…I remember thinking that very thing about ten years ago when the stainless steel appliances hit the mainstream and became all the rage. Because, let’s face it, there was a time when this kitchen was sweet.
For a long time, I put stainless appliances in that camp. I imagined the decorating world collectively looking at them with a smirk while thinking things like “That looks like my Nana’s kitchen” or “Those are so 2008.” I figured I would be the smart one who stuck with safe, reliable white appliances.
But then I see a beefy stainless range and I go weak at the knees and I can’t help but love it.
(source – Evars + Anderson Interior Design)
So, have I just hopped on the bandwagon? Or is this a classic design choice that’s here to stay?
Right now, I have all white appliances. They are not high end at all, but the white blends in with the white cabinetry, which I like. You don’t even notice the fridge or the dishwasher.
But, I must admit, this shot would have more of a wow with a really great range.
Because our house is on the market and my appliances are in good, working order, I’m not even considering replacing them, but when I dream about my next kitchen, I don’t picture safe, reliable white appliances.
Now, I certainly wouldn’t turn up my nose at stainless, but, if money wasn’t an object, I might lean towards a vintage looking range like this one…
(source – AGA)
…and maybe pair it with a dishwasher and fridge that are paneled to match the cabinets, so they just blend in. Going in that direction doesn’t feel as trendy…? Is that even fair to stainless, though?
Where do you land on the great appliance debate?
156 Responses
I LOVE the look of my SS appliances (I wish I had an oven/kitchen like the one in the pic tho), but loathe cleaning them. I feel like I’m constantly cleaning the dishwasher and fridge because of dirty (children) hands and water drips. If I had a choice, I’d do something similar too! Have you seen the beautiful babies that Williams-Sonoma carries? Wowza! http://www.williams-sonoma.com/shop/electrics/stoves/?cm_type=gnav
I’m in love with stainless, I’ve only had it in one kitchen so far, but I loved wiping it down, I loved the warm glow, and I loved how it was like room jewelry. My white appliances always look a little grungy because the weird orange peel texture attracts dirt, and they just look cheap (the fact that I currently live in military housing means they ARE cheap 🙂 )
I think stainless is here to stay, it’s in industrial kitchens, and can be every style (modern, classic, industrial, farm house, etc.) just by changing the cabinets and counters (my kitchen in our house we sold last, had black quartz counter tops, white shaker style cabinets, white subway tile back-splash with a flow blue broken plate mosaic strip under the tile crown molding, and stainless appliances….it was so pretty.)
I did fall into the ss trap. I spent a fortune and love the induction oven BUT they r hard to keep nice and clean. Now they have smudge proof but who knew….. I still love white appliances and would probably go back although that stove u featured makes me weak, too.
My favorite look is the bisque or almond but you can’t buy many pieces of those any more. I think black, white and ss are going to be the classics with others coming and going. Too many folks have and like these. I am in my second all ss kitchen. We go with what will be best for resale when we can and that has worked for us. Your kitchen is gorgeous.
I think stainless still has legs. I too basically kept telling everyone that when I got my dream kitchen I did not want SS but as we house hunt I realize that I always love the look. My big issue is the fingerprints but now they have smudge proof and I think Kenmore has one called Graphite that looks quite beautiful that is not hard to keep clean. My big want in kitchen appliances is an induction range. I LOVE my glass top range in our rental so much. So much easier to keep clean. I hope I never have to use gas again.
Blessings
I went stainless. I had an old white stove with old coils.. yes that is what I had. I drooled for years over stainless until my old stove/oven hit the bucket. I can’t have gas in my home but I got the top of the line LG with ceramic cooktop. The knobs are in the front and it looks very similar to the Wolf which is what I would get if I could get gas. It looks like a million bucks and makes my kitchen look that much better. For me it’s worth the investment because I love to cook and I enjoy cooking with convection. I personally rather have a great stove/oven and a spend less on my car..but that’s just me. There are some great ones on there and if you love to cook and use it to it’s fullest capacity it is so worth it.
My stove is the one you have in the picture! It’s commercial wolf stainless.
I love* love *love* it! It’s duel fuel, 6 gas burners and a griddle. It the best stove I have had. I also have a stainless Miele dishwasher, Stainless Glass door SubZero refrigerator and a glass Sub Zero full size wine refrigerator. I love them all!
They are super easy to keep clean!
Stainless wipes ladies!!!
I hope you go with Stainless for your next kitchen… A Real Estate tip for homes, when I take buyers into a kitchen 9 out of 10 they want Stainless. Anything else they say they would have to change it because it looks dated. A must for resale.
Your kitchen is cozy, I think you’ll be fine!
I really love stainless, but I think it looks best in small doses. All I have showing in my kitchen is my range top, my double ovens, and the vent grill to my subzero. I paneled everything else (dishwashers, fridge, ice maker) and even put the microwave behind doors! I’ll tell you the trend of the millennium that is falling by the wayside-GRANITE! But that is a whole other post isn’t it?! 🙂 xo, Emily
My kids have had stainless in three houses now and I am NOT in love with it – I would hate to have to clean that stuff every day to keep it looking nice. I love my Almond – now called Biscuit – but next go round will be classic white!
i remember when my blog was quite new and you featured my kitchen on your blog Marian and made a joke about coming and stealing my stove! I still love it – it’s huge and industrial looking and works beautifully. I love how it is a feature in my kitchen. My dishwasher is one of those concealed ones so you don’t even notice it – just looks like cabinetry.
good luck for your house sale.
