Hidden Refrigerator with Cabinet Door Coverings

A popular trend in modern kitchen cabinetry is to create seamless lines throughout the kitchen. This can be accomplished with either full-overlay cabinet doors or inset doors. However, even if you have managed to create this look for your kitchen cabinets, there is still the issue of your refrigerator sticking out like a sore thumb.

Luckily, many newer refrigerators are designed to allow you to attach a cabinet door or panel to the refrigerator door. But, what can you do if your refrigerator is not designed this way? In this blog, we are going to take a look at how you can use cabinet doors to cover your refrigerator.

Can you Hide a Fridge with Cabinet Doors?

Typically, the refrigerator is one of the largest appliances you have in the kitchen. These large metal beasts can often distract and disrupt the beautiful unity you have worked so hard to create in your kitchen. And so, over time refrigerator manufacturers have become more aware of this fact and began to refrigerators that are designed to be covered up.

Panel-ready refrigerators come in a wide variety of styles, as well as a variety of panel installation methods. Many of these models will allow you to attach a cabinet door so that you can match the decor of the rest of your kitchen.

Custom Cabinet Doors for Your Fridge

Disguising your refrigerator with a cabinet door or panel covering is not as difficult as it may sound. You may find that the hardest part of the project is finding a cabinet door that perfectly fits on top of your refrigerator door. A custom cabinet will need to be tailored for the covering to effectively fit the size of your refrigerator. There are numerous styles, sizes, and shapes of fridges. At CabinetDoorMart, you can purchase cabinet doors to cover your fridge and create a custom paneled refrigerator.

Secure Cabinet Doors Directly to Your Fridge

Many people opt to customize the front of their refrigerator to effectively hold the cabinet door covering. This way when you pull open the cabinet door, you are also opening your fridge at the same time. Such a project requires you to affix cabinet panels directly onto the front of the refrigerator doors.

If your refrigerator was not made to swap out the front panel for a covering, then you will have a few extra steps in this project. You will need to acquire some adhesive strips or construction-grade adhesive in addition to the cabinet door or panel you choose for your refrigerator.

If you are using adhesive strips, you will want to evenly place them about ¼” from the sides and bottom. Then, place another row of adhesive strips for each side, again evenly spaced and centered. With the refrigerator panel on the floor face up, center the cabinet door or panel cover on the refrigerator. Press and hold it in place to allow the adhesive strips to take hold. If the manufacturer of your adhesive strips recommends a longer drying time, then you may want to clamp the cabinet door to the refrigerator panel so that you don’t have to hold it in an uncomfortable position.

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Fitting the Outer Cabinet Doors Onto Your Integrated Fridge

If you already have a panel-ready refrigerator, this project will be a piece of cake. You may even consider adding cabinets above your refrigerator to completely blend it into your kitchen cabinets.

Generally, there are two main types of panel-ready refrigerators: sliding and door-on-door. Let’s take a look at how these two designs differ in installation.

Sliding Mounting System:

As you may have guessed, with a sliding mount system, the cabinet door or panel is slid into place and securely held to the refrigerator by rails. This way, when you pull the cabinet door and rail, the refrigerator door will also pull open. Many of these kits include templates for installation that can help you out along the way.

Door-on-Door Mounting System:

With a door-on-door mounting system, the cabinet door is screwed directly onto the refrigerator door. This is similar to attaching a cabinet door or panel to a refrigerator that wasn’t designed for them. However, instead of using an adhesive, you will instead be screwing the panel or cabinet door into place. Be sure to check with your panel kit or refrigerator manual for specific installation instructions for your particular make and model.

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Covering up the Refrigerator: Final Thoughts

Covering your refrigerator with a panel or cabinet door is a great way to modernize your kitchen and create a seamless design. If your refrigerator was not designed to have a panel covering, then you will have a few extra steps, but the final product will be just as worth it. Whichever method you choose, be sure to take your time so as to not damage your refrigerator or the new panel covering.

If you are ready to start ordering or if you need assistance, please feel free to call us at 1-844-326-6680 or email info@cabinetdoormart.com. Our team is here to help with everything from measuring to ordering.