For many homeowners, the refrigerator is the centerpiece of their kitchen. Wayne Barrett, of Barrett Appliance and Home Products, has been in business since 1992 and knows a trend when he sees one. “The last three years has seen a gigantic move toward the three door/French door refrigerators. It’s taken over about one-third of the whole business in the United States,” Barrett said. “At one time, it was mainly side-byside until this trend changed over. The freezer is on the bottom as a drawer, and there are two French doors above that allow for storage of larger platters and serving trays.”

Not only has there been a change in style, but in finish as well.

“Stainless steel definitely dominates the business in appliance selections. Some people like to put wood panels on the front to match their cabinetry. There are special, panel-ready refrigerators and then the builder would have the cabinet shop make a panel to match the cabinetry in the home.”

Barrett said in following with the wood front uniformity trend, having the refrigerator blend with the cabinets is very popular right now.

“We are also seeing a continuing trend toward what we call customdepth or cabinet-depth refrigerators that do not stick out from the cabinets. They are flush with the cabinets. We have those in the standard 79-inch tall and also in the taller 84 inches for the replacement business,” he said.