Fiona x
I worked in a commercial kitchen for 15 years and never will have stainless steel. Not only is it hard to keep clean, some food will stain it for life, if spilled on it. My fridge is almond and is 20 yrs old, last year we had to call a repair man, luckily it was fixable. It’s a Maytag! I would go with black if I could not find almond or paint it. If I had a big house, and could afford it, I would go with wood covered appliances to match the cabinetry. Just think about it, you could milk paint wood covered appliances, change colors, etc.
I figure appliances aren’t made to last like they used to be so my stainless appliances will probably peter out about when the trend does. For now I love how they look and they bring my otherwise boring old kitchen up to date.
I have always liked white. Hate stainless…. too modern and hard to keep clean. I will be doing a kitchen reno next spring and am seriously looking at vintage appliances. For vintage look appliances Big Chill has great stoves and fridges, a little expensive though. I’m going to look at one in Charles Town, WV in a few weeks (fridge) to see if it would suit my needs. Excited!!
I think the white ovens that look very updated will be in kitchen “trends”. I have SS and like them very much, but some of the white ovens I’ve seen look amazing.
I think SS is here to stay. Instead of being the avocado, it’s the new black or white. I have had black appliances (first house), white (second house), SS & paneled (third house), and now that we are in the 4th house (yes, we move around alot….) I am upgrading the SS with more SS. I really had no issue with black or white. However, I do think SS looks more up to date. Is it a pain to clean? Absolutely! (My SS fridge is a big, hot mess right now!) We had a built in refrigerator with panels in our last house. I liked the panels, and most people had no clue where the refrigerator was located. However, we had dark cabinetry, and in hindsight, all of that dark wood made it, well, dark! Plus not only was the refrigerator expense (and we got a stellar deal), but the cabinetry panels were an extra $1000. In hindsight, I wish I would have bought a different refrigerator. Right now I’m replacing the appliances in our current house, and am going with SS. We have cherry cabinets (I would eventually like to paint them white, but can’t bring myself to do it now). I feel white didn’t look great with cherry, and black would have been too dark. At least SS lightens it up a bit. There are new finishes out, like a dark grey, which is more smudge-resistance, but then I’d feel like I would have to stick with the same brand of appliances just so they coordinate. Then what happens if one appliance dies in a few years and that dark grey finish has gone the way of avocado? I believe Frigidaire is making a glassy-white finish, which looks great with white cabinets. But, SS has us locked in. Once you start getting in upper-end appliances, you really have no choice but SS for the most part. I just bought a new Bosch dual-fuel range (so I’m not even talking about Viking, Wolf, and the like), but my only option was SS, which sort of cemented in SS for me.
I meant to add what I love about your kitchen pictured is that you don’t have super expensive, high-end appliances. It goes to show that you don’t have to have a huge professional range & monster hood to have a stunning kitchen with tons of “wow” factor!
I have nothing really to contribute to this conversation, other than to say that Frigidaire fridges (the brand in the first image) are amazing. For a wedding present (sort of) earlier this year, a friend gave us his old Frigidaire fridge from the 80s, which has been through multiple hands (as evidenced by the many auction and ‘sold to’ stickers on it), and it works like a dream… though it does sometimes sound like a spaceship.
Love stainless.I think stainless range,dishwasher and fridge paneled like the cabinets or fridge stainless high end.I’m sure you will pick an absolutely beautiful kitchen.You have exquisite taste.Have a wonderful day
Forget the trend….go with what you like. Depending on the kitchen, I like the SS gas ranges but would forgo on SS breaking up the flow of cabinets and use panels on fridge and dishwasher….just me. Have a problem with SS never looking clean of finger prints, etc.
Well, who knows what I say in a few years, but the last thing I want in my kitchen right now are stainless steel appliances. I have never liked the look of them. It’s probably the combination with granite countertops: great for others, not for me. That is the result of watching too many housing programs where people walk into a kitchen, saying: ‘At least it has granite countertops and stainless steel appliances’ OR ‘I really would have preferred granite countertops and stainless steel appliances’. My own fault entirely for watching too much HGTV, haha. I would be curious to see how you would combine it though and make it look interesting (I’m sure you can!).
Nothing annoys me more than watching House Hunters with these young couples that insist on SS appliances and granite. I don’t want a cookie cutter kitchen! I have great, updated appliances that are classic white. I don’t think you can go wrong with white.
I do like the look of stainless steel and I do think as long as the appliance isn’t finished with a lot of plastic pieces it retains a timeless look. However, I loathe my stainless. There are twelve hands in our home and I’m as deft as any forensic technician identifying fingerprints. Yup. I know whom each one belongs too. So, when it’s time to move or make changes in our 8 year old kitchen, I will opt for the seamless wood panels for both the fridge and dishwasher. I’m pretty certain the upgrade cost will be negated by savings in cleaning products, rags, and most importantly…my sanity!
We have stainless in our new house and had it in our last house but I prefer white kitchens. I think they are timeless. Stainless gets fingers prints and scratches. Saying that all our appliances work so won’t be replacing for a while. 🙂
I love my SS appliances! My side by side refrigerator looks like stainless but is actually a paint that looks like stainless. Like everyone else, I didn’t want little hand prints on the refrigerator so I chose that option for that piece. My stove and dishwasher are both SS though…….clean up not an issue…..it takes 5 seconds and looks beautiful when done:)
But I DON’T have granite countertops…..! Lol!
I LOVE the new stainless…more of a “brushed” stainless that isn’t suppose to show finger prints. As you can see from my kitchen http://beckwithstreasures.com/home-tour/ my house was built in 1999 and I went with black. Really began to bug the heck out of me until I changed out my tops to a beautiful granite with black in it.
Now I see all the beautiful, bright “white” and stainless kitchens, and I drool. But I too am afraid to take the plunge out of the fear of dating my house too much. White is all the rage but in time it will fall out of favor just like honey oak, pickled cabinets and dark walnut.
