You've got a big family and a big kitchen, and you want the look that goes with it — a wide run of refrigerator and freezer that sits flush in the cabinets like it was designed in from the start.
Then you price it out.
A factory-matched, pre-configured built-in system will get you there. But we get asked about the alternatives a lot, and there are a few good reasons people go looking.
The trouble with the pre-matched systems
There are OEM options out there that pair two or more column units into one wide setup. They look the part. But there are downsides.
The price keeps climbing. By the time you add the matching trim kit, one of these setups can run $7,500 or more.
They lock you into a specific cabinet layout. You essentially have to be in new-construction mode — building new cabinets to the manufacturer's exact spec sheet so their trim kit will fit.
And if there's something about the units you don't care for — a feature that's missing, a reliability question, or they're simply backordered — you're stuck working around it.
The custom trim kit approach
Instead of buying a matched system, you buy the refrigerators you actually want and wrap them in a custom stainless steel trim kit that ties everything together into one built-in wall.
A few things that make this work:
- It's true stainless steel, not a laminate or a wrap.
- It's custom-made, so it fits any cabinet size — you're not building to someone else's spec sheet.
- Installation is straightforward.
The real upside: you pick the refrigerators
This is where the flexibility comes in. You're not limited to whatever a manufacturer decided to pair together.
You can put together 24", 30", 33", even 36" units. You can run French door, column, or bottom freezer — or mix them. If there's a feature you want, a brand you trust, or a finish that matches the rest of your appliances, you get to choose it.
You design the setup around what you need, and the trim kit makes it look built-in.
The budget angle
The other reason people go this route is money.
The most cost-effective version we've seen is two 32"-wide Hisense units at around $600 each — about $1,200 in refrigerators. Add a trim kit at around $800, and you're all-in at roughly $2,000 for a wide, built-in-looking wall.
Compared to a pre-matched system, that can save you thousands — some customers save as much as $5,000, depending on what they'd otherwise buy. That's money that can go toward something else in the house, or college, or wherever you need it.
That being said, the Hisense pairing is just the budget hack. The kit works with almost any refrigerator on the market — so you can spend more where it matters to you and still come out ahead.
How it works and how to order
There are two paths, depending on your kitchen.
New construction: Tell us which refrigerators you want to put together. We'll send you a blueprint so your cabinets get built to the right dimensions from the start.
Existing cabinets: Buy your refrigerators, then place your order online. We'll follow up with a measurement form that walks you through taking the measurements we need.
Double-refrigerator setups have a few more moving parts than a single unit — nothing complicated, but we'd rather get it right up front. If you want to start with an email and talk it through before you order anything, reach out. We're here to help and happy to answer questions before you place an order.
