Of the two options, I'd go for a counter depth refrigerator.

I have a monster fridge and got 30"deep panels for it. You may be able to get up to 36" deep panels. Doesn't solve your width problem though....my cavity is 37"w excluding the panels.

I just checked Samsung counter depth french door fridges and they're 23.5cu feet with 35.75 box and 70" height. So if you could get your new fridge cab smaller or mount it higher it should work? I agree 35.75 is tight in a 36" opening but I bet it's been done before. Especially. If you leave a bit more room at the top for venting.

You'd be giving up the panels though.

Move the fridge to the end of the run (towards the outside edge of the kitchen) and add a filler to the side of the cabinet above before you arrach a side panel, then do the same to the other side. Now you have better flow in the kitchen, and you have room for a 36'' fridge of whatever depth that you want.

Sorry for the crappy fingerpaint drawing but it's the best this tablet has for a graphic program.

I wouldn't want a full-depth fridge with the island so close. The simplest way I can think of to free up some space would be to remove the end cabinet and replace it with a narrower pantry cabinet. With the end panel on the other side and a CD fridge, you'll have a built-in look. You could replace the end cabinet with a smaller one, but then you'd have to deal with cutting down the countertop. You'd lose a wall outlet but gain lots of storage.

I think your cabinets look extra nice! Perhaps you can have the end cabinets on the right moved down a couple of inches, put in a large counter depth fridge with a new deeper and wider fridge cab overhead and side panels. By using a French door fridge, it should be okay where it sits now.
I also think if you wanted to leave everything, you could just install a CD fridge with no side panels, but I'm not sure how the fridge cab would work.

EAM - That's what I'm leaning towards at this point.

Robot - Thanks for the info about the deeper panel availability.
I somehow missed that refrigerator, thanks! I was looking at the LG 20.7 counter depth. The LG would fit the space without doing anything to the upper cabinet (if I weren't going to use panels), but I'd like to see it IRL.

Holly - Thanks for the dwg. I really do wish the refrigerator was on the end. You mean to put the cabinets that are to the right of the refrigerator where fridge currently is, right?

May - I considered removing the countertop to the right, but we have a very large pantry with a door (not shown).

Karen - Thanks! I actually don't mind oak, but prefer dark cabinets. I like painted too, but even with the best prep work and supplies, I still find I have some chips in my other painted furniture.
That was a thought too, but I didn't know if everything could be bumped down because of the countertop and there's only a few inches of space (near the crown) before the edge of the wall.

I guess I really need to sit down and think about what's the most important thing to me and what we can accomplish now. Someday I'd like to gut or modifty the right way, but that's not going to happen for a long time. When it does, I'm not sure what we'll be able to do and what makes sense to do now.

If DH isn't excited to recess a fridge into the wall, heâÂÂs probably not going to be for flipping cabinets and sliding things down.

To recess, weâÂÂd need someone for the drywall, an electrician, and plumber, right?

Another side track note - Speaking of appliances, I'm surprised at some of the poor reviews and customer service stories from expensive appliances. Mine are cheap and work just fine. To say I'll be disappointed is an understatement if we buy new ones and they only last a year. I also am finding I don't care design/style of most of the slide in electric ranges. Would it kill them to make stainless knobs. What's with the abundance of black on the units? I considered getting a GE Cafe, but the cost didn't seem to match the poor ratings. I then thought I'd get a Samsung, based off looks, and that's iffy too.

This post was edited by sheesharee on Fri, Feb 21, 14 at 17:12

Sheesharee, regarding your sidenote, I'm not sure if premium price is an indicator of premium quality any more. Those prices don't always get you better customer service either as some of the posts will attest, but in some cases they do and that can go a long way towards making you satisfied with your purchase. I think, too, that people tend to get a bit angrier when their expensive appliances have problems. I know that I wasn't real happy when my expensive to me ($3,000+) fridge had issues and the customer service was lousy, but I didn't care at all when a cheap dishwasher broke after a year. I was just glad I hadn't spent more on it.

Jelly - Oh, exactly! $3,000 was around the budget we set for the fridge and I just feel the reivews for most of the appliances just aren't great enough to justify the cost that's, to me, expensive.
It also seems people take the time to write a negative review faster than a positive one. Makes me wonder how many good reviews are out there of different products.