My last house was built in the 40s…the cabinets were pink metal and all the appliances were highend models in pink. IT WAS AWESOME! I bought an entire set of oak cabinets and had every intention of gutting the entire thing…then I realized what a treasure it was and just decorated around it.
I don’t know how you could go wrong with stainless, but I built houses in the 90s and went through the white, ecru, black phases. I have rehabbed houses with harvest gold and avocado green. So who knows. You are right…our grandchildren will be laughing at our choices…I just hope they think Grammies kitchen is “retro.”
If money was no factor I would get a vintage enamel stove, and have the the other appliances hidden. Stainless is high maintenance , every water drop screams out to my eyes…But it’s sparkly and I see whey people like it.
I have always said the same thing about SS…it will be the avocado equivalent soon. Our house in GA has white appliances (minus the orange peel texture) and white cabinets, this house in Montana came with SS, so when it came time to replace the fridge, we went with the smudge-proof stainless. It’s too modern looking for me, but can’t afford to replace everything at once. I’ve never been a fan of going with the most popular option in anything though….and granite faggetaboutit!
I love my stainless appliances. I use the stainless wipes and they help keep the surface smudgeless for days. But, that being said, you have to go with your vision and what you can afford. If I had the resources I would have the BIG Aga in that yummy red! I think Viking is making it’s residential ranges in great colors now too.
I’m not crazy about stainless, but guess what, we are changing over to stainless!! Our kitchen had the cream colored appliances (can’t think of the color name) which I loved. A couple of years ago we had new counter tops put in. Those and the flooring really work best with the cream color. Then last September, my oven bit the dust. So out to look at appliances we go. You can no longer get the color I had – well not easily. Some companies you can order that color. I didn’t want black, white didn’t look so good with my floor and countertops, so stainless it was. We’ve done the stove/oven, microwave and dishwasher so far. I hate to get rid of the fridge as it is still working good! But we’ll end up replacing soon. I like the look, but I HATE keeping the SS clean and smudge free – and it is only two adults in our home!
tina
I think stainless is here to stay because the beauty of it is that it acts as a neutral (like denim) that allows you freedom with the rest of the colors and finishes and eases updating. Of course I would take an Aga over stainless any day!
white never goes out of style, but I am more interested in function. Don’t like how ss looks- too cold and clinical-have seen it all my career in hospitals-yuck
I’ve never cared for SS and won’t ever buy appliances with that finish. I just don’t like how it looks and I do think someday it will be the outdated avocado we all laugh about. I’d love to have vintage appliances — I just love their shape and how they look. In the meantime, I have the exact same range that you do and mostly love it (those drip pans are a pain though). Everything else is white and I love how clean it all looks. I’m shopping for a new fridge and when I find one, I’m having it painted aqua and I’m excited about that.
I don’t think stainless steel is subject to the same whims as the avocado craze. I mean, commercial kitchens have been using stainless for how long?
I love vintage looks that use white, but new ranges that are white aren’t my bag, at least not in the affordable price ranges.
I agree. Stainless is in a commercial kitchens for a reason – not for the look and that’s why I’d choose it for my kitchen again. Yes, it’s a little harder to clean, but it can take the abuse year after year. I LOVE to cook in our church kitchen with it’s stainless counter tops and vintagage Vulcan stove, to me it’s about the look and function…
I have the opposite feeling! Commercial kitchen use stainless steel because function and efficiency is much more important than looks. Commercial kitchens are very busy, messy places, not meant for socializing or enjoying visually. It’s not mean to feel homey or warm. Customers stay out and only enjoy the finished product. No one wants to hang out in a commercial kitchen. And commercial kitchens usually have an efficient clean up crew to deal with the mess at the end of the day. Stainless steel always makes me think of my college cafeteria and the work study I did in the kitchen.
You may have seen it in the past…but I have an 1956 Chambers Range in my kitchen. I had always wanted one and when we moved into this house I finally got one. The thing is its the color of Milk Chocolate… you just can’t find appliances in that color anymore. The top on it around the burners are SS …so naturally when it came time to purchase a new fridge (after the old went out) I bought stainless steel. Otherwise– I’d got with white appliances. If I’d had been fortunate enough to find a White Chambers Range at the time… I would have and I’d have all white, because they just seem so clean and like you said– they are not that noticeable. They blend well and you have more flexibility.
Pat
I think that in white kitchens stainless steel sticks out like a sore thumb and detracts from the beauty. I don’t think stainless steel is a fad but I think it is over-rated. I have stainless steel in my rental and I would NEVER get it for my home. It is impossible to keep looking clean and new, especially the sink. No matter how many times a day you wipe it down, one use and it looks spotted and dirty.
Manufacturers are now making high-end white finishes on refrigerators so that we have options other than that orange peel looking stuff. That’s what I want in my kitchen someday.
This a little off topic but I just drove 7 hours to buy a 1950’s white Wedgewood stove for my new house off Craigslist. I have been through two stoves in my 30 years of marriage and both ended up with computer issues that cost more to fix than the stove was worth. With a little re-chroming I can have a “new” old stove that is a workhorse and even has a timer with a charming little “ding” and salt and pepper shakers. No more service calls. They are wonderful. Google Wedgewood or O’Keefe & Merritt. They were the Cadillac appliances of their time. I can totally see one of those in your kitchen. Not only is it fully functional but a piece of art. There is quite a following with vintage stoves and they even come in blue! 🙂
We have a Wedgewood in our barn! It was here when we moved in. It’s so cool looking and my younger kids like to play house with it. I have no idea if it’s repairable, but I would love to have it in my kitchen. I think it was taken out by the previous owners when they enlarged and updated the kitchen with a burnt orange stove top and wall oven. But I honestly don’t notice people’s kitchen appliances when I visit unless it is obviously ugly or dirty (or cluttered with goofy magnets).
