built-in look he was after.
For the next project, our trim kit was used to fill the entire gap left by an old built-in.
Awesome Product!
We replaced our Sub-Zero and needed to fill in a large space with our new refrigerator. This trim kit worked perfectly with our new cabinet and gave us an awesome built-in look! It’s absolutely stunning. Everyone that comes over loves it! Sam was an amazing help and gave us top notch service with every question answered (even included awesome videos explaining everything). I would recommend this company and product to all my friends! Thank you again for such a great experience! World class customer service AND product. Highly recommended!
Jack Tarantino
Reason #4: Build your own 48", 60", or 72" wide double refrigerator
Large refrigerator freezer combo units are common in high-end homes. Families love the extra refrigerator and freezer space provided by these large built-in appliances.
With our custom kits, it’s easy to create your own refrigerator freezer combo – often for less money, better reliability, and more flexibility when in comes time for replacement in the future. Below are some photos of projects completed by our customers.
For the project below, Robert installed two 31” Hisense refrigerators side by side. Total cost for this refrigerator freezer combo (including our kit) was less than $3,000.
In the project below, the customer paired two Samsung 24” refrigerators together to make a 48” unit. Total cost for this project was under $2,500.
In the photo below, our customer installed two LG 33” refrigerators for a total storage volume of 52 cubic feet! The cost for this refrigerator freezer combo, including our kit, was less than $3,800. For comparison, the Frigidaire column refrigerators cost over $7,400 and have about 37 cubic feet of storage.
There are a lot of refrigerators on the market which work well for this application, but if you’d like help planning your DIY refrigerator freezer combo don’t hesitate to reach out.
Exceeded Expectations!
I have never had greater customer service than the one I received from Sam at Refrigerator Trim Kits. A true professional. He helped create a refrigerator trim kit that turned the two refrigerators that I bought for $2,000 at Lowes into a $10,000 subzero unit. I cannot express the level of ease and attention to detail this company provided in installing my kit. So happy with the result! It really exceeded my expectations in every way! I would not hesitate to recommend refrigerator trim kits to anyone! Changed the entire look of my kitchen and it was so easy to install!
Robert Carnicella
Reason #5: Future proof your kitchen
When planning your new kitchen, the last thing on your mind is the imminent failure of your new refrigerator. It’s brand new and has many years left, so why would you worry about it? Because one day it will fail and if not planned for, the replacement can be a huge headache.
We know this from talking with hundreds of customers who are in this predicament. Their old free standing or built-in refrigerator used to fit their space perfectly, but the new models don’t fit the old opening or are incredibly expensive.
Our refrigerator trim kits allow the refrigerator cabinet to be slightly oversized, yet still achieve a seamless built-in look. That means when your refrigerator fails you can easily choose from hundreds of makes and models on the market. This can save you thousands of dollars as wells as ensure you maintain the look of your beautiful kitchen.
Reason #6: A DIY Built-in Refrigerator is better than a standard built-in or integrated refrigerator
Built-in and integrated refrigerators are installed in high end kitchens throughout North America. They used to provide better cooling, longer life, and improved humidity control, but modern free standing refrigerators have come a long way over the past 20 years. It’s now more about the “look and feel” than it is the function.
In the chart below, we explain the differences between a DIY Built-in Refrigerator, Standard refrigerator, and integrated refrigerator.
As you can see from the comparison chart, a DIY Built-in refrigerator is superior in almost every category.
Reason #7: Boost your home value
Last, but not least is the boost in home value you get from installing a refrigerator trim kit. This doesn’t apply to every neighborhood or home, but in many cases, the look and feel of high end appliances can help a home sale faster and for more money. As one Houzz user commented “Buyers know quality when they see it, and when they see it in your kitchen, they apply it to the rest of your home.” If you were a buyer, which would you prefer?
I hope you’ve enjoyed learning the reasons why you should install a Refrigerator Trim Kit in your Kitchen. If you want to learn more about our trim kits or get help with your kitchen, we are always here and ready to help.