Selecting your refrigerator isn’t just about brand, features, and size. You’ve got important decisions to make about how it looks once it's installed in your kitchen, too. Think of this as your refrigerator's version of posing on the red carpet, except it's in your kitchen. And it needs to be determined before you order your appliance and cabinetry to ensure you get the look and function you want. Otherwise, those 42 inches you thought you had between the fridge and opposite counter may shrink to 36 inches or less. You have 3 options: Proud, Counter, or Flush. A unit installed in what is called a standard application sits forward, or proud, from the surrounding cabinetry by six inches or more. Think hands on the hips, feet planted firmly shoulder width apart look. Your next option is what's called Counter Depth. Although this fridge may technically be the same depth as the counters, it still protrudes an inch or even four to provide air flow behind it and to allow the doors to open fully. It's like trying to look as thin as possible by sucking in your gut, but not being able to make your stomach completely flat. For many, the ultimate kitchen red carpet pose is the flush installation, where the front of the unit is inset or on the same plane as the surrounding cabinetry. Adding front panels that match the surrounding cabinets makes them a real show-stopping diva as they actually "disappear" into the kitchen, like the two shown in this photo. Ultimately, the right choice of refrigerator is the one that suits the size of your kitchen, your budget, and your food storage needs, and helps you channel your own red carpet experience, even if you're just getting the milk.