I have often wondered what design trend I love will be the butt of all jokes 20 years from now. The only thing I can say now, is that there will never be another flat top cook stove in my future ever again (if I can help it!).
Stick with the whites. It goes with everything and just gives a clean bright feeling when walking into a kitchen. My mom had stainless steel back in the late 60’s and it was a royal PITB to keep clean. Think finger prints and cooking splashes on the stove – uck! Do you want to spend your life keeping it look clean and pretty all the time? No, I didn’t think so. The only stainless steel in the kitchen should be the inside of your dishwasher – it’ll stay beautiful inside forever. Love my Bosch and the fact that you barely hear it running.
I would add that having the appliance fronts matching the cabinets is also a lovely look lending visual continuity.
PS – And to think I had the avocado in a rental at one time! However, I’d take avocado any day over the harvest gold that was the competing color In the day.
I love the idea of a commercial stainless range. I want a dishwasher to match my cabinets. And, after 2 years of stainless and 2 of white, I’ve decided that the only fridge I want is BLACK. I have 3 boys and foster labrador retrievers. Boys and dogs are DIRTY, and I get so sick of wiping my white fridge down all the time!
Of course, all of this is happening in my mythical dream kitchen.
THis topic made me realize just how many kitchens I have lived in…. we tend to move a lot. Almond and matching wood panels and some black with glass type growing up. White modern and older enamel or black or stainless in my own places.
My husband LOVES our current stove. It was with the house – a well maintained 1960’sish Tappan white enamel with built in griddle- a wider gas model. This is the third enamel stove we have lived with and I really have enjoyed them all. We also have found the main counter of broken in stainless steel is so friendly and has a patina. Bonus they both clean up really well.
Ideally I want the dishwasher to be hidden, the other appliances to not stick out/ contrast. I would rather have people look to one statement piece in the kitchen.. what that means is different depending on the kitchen. A vintage overhead light, maybe a cast iron sink or sleek faucet, a range hood.
In our current place, an old American 4square, white cabinets would work (we have metal now). The beloved stove stays, a hidden dishwasher, a new white fridge!
Great topic!
I’m 60, so I’ve been thru the gamut of appliances. I have a kitchen with white cabinets and black appliances now, due to input from hubs and grown daughters. HATE everything in there! The cabinets are cheap and cannot be painted, the range is smooth cooktop which has tiny bubbles of something around every burner (scraping with a razor doesn’t work) and the drawer tract is broken. I hate the black/white combo, but when our dishwasher recently died, hubs convinced me to get black. Some day, I will put my big foot down and get all white, quality stuff. Cabinets will be shaker, appliances will be shiny (enameled?) and counters will be quartz. It will be a while though – did I mention this house is only 7 yrs. old?
I don’t like stainless because of the constant finger prints and cleaning…also I like warm and fuzzy with all my decorating and stainless says cold and business to me….I have a HUGE fridge and a HUGE sub zero freezer sitting side by side, a 6 burner dacor range & hood, 2 dacor wall ovens, micro-wave, warming drawer, 2 dishwashers and finally a garbage compactor……all stainless…….I should not be complaining but…….it’s just too much. I have been thinking to myself how dated it looked and thought I was crazy thinking that stainless could be dated so I am thrilled you thought that as well, I’m not the only one!!!
I love stainless steel…but…saying that I’m ready for something new ….or vintage =)
We are in escrow in our home…so I too am thinking about what to do next….My heart has been saying blend in the dishwasher and refrigerator with cabinet panels and do something vintage amazing with the oven/range…..and let the hood shine.
I will be watching what you do for ideas =)
Happy Day
When we remodeled our kitchen five years ago I decided on a stainless stove and hood similar to the one pictured above. It was my “dream” stove and still is. However I did not want the stainless look throughout and went with paneled fridge and dishwasher. I’m still happy with that decision as it makes my kitchen different than most.
PS
Love the recent changes you have made to your site!
My question is ….
where do we go from here ?
What is the next new idea for appliances that we will all be dying for in the next 10-20 yrs ?
I cant even imagine what it will be or look like ?
I often think about that for trends !! ;);)
We updated all our kitchen appliances to SS (Kitchenaid) about 6 years ago. While I love the look of SS in the kitchen, it is hardier to keep clean and we are empty nesters. I have used two different types of SS cleaners which are the wipes and another product I purchased at the appliance store called “Sheila Shine” which in my opinion is a great product.
I believe they came out with a new finish several years ago that was suppose to give SS a run for its money but I haven’t seen much of it around. So far its looks like SS is holding its own! It seems SS has good re-sell value so I would definitely go that route if I was thinking of selling in the near future. I love the look of vintage also but that’s more of a limited market.
I have had white Frigidaire and stainless Viking appliances and I would NEVER buy the stainless again. First, they are impossible to keep clean (a kitchen that gets used generates a lot of grease from cooking which coats everything). SS cleaner is lanolin-based and just seems to smear all the grease into a thinner, more uniform layer, but it’s never really gone. So, there is always a bit of a residual greasey odor… I also didn’t like the added chemicals in the SS cleaner, the whole things seemed so unhealthy and unhygenic after two years of cleaning I felt like the whole process was a wasted effort. You also can’t use bleach or ammonia on SS, so I’m not sure what you’re supposed to do if you spill raw meat juices, etc.
