As we mentioned in our post "7 Reasons to Install a Refrigerator Trim Kit in your Kitchen", reason number three is Replace a dying built-in refrigerator with a freestanding refrigerator.  In this guide, we will provide more details regarding how to replace a built in fridge with a free standing fridge.  

If you're considering replacing your built-in refrigerator with a free-standing one, you're in luck. Our trim kits make this a simple process, as demonstrated by the examples shared in this post. Some reasons you might want to consider this conversion include lower up-front cost, lower maintenance costs, greater selection, and higher energy efficiency.

In this post, we will share some examples and dive into the specifics of how to replace a built in refrigerator with a freestanding refrigerator.

Quick Links

The benefits of converting from a built-in refrigerator to a freestanding refrigerator

How to replace a 36" wide built-in refrigerator with a 36" wide free-standing refrigerator

How to replace a 42" built-in refrigerator with a 36" wide free-standing refrigerator

How to replace a 48" wide built-in refrigerator with two 24" column refrigerators

How to replace a 62" wide double refrigerator with two 31" free-standing refrigerators

The benefits of converting to a freestanding refrigerator

It's worth noting the many benefits of converting from a built-in refrigerator to freestanding refrigerator.  In the chart below, we explain how to replace a built in fridge with a free standing fridge and the differences between a DIY Built-in Refrigerator, Standard refrigerator, and integrated refrigerator.  

click image to enlarge

How to replace a 36" wide built-in refrigerator with a 36" wide free-standing refrigerator

Since the widths are similar, replacing a 36" wide built-in refrigerator with a 36" freestanding refrigerator is fairly straightforward.  A few things to consider when purchasing your new refrigerator are:

Refrigerator height:  70" or 72" are most common

Refrigerator look and feel: For the built-in look, we recommend clean, straight lines if possible.  

36" wide built-in refrigerator with a counter depth freestanding Samsung refrigerator.  The kit is a full kit with a proud mount top grille, bright finish

Door thickness and hinge configuration:  If space is important to you or you have a layout which can't accommodate a protruding refrigerator, you may want to pay close attention to door thickness when shopping.  For example, a Kitchenaid KRFC302ESS has 21.8 cubic feet of storage volume and doors which are only 3-1/8" thick, while a Bosch 800 series refrigerator has 20.8 cubic feet of storage volume and doors which are 4-3/4" thick.

36" Built-In refrigerator replaced with freestanding Kitchenaid refrigerator.  Trim kit is "Top trim only with side pieces", bright finish.

Depth:  Most homeowners will need to shop for a counter depth 36" wide refrigerator.  Built-in refrigerator cabinets are quite shallow at 24" deep, so you will want to confirm the case of the refrigerator you are considering is 24" or less.  Otherwise, the case will stick out past the counter into the room.  If you have trouble finding a unit with a case 24" or less, contact us and we can potentially buy you a little more space by altering the side pieces of our trim kit.  

Lastly, below is a video which shows how to replace a built in fridge with a free standing fridge and which describes what to look for in a freestanding refrigerator.

How to replace a 42" Built-in Refrigerator with a 36" wide Freestanding Refrigerator

When replacing a 42" wide built-in refrigerator with a 36" freestanding refrigerator, you will have approximately a 3" gap on each side to fill and a 12"-14" gap on top to fill. You will need to decide if you would like to fill in all of these gaps with decorative metal trim (our trim kit) or a mix of cabinet trim and decorative metal trim.  Below are examples of how to replace a built in fridge with a free standing fridge for each scenario.

Bosch 36" refrigerator with using decorative metal trim to fill in 3" side gaps and 12" top gap.  Trim kit is flush mount, bright finish.

 Two Bertazzoni refrigerators replacing two GE Monogram refrigerators - louvered grille, proud mount, bright finish

Bosch 36" refrigerator using a mix of decorative metal trim and cabinet trim to fill in 3" side gaps and 12" top gap.  Trim kit is flush mount, bright finish.

Next up in how to replace a built in fridge with a free standing fridge, we will move on to a few things you'll want to consider when purchasing a replacement freestanding refrigerator:

Refrigerator height:  70" or 72" are most common

Refrigerator look and feel: For the built-in look, we recommend clean, straight lines if possible.  

Door thickness and hinge configuration:  If space is important to you or you have a layout which can't accommodate a protruding refrigerator, you may want to pay close attention to door thickness when shopping.  For example, a Kitchenaid KRFC302ESS has 21.8 cubic feet of storage volume and doors which are only 3-1/8" thick, while a Bosch 800 series refrigerator has 20.8 cubic feet of storage volume and doors which are 4-3/4" thick.

Depth:  Most homeowners will need to shop for a counter depth 36" wide refrigerator.  Built-in refrigerator cabinets are quite shallow at 24" deep, so you will want to confirm the case of the refrigerator you are considering is 24" or less.  Otherwise, the case will stick out past the counter into the room (as shown below).  If you have trouble finding a unit with a case 24" or less, contact us and we can potentially buy you a little more space by altering the side pieces of our trim kit.  

Lastly, below is a video we which describes what to look for in a freestanding refrigerator

How to replace a 48" wide built-in refrigerator with two 24" column refrigerators

If you have an existing 48" built-in refrigerator, one of the best options is to replace it with two freestanding 24" "column" refrigerators. Installation is pretty straightforward since the size of the opening so closely matches the new refrigerators.  The first step is select your replacement refrigerators.  There are several makes and models to choose from.  Below are a few notable options:

- LG LRBCC1204S

- Samsung RZ11M7074SA

- Bertazzoni REF24BMFXNVL

- Summit FFBF249SS

- GE GLE12HSPSS

- Liebherr CS1210
 

Once you have purchased the refrigerators and installed them into the opening, the next step is to measure the gaps for your trim kit.  Measuring instructions and product options can be found here.

Below are some example conversion projects which show examples of how to replace a built in fridge with a free standing fridge.

A pair of 24" Liebherr refrigerators with a flush mount, bright finish trim kit

A pair of 24" Samsung refrigerators with a flush mount, matte finish trim kit

How to replace a 62" wide double refrigerator with two 31" free-standing refrigerators

Large double refrigerator freezer combos are great for families, but replacing them can be a challenge.  Prices have gone up dramatically in the past few years and your cabinet opening may not leave you with many choices.  The good news is with our trim kits you can shop from many models and still achieve the same built-in look you had.  Below are few models we are aware of:

 - Fisher & Paykel RF170WDXX5

- Bertazzoni REF31BMFXL

- Hisense HRB171N6ASE

- GE GBE17HYRFS

If you'd like to downsize to a pair of 28" wide refrigerators this is also an option.  Below are few 28" model worth considering:

- Samsung RT16A6195SR

- LG LBNC15231V

- Forte F15TFRESSS

- Frigidaire FFHT1425VV

- Summit FFBF279SS

- Beko BFBF2715SS

Once you have purchased the refrigerators and installed them into the opening, the next step is to measure the gaps for your trim kit.  Measuring instructions and product options can be found here.

Below are some examples of how to replace a built in fridge with a free standing fridge.

Pair of Fisher & Paykel units with flush mount louvered trim kit, bright finish

Pair of Hisense refrigerators with proud mount louvered trim kit, matte finish

Conclusion

We hope this guide has been helpful.  If you have any questions or need any help regarding how to replace a built in fridge with a free standing fridge, we are here to help.