| Appliance | What the panel does | What to decide early |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator and column freezer | Full-height door panels that match the tall cabinets | Model, so the opening and panel size are fixed |
| Wine column | A panel frame around the glass door | Which side it hinges, and what sits beside it |
| Dishwasher | A door panel matching the drawer bank beside it | Where the controls are, and how the panel lines up with the drawer fronts |
| Refrigerator drawers | Drawer fronts matching the cabinet drawers | Drawer heights, so the lines run through |
| Range hood | A wood cover around a ventilation insert | The insert model and its duct route |
Integrated vs overlay: two kinds of panel-ready
Fully integrated appliances sit flush with the cabinet faces, so the panel lines up with the doors around it and the appliance vanishes. Overlay panel-ready models stand slightly proud of the cabinets or show some of the appliance at the edges. Both take a custom panel. Which one you have changes how the cabinets around it are drawn, so know which you are buying before design starts.
The spec sheet decides the panel
Every panel-ready appliance comes with an installation guide from its maker. It sets the things a cabinetmaker cannot guess:
- Panel size, and how far it may overhang the appliance.
- Maximum panel weight. The appliance’s hinges carry the door, so a heavy solid-wood panel can be over the limit.
- Mounting: the brackets or screw points the panel attaches to.
- Clearances for the door to swing and for air to move, including the grille at the toe kick on many refrigerators.
That is why the appliance spec sheet is part of finalizing a Crafted design, before anything is built. A panel made to a guess at these numbers is a panel made twice.
Why it goes wrong
Most panel problems start with the order of decisions. The cabinets are drawn first, the appliances are chosen later, and the opening is a little too wide, too shallow or in the wrong place. Or the panels are left to someone else, and the door style, finish or reveal doesn’t quite match the cabinets beside them.
The fix is simple: choose the appliance models before the cabinet drawings are finalized, and have the panels made by the same shop as the cabinets, in the same door style and the same finish.
What we build
We make panels for refrigerators, column freezers, wine columns, refrigerator drawers and dishwashers, plus wood covers for range hood inserts. Each is made in our Concord shop in the same door style and finish as the rest of the kitchen, so the grain, the paint and the gaps around each door match the cabinets next to them.
- Refrigerators and freezers get full-height panels with the same pulls as the tall cabinets, so a fridge reads as a pantry.
- Dishwashers get a panel that lines up with the drawer fronts beside it, so the run of drawers looks unbroken.
- Range hoods get a wood cover built around the ventilation insert, drawn to the ceiling height and the cabinets either side.
A short checklist
- Choose every appliance model, and confirm it is panel-ready, before the cabinet design is finalized.
- Send the installation guides to your cabinetmaker, not just the model numbers.
- Decide integrated or overlay for each one.
- Have the panels built by the cabinet shop, in the same style and finish.
- Plan the pulls: matching the tall cabinets is what makes a fridge disappear.
Panels work with any of our door styles, painted or stained. You can see more finished kitchens on our kitchens page.
Frequently asked questions
Who makes the panels for a panel-ready refrigerator?
The appliance comes without a front panel. Your cabinetmaker builds it to the appliance maker’s specifications, in the same door style and finish as the cabinets, so it matches.
Can any cabinet door be used as an appliance panel?
Usually the same style, but not the same door. The panel has to meet the appliance’s size, weight and mounting limits, so it is made to the spec sheet rather than taken from stock.
When should I choose panel-ready appliances?
Before the cabinet drawings are finalized. The appliance sets the size of its opening and of the cabinets around it, and changing models later can mean rebuilding them.
Does Crafted Cabinetry make appliance panels?
Yes. We build panels for refrigerators, freezers, wine columns, refrigerator drawers and dishwashers, and wood covers for range hood inserts, all in the same style and finish as your cabinets.
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