The Viking appliances were expensive and our builder told us that you HAVE to have high-end appliances in a custom house for resale value. Honestly, it was like cooking on a stove from the turn of the century and it took 2 hours to take apart and clean the burners and grates. I thought I would like gas cooking, but the oven fluctuated so greatly, it was difficult to bake and the dial-like control knobs got so hot, you could barely touch them to turn the unit off. I felt really duped, I thought I was paying for a quality stove that I would never have to replace, but it really seemed like an expensive and inefficient prop.
Finally, when these things break (our Viking stove, hood, and dishwasher all broke within 2 years), the repair is expensive and specialized and can take forever if you aren’t in a high-volume market. FYI, if you have young children, they are also difficult to child-proof.
After over 2 decades of working in a hospital and cleaning miles of stainless steel counters, I am not a fan. I prefer the timeless white finishes that go with many cabinet finishes. In my mother’s home, black glass and black is what she preferred. If I really were to go hog-wild, I would get turquoise appliances.
You may be right when you say that photo would have had more of a wow factor if the stove had been stainless.
However, to me, your photo actually looks a little more attainable to ordinary readers, with ordinary budgets. Like me!
Thanks for all your inspiration!
I have never been able to understand why people like stainless… it is so so so hard to clean… And especially if I had children, I would never have it…. a magnet for fingerprints.
I love the retro ranges too and was just admiring a friends kitchen that has cabinet fronts on the dishwasher and refrigerator… I had never noticed before which is very telling… In a kitchen that opens out to the family room or dining room this could be a real asset…. I’m all about industrial funk, but for me appliances don’t fit that category…. Plus you are NOT into that look… or at least I think I’ve heard you say (well, write) that…
I am not anti-stainless, but as for my house, I tried it and hated it. It’s just not truly stainless. My fridge was constantly stained and smudged even though I was cleaning it appropriately. My sink is constantly rusted and stained.
I am looking for a great cast iron or porcelain sink like we had growing up in our 60’s built home. It was easy to clean. I also will be paneling or painting our other appliances possibly to match the room’s feel.
For years — many years — I had colored appliances — white, gold, bronze, gray (fake stainless?), etc. And I never wanted stainless steel because I’ve heard it is so hard to keep clean. Then we purchased a house where the owner had just installed an entire kitchen of all new Viking appliances in stainless steel, of course. I didn’t want granite countertops either but when we remodeled the kitchen the best thing to go with the Viking appliances was granite so I bit the bullet and chose one I really really like. It’s two years later and I’m used to the necessary upkeep and the kitchen does look very nice. It’s a smaller kitchen (with a huge pantry) so the stainless steel and granite give it a more important look. And I’ve finally found the polishes I think work well and are not too time consuming to use and I’m a happy camper.
I love my stainless…yes they smudge but they look smokin hot and I think will continue to look amazing. Barring that though I do love the look of white or enamel. As for sinks. my house has its original 1915 enamel sink with drainboard…I am a lucky girl!
When my husband and I bought our house in 2000, our kitchen had an almond 1970’s double oven (the up and down configuration) electric stove…so I became spoiled with dueling ovens and the space the was too big for this almond gem!! when it finally died, around christmas 2003, I replaced it with a Fridgedaire Professional series dual fuel range. It only came in stainless, but it had the features I truly wanted 5 burner gas cooktop, convection main oven, and a smaller side oven. I do think it is sexy (especially since I have now painted my cupboards typewriter) but it could have been swamp green if it had the features. The rest of my appliances are black by the way.
I had bisque appliances in two kitchens. When we were finally able to renovate I chose stained wood cabinets and stainless steel appliances. While I like the look of white cabinets, I thought there were just going to be so many that it would be overwhelming. Everybody likes what they like but it does seem like there are an awful lot of people that wind up on those HGTV shows who have one track minds and limited individuality. I guess that’s why I bought my house and nobody else did. It’s good to be able to have some vision into what it could look like with a little effort and money.
I like high end white, especially anything new but vintage looking. I think if it is high end it looks fantastic. I have white cabinets & wen twith stainless but now regret it. Sumdge and even some runst on the bottom of my very high end fridge. Next time its white for me.
I chose white appliances for my kitchen and would do it again without hesitation.
I decided to look and see what the trend is in France now regarding kitchen appliance finishes. Whatever is going on in Europe will be here in 3-4 years. I couldn’t believe it when the first site came up. The stove was Avacado!!! Yes, stainless is a trend and will someday certainly be “Nana’s kitchen stove.” According to the site I was on, some of the coming trends are “brushed steel”, Avacado and pale, limed woods.
I remodeled my kitchen in 2006 and was anti stainless everything. My two small wood paneled dishwashers look like drawers. . . .they have been nothing but trouble. . . but I like how they look:-) I actually use one as a snack drawer since I am tired of spending money to get it fixed. The fridges also match the cabinets and the oven is almond with black gas cooktop. Everything blends well and it is a small kitchen. My regrets are my super expensive walnut counter tops (so much work!) and my divided sink (right side is too small). In 2006, stainless was 80 to 90 percent of the market. But it looks like black and white are making a bit of a comeback. I don’t think you can go wrong with white and a little bit of black. .. .always classic.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that stainless is new avocado. Stainless steel appliances have their place in modern and industrial interiors, but when it comes to rustic, cottage, or vintage styled kitchens, I think stainless appliances would stick out like a sore thumb. I agree with your love for white, Marian, especially if cabinetry is white, or I might go with black if there are other black accents in the kitchen (e.g. light fixtures, curtains, black-and-white backsplash or floor tiles).
