We discovered early in our appliance search that we’d need a very small refrigerator to fit the existing fridge opening in our kitchen. After hunting around, it became clear that finding a perfectly sized fridge—ideally stainless steel with side-by-side doors like we loved in our previous kitchen—was unlikely. So we decided to remove the built-in cabinet box around the fridge to open up the space. That would let us trim the unused hollow top of the upper cabinet, rehang it higher to allow for a taller fridge, and rebuild the side panels at the new depth so the fridge would sit more flush and custom-looking.
Even if we had somehow found a fridge small enough to slide into the existing cubby, we still would have wanted to rebuild the side panel for a cleaner, more flush look—the old fridge stuck out about six inches past the side panel and the hinge hardware on top was visible. The beam tucked into the side of the cabinet also looked odd, so we suspected some minor beam work would be part of the plan. We decided to play it by ear and adapt as we went—our usual approach.
Removing the side panel and the cabinet above the fridge was our official plunge into kitchen demo. We aren’t gutting everything; many existing cabinets will be reused or adapted. Step one: empty the cabinets. We cleared out the fridge cabinet and the adjacent cabinet (we suspected it might need to come down). Clara offered little help—unless the project involved placing toy pigs on the step stool.
After clearing the cabinets, we rolled the fridge out of its cubby to see what was behind it. Besides a mysterious electrical cord that went nowhere (we called the electrician), we discovered the cabinet was attached only at the sides and top—not the back. We also realized the beam actually ran all the way through the cabinet.
We even found an old order form tucked inside the cabinet from November 1982. That meant the cabinets were nearly thirty years old and made by QuakerMaid, a solid custom cabinet maker. We felt lucky—these are standard-size, well-built cabinets that can be adapted rather than replaced. (Note: the address on the order form belongs to the old cabinet maker and isn’t our address.)
Back to the removal. Detaching the fridge cabinet from the adjacent cabinet was straightforward at first—we found long screws driven through the tall cabinet into the fridge cabinet, so we unscrewed them, expecting the cabinet to collapse. John supported the unit from below just in case. But it wasn’t that simple.
It turned out a single floor-to-ceiling side panel on the left was holding the whole cabinet in place. That panel was built into the floor and ran all the way to the ceiling, and it was so flush there were no exposed screws or grips. After a few failed attempts to pry it off, we opted to cut through it with a jigsaw to preserve as much of the panel as possible for potential reuse. We didn’t want to smash it to pieces.
Before cutting, we reinserted the three long screws on the right cabinet to keep everything stable. With that temporary support in place, John and I each made a long cut through the side panel with the jigsaw. The panel swung free and we were able to continue.
Once the panel was cut, we removed the supporting screws from the adjacent cabinet while John supported the weight below. Amazingly, Clara slept through some of the loudest drilling and sawing we’ve ever done.
The reveal confirmed the beam ran all the way through the space. That helped us decide not to extend the modified cabinets all the way to the ceiling. Although ceiling-height cabinets can offer extra storage and visual height, we didn’t want to cut through the beam again—the beam conceals a damaged seam in the ceiling where two former rooms met and needs to remain. Also, other built-ins in the room, like the pantry, aren’t ceiling-height and we plan to keep that balance. With paint and trim, the altered cabinets should blend in and provide a cohesive look.
We’ll add trim along the top of the cabinets to finish the look and tie everything together. The inspiration is a cleaner, more polished finish, but for now our space shows the mid-demo reality: an exposed beam, an odd wire, and plenty of unpainted surfaces—and most importantly, room for a taller fridge.
As we considered the new space, we wondered if simply fitting a taller fridge would be enough. We started imagining a bigger relocation of the fridge to reduce the cramped feeling in that corner, but that plan would involve much more drilling, lifting, and labor—and we were exhausted. Maybe we’ll tackle it tomorrow. We’ll share photos and details as the work progresses.