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Got an ugly kitchen? Class it up with a better-looking fridge (pictures)

The refrigerator is one of the biggest, most visible appliances in your home, so it makes sense to find one that you won't hate looking at. Fortunately, you've got more options than you might think.

Ry Crist
Originally hailing from Troy, Ohio, Ry Crist is a writer, a text-based adventure connoisseur, a lover of terrible movies and an enthusiastic yet mediocre cook. A CNET editor since 2013, Ry's beats include smart home tech, lighting, appliances, broadband and home networking.
Ry Crist
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1 of 12 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Fancy a new fridge?

The humble refrigerator sits front and center in most of our kitchens, and a good design can go a long way toward tying the whole room together. Fortunately for you, there's a veritable bumper crop of design-centric models available in all shapes and styles: top freezer, bottom freezer, side-by-side, French door, you name it. All of them look the part of a high-end upgrade -- and a lot of them cost a lot less than you might expect.

We've reviewed them all, so click through to see what your options are, and to see how they stand up against the competition.

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Samsung Chef Collection Refrigerator (RF34H9960S4)

At the top of the list sits Samsung's four-door Chef Collection fridge. The suggested retail price is a staggering $6,000, but for the money, you're getting one of the finest-looking fridges on today's market. The "t-type" design splits the refrigerator into four sections -- a swinging door fridge up top, and a matching two-door freezer down below. It looks good inside, too, with tons of storage space and a whole host of unique features designed with help from a prestigious panel of world-class chefs.

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Samsung RF32FMQDBSR

If you're willing to forgo some of those chef-inspired features, the RF32FMQDBSR has the same classy-looking design and a lower suggested retail price of $4,000.

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LG Diamond Collection Refrigerator (LPXS30866D)

Not to be outdone, LG has an ultra-fancy four-door fridge, too. Part of its new "Diamond Collection," the LPXS30866D features a darker shade of stainless steel, giving it a distinctive, high-end appearance. You also get LG's "Door-in-Door" feature, which lets you open the front of the right fridge door to access the in-door shelves without opening the whole fridge.

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Whirlpool Double Drawer French Door Refrigerator (WRV996FDEM)

Here's another high-end kitchen behemoth -- the Whirlpool WRV996FDEM. A clever design tweak splits the central storage drawer in two, offering you some extra flexibility and making for a good-looking icebox, too.

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Samsung Food Showcase Side-by-Side Refrigerator (RH29H9000SR)

Back to Samsung, which jumped into the door-in-a-door game with its line of Food Showcase fridges. This $3,000 version is particularly striking, with a flat front and elegant, recessed handles.

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Samsung Food Showcase French Door Refrigerator (RF28HDEDBSR)

If you like that Food Showcase feature, but you're not a big fan of side-by-sides, know that Samsung also sells a French door version for $3,300. It isn't quite as good-looking, though.

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GE GNS23GMHES

Of course, $3,300 is a lot to spend on a refrigerator. If you're looking for something priced considerably lower, consider the GE GNS23GMHES. At $1,600 -- less than half the cost of that Samsung French door -- it's about as inexpensive as French door fridges come. Plus, it's available in an attractive slate finish -- sort of a less shiny spin on stainless steel.

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GE Artistry Series Bottom Freezer Refrigerator (ABE20EGHBS)

Fancy fridge design isn't all about French doors and side-by-sides -- and it doesn't have to cost you thousands of dollars, either. Take the GE Artistry Series fridge, for instance. Available in black white, blue, or red, it's a retro-inspired spin on classic refrigerator design, and it only costs $1,200. While not inexpensive, that's roughly at the bottom of the bottom freezer price range, making this fridge a design-minded bargain.

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LG LDC24370ST

Up at the high end of the bottom freezer price scale sits the LG LDC24370ST, which costs $1,800. The stainless-steel build keeps things clean and simple, and the inside is filled with helpful, user-friendly features. Plus, it's one of the best-performing fridges we've tested, meaning the value stretches far beyond the good-looks.

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GE GTE18GMHES

Remember that slate-finished GE French door? GE offers that slate finish on other models, too, including this $800 top freezer. That's about as affordable as great-looking fridges come.

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Frigidaire FGTR1845QF

If you see slate as a step down from stainless steel, you won't have to pay that much to step back up. At an MSRP of $1,000, we like this all-stainless steel Frigidaire model for its simple, understated build and solid value.

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