My parents built their home in the 1960s. They had a built in oven in real stainless and drop in stove top in stainless. I think they are old fashioned. I love white appliances. Black is good if you have dark cabinetry. No one should look down on anyone else for lack of granite and stainless steel. I get so tired of hearing these twenty something’s on HGTV whining about no stainless or granite. Be happy you can afford a home and move on. Everyone has different tastes. In the end we are all spoiled and shouldn’t sweat the small stuff. Besides our families and other folks it’s all small stuff! I will now step down from my soap box.
I would NOT suggest having wooden fronts on all the appliances! The house we just bought has and I find it dull. There’s just too much wood – the floor is wood too. I much prefer a variety of things going on – stainless, some wooden cupboards (painted or wood) some glass, some open. I like a stainless stove as I feel it’s professional looking and makes me feel like a chef! The refrigerator, not so much. Good luck with the house sale – we did that a year ago…..
I have stainless stove and dishwasher. HATE THEM!!! No matter what polish, spray etc I buy it does not get all the smudges, streaks, and water drips off! I have spent a small fortune on various stainless cleaning products. White for me next time!!
Try vinager w/ water works good on mirrors too
I have all white appliances – with my one BIG exception. When we redid our kitchen, I splurged and bought a Big Chill retro refrigerator in jadeite green. I LOVE it! It is the focal point of my kitchen. Everyone who walks in my kitchen is just crazy over it. I am drooling over that retro range. I have seriously thought of saving up and getting the range to match my fridge!
Living within our budget, as there are so many other more important things out there, the white appliances have held up so well and look clean. The third son is going into his senior year of college, guess where our money has gone for the last 10 years!
We have cherry wood cabinets and went with black appliances when we built our house 17 years ago. I would not change it. My kitchen is not about the appliances it is about the beautiful wood cabinets.
I love my all White appliances…Would never consider stainless. When I move to NC in the next 7-8 months I want a total vintage kitchen. Not sure if I’ll go with white cabinets.
I am NOT a fan of stainless. I currently have black appliances and really like them! I have white cupboards and a really pretty shiny laminate countertop with charcoal, black and white marbeling. It looks nice….but I would definitely trade it for the vintage stove and fronts that blend into the cupboards! LOVE your thinking Marian! Have a GREAT 4th of July!!
I chose bisque appliances to blend with our cabinets in our small kitchen. If money were no object, I’d still choose bisque or white, but I’d go with a retro look.
What was old is new…isn’t that the expression? I can remember neighbors happily covering their pine floors with new flooring and their grandchildren happily ripping up the old flooring to rediscover the old pine. I wish I could afford to do the many things that NEED to be done in my home, let alone making changes on a whim. I miss having a gas stove and when the stove that I have now dies, I shall look into replacing it with a gas stove, though the electric oven I have now is on the money, temperature wise. I never really cared for the stainless steel look, I am an old fashioned, white appliance kind of girl.
You might have mentioned why you are selling but I missed it. It seems that you have made so many upgrades, why sell after all your hard work?
We have clear maple cabinets and stainless appliances. Yes, have to clean them but you have to clean all other surfaces too. My next home I will see if there is a smudge resist stainless or white if we buy a home with white cabinets. . Black appliances look like a big dark cave to me- not friendly at all.
I’d like a refrigerator with the sub zero look but not the price tag. I think some Kenmore’s come with a side by side separate refrigerator and freezer. Kitchen heaven.
We are just finishing up a small remodel. Our old appliances (20 yrs) were black. When looking for new appliances, everywhere we looked the stainless appliances were all smudged and dirty looking. Even the sales people agreed they were hard to keep clean. We finally found new black appliances. The only problem is that the paint seems softer and there are already scratches. (after 4 months) That said, I still would not trade them for stainless.
We had stainless in our townhouse. Once we painted the cabinets white I was not a fan. They stood out way too much and the stainless tends to be heavily accented with black sides/panels. In our new kitchen we went with white cabinets, white farmhouse sink and SMOOTH white appliances. Love the look so much more than the stainless!! Plus while many people think stainless and granite are a must I think it’s a phase that will eventually wear out its welcome.
Oh my goodness, I’ll take an AGA in any color! Both my mom and I have wanted an AGA like forever. Seriously. When my sister lived in Scotland, her stove was tied into the heating system and always on. She felt like she was obliged to “feed the oven” and bake things constantly. So funny! If I had a sweet oven like that, I’d probably bake more too. haha. Your kitchen is gorgeous, by the way. I’m extra fond of all-white kitchens, which are like a blank canvas all primed and ready for the gorgeous splash of colorful food, fun and guests.
Maybe I’m weird but I sure do like avocado green here and there…:D I think that the reason people laugh at it is because it was overused.
Ten years from now, people might laugh at our current lack of color. The will probably call it cold. But really, who cares? So what if future people laugh? Whatever color makes you happy, go for it! You will be the one living with it, not your grandchildren or your fans. I personally would love an aqua retro fridge. 😉
Oh and did you notice the green kitchen has white dishes? Some things never change.
I re-did my kitchen in 2004 and put in stainless appliances. The biggest transformation for me was not the appliances which I didn’t care about that much but the freedom of no over-head cabinets. My only disappointment in the appliances is that the front of the refrigerator is the only part that is stainless. The rest is black vinyl which doesn’t matter if the sides are covered but mine are open.
I would send a thank you note to the person who wrote this suggestion if I could remember where I read it, but using glass cleaner (Windex) on stainless appliances works best. The polishes leave a residue that gets smudged. You have to removed the polish first which I did with Bon Ami – by far the best cleaning product available and it is made from natural ingredients. Forgive me if I’m being repetitious but I haven’t read the rest of the comments yet.
I have had stainless since 2008, and I like them very much. I had a wood front on my last Sub-zero refrigerator which matched my cabinetry, and I liked that too. Get what you like, but don’t be afraid of stainless. Although my children are grown, my hubby is not particularly careful with drips. I have never used anything but a soft microfiber cloth on my stainless. Wet it with hot water, squeeze it out, and wipe off the marks.
Once you start to use polishes and chemical cleaners, they become dusts magnets.
My husband and I are in the process of getting my mom and dad’s house ready to sell. It was built in the early 80s. I did a double take when i saw the picture of that avocado green kitchen! Except for the fact that Mom’s kitchen was done in Harvest Gold rather than in green and her wallpaper was a plaid rather than a floral, it is her kitchen, right down to the double oven stove. Naturally we are changing out all the appliances and replacing them with good old dependable white, although we did go with stainless steel for the sink.. Generally speaking, stainless is not my first choice. Somehow good ol’ dependable white just speaks kitchen to me!
In my dream kitchen I would have those awesome retro appliances probably in aqua or mint. Although that red the bigchill.com offers is smoking hot! Maybe a red stove with aqua fridge… red and aqua color combos are my fave!
I have had it all…… The avocado washer and dryer. I bought used metal cabnets and hung them over the washer and dryer and painted them avocado as well. Had the brown, not the harvest gold stove and ofcourse the almond which made you feel safe as a style. Eighteen years ago I wanted this certin stove and it only came in stainless steel. I had to order it from
a catalogue!!!! It just died this year and we have a new gas stove. Guess what? You have
to be a rocket scientiest to figure out the oven and my husband is an engineer! Also have
green corian counters. They have worn well but I am sooooo tired of the color. Wish I had
gone with a neutral color. Also the out of date oak cabinets. Convinced my husband to paint
the island black and it really looks cool.
I get so tired of all the whining on HGTV. You mean we have to paint? Obviously these
couples have never had to do without or settle with less and make the most of it.
Love this website. We all seem to be likeminded and wish we could be neighbors. It would
be a better world, don.t you think?!
I love a white appliances too and had them for 15 years until we moved into a new house. When we built this house 3 1/2 years ago, white cabinets were not an option so we got wood cabinets we could live with until I got around to painting the cabinets. I really wanted the white appliances but we paid extra to get stainless because I thought they’d look better with the wood cabinets. Even as empty nesters, the stainless is often streaked and smudged. I cannot imagine having stainless with children. I wouldn’t want to have to choose between allowing my kids to be kids and having a perennially smudged kitchen. You still have many years to have your boys at home so continuing with white appliances is a very good choice for you.
I had a GE range in my last house that looked vintage though it wasn’t designed that way. I just pretended it was and I loved it. This GE range is stainless on the front but black on the top and shows every drop of water or food. The side of our stainless fridge is grey, not stainless. At least it doesn’t show smudges but I don’t like it. So there are still some of us who love white even after having stainless.
I would really recommend a counter-depth fridge no matter what color.
If you love it who cares what it is? Even if it’s Avocado. Too much thought and worry goes into choosing something that you hope is on trend when it’s what makes you happy that matters. I have stainless and love it because it looks best in my traditional white kitchen. But that’s only my opinion, others would disagree and say that I should have gone all white or used color. All I know is that I walk into my kitchen and my heart skips a beat because it’s cozy and feels just right… for me 🙂
When we redid our kitchen 2years ago, I wanted a farmhouse look. The cabinets are two shades of green, refrigerator and dishwasher drawers are wood paneled as well. I wanted a vintage look appliance so went with a Viking range and double ovens in white. There’s enough stainless that they look somewhat modern, but still have a retro look. We also have a farmhouse sink In white, love the ability to wash large pans and hide them if there’s not time to wash them. Love.my kitchen!
I’m not a huge fan of stainless steel. Recently, I opted to replace my appliances in the kitchen and chose black. I don’t regret it and did not want stainless and would have opted for the new vintage aplliances. I will be building my dream cottage in a few years and love the new vintage inspired appliances. Hoping to be able to add them to the list of must haves for the new house along with a claw foot tub. The way I look at it, I will have a shower with a bench and the claw foot tub. When I’m too old to climb in and out of the tub then I use the shower.
I really do believe that stainless, while beautiful, will be “retro” eventually. That’s just the way it works! If you love your white, I say ‘stay with it’. Sometimes it can be difficult to know what works for you, so if you know, go for it, and maybe it will be trendy before you know it. (I wouldn’t recommend avocado EVER, though!)
I have to admit I am a fan of stainless, and have been since long before it was considered trendy. Seriously I have been in love with back when you only found it in commercial kitchens or in the home kitchens of chefs who were willing pay the premium. But then I have always been kind of a industrial meets vintage meets European meets farmhouse type girl. 🙂
I put a stainless gas range in our house back in 2003, and when we moved in 2005, I put a similar range in as well. I think there will always be a market for stainless, but the industrial look that it represents will surely become dated eventually, That said, “retro” and “vintage” will also date as well, as anybody who remembers the last iteration of Shabby Chic will attest. Before today’s vintage craze, the only people haunting salvage yards were those looking to restore historic houses.
In the category of Fastasy Stoves, the AGA is on my list, second only to a fabulous blue enamel La Cornue. They’re gorgeous.
We had stainless in our last home. It was always a mess, and when I used the cleaner it would attract my dog who would proceed to lick it. Now we are renting and have white appliances. They are a whole lot easier to keep clean! I have other industrial style, metal elements in my home, but don’t prefer it in my kitchen appliances. When we buy again I will opt for white! I’d rather have my appliances blend in, so that the focal point can be my cool vintage finds!
Lol-lick it off? Got to love the quirks of pets.
I read it on Houzz and they said, stainless steal is a trend. I think high end white will take its place.
Every man I know loves stainless. The bigger, beefier the better! When we redid our kitchen 5 years ago my guy was adamant about stainless so even though I am a white appliance gal i agreed. Plus I had to agree that the white handles and knobs often yellow in our climate. He does cook a lot now that we are empty nesters…and you can’t sell a house easily where we live without stainless. I could definatly go for an aga in blue or red but it is too hot here for something that stays on all the time. So I like the way stainless looks but I hated cleaning it. I was worried about the big black grates on the gas stove but they aren’t bad to lift out. vacuuming the crumbs before a good cleaning makes it much easier and those magic erasers work the best. But I solved the extra care issues of stainless appliances by hiring a cleaning lady! They use WD40 on it everytime! Shines great and works as a degreaser.
Not crazy about stainless but I do love that Aga. I want features first and color second, preferably black or white. Right now I’ve got a 1914 Acorn in nickle, black and white and it’s a beauty. The man who restored it said it was one of two in existence; the other is in Ralph Lauren’s CO kitchen.
After having black appliances for the past 10+ years when my fridge and dishwasher both were past repair I went with stainles. I still have my black stove and micro wave and wont replace unti they too have bit th dust. We are changing from Corian counter tops to granite as they wear better than the Corian has. Guess I’m on the band wagon too!
With age comes wisdom-after years of waiting and four major kitchen re-dos, I got the Aga of my dreams about 6 years ago. I’ll admit I have the “prettiest” kitchen around, but let me give you a dose of reality. The one thing I didn’t consider when making that major decision was the 45″ wide Aga has ovens that are only 17″ wide on the interior! Try finding pans to fit. My adult children joke that I buy my baking pans in the toy department (and they are almost correct). For someone who loves to cook (and frequently for large groups) this might not have been the wisest stove choice-but it IS beautiful and maintenance is a breeze. My daughter has stainless and has regretted it since the first day – it is a constant battle to keep fingerprints and spots off (and she lives alone). White is classic and always will be a classic.
I had white appliances and when I remodeled kept the white cabinets but went with black appliances. Saved money on the dishwasher by reversing the white panel which was black on the other side. New fridge and range are black and I love them in my small but functional kitchen. Stainless always seemed cold to me but I know people who have it in their kitchens and it looks wonderful and they are happy, so it is a matter of individual taste. I think white cabinets are timeless and fresh and I replaced hardware with black knobs and pulls and felt like I had a whole new kitchen. I think as long as you choose something you love you’ll be happy whether it is trendy or not. With your decorating talent can’t wait to see what your new kitchen (and house) look like! It will happen!
I never loved stainless and I don’t want to put a lot of money in my kitchen appliances. I had black appliances in my last home and bought black again when I remodeled my current kitchen. Black is classic and is easy to clean.
Our 1960’s tri-level has the closest to my “dream kitchen” ever. Cream cabinets, granite (always wanted it), darker knobs (not bin pulls–and I can’t replace them because there is NO way to access the sink one), paneled dishwasher and fridge, stainless viking stove (small one–kitchen is small), and really pretty tan-ish and cream tumbled tiles on a diagonal as the backsplash. Now…I would LOVE your kitchen. However, I am not afraid of stainless and would have a stainless stove FOR SURE! Not the hood (if it was big)–just too much stainless/modern looking. I kind of freaked when our dishwasher broke and we had to replace it–with a stainless model. I like stainless but you get used to the panel and it seems to stand out. It was way to expensive to buy a panel one and our space was to small for the option anyway. I am Ok with it now but go for a stainless, nice quality range for sure and I say panel the other items–all assuming it is in your budget. Our last “dream” home had all paneled–just have gotten used to it. And both had sub–zero fridges and really nice stoves–jeez–pretty lucky. LOVE the ad you found. She was so stylin’ in that kitchen back then!
We had that exact avocado green stove with the smaller oven on top growing up . Ha ha . Brings back good memories. The sad fact is that the harvest gold came after , probably 10 years. I have stainless steel in my house now and tho it looks very current , it is hard keeping clean even with two teenagers. I don’t know, maybe black is the way to go! ………….
My best stove was an 1950’s vintage baby I scored for $35.00 at a yard sale. I used it for 10 years but then we moved. It was solid!!! And cute, and white….they just don’t make metal like that anymore. If/when I get the kitchen of my dreams, I will find another vintage cutie, probably not for $35.00 though!
We bought stainless appliances when we remodeled our kitchen in 2000. I would not purchase again-they scratch too easily (little helpers decided to clean the fridge with brillo pads), are pricey and did not last. The fridge gave out after about 6 yrs and the dw only lasted 4. Maybe it was the brand-Fridgedaire. We are moving to a house built in 1902 and I will finally have the kitchen and AGA I have dreamed about for years.
We replaced the stainless with basic white prior to listing.
Growing up we had an avocado kitchen with pink appliances-I’d love to have those appliances today!
As always, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We just replaced black appliances with stainless and I am very happy with the look, and they are not overly needy, in my opinion. We have a light, airy, beachy look to our home and the black just didn’t work. We chose to keep the 1980’s off-white laminate cabinets so white would not have worked. The cabinets actually look more modern now. I felt the same way about granite though…too faddish, too much work, so we went with simple quartz in a pewter color on the perimeter – lots of counter and it’s not overwhelming the way granite would have been. We did granite on the island and I think it’s just the right balance. I have noticed white cabinetry is back and wood tones seem to be out, especially the dark espresso – good riddance!
I am a white appliance gal. Yes, if someone dropped off a Viking 5 burner gas range I would be all OVER that but since that isn’t likely to happen, I stick with white. I do like appliances that have faux fronts to blend with cabinetry. I have no desire to have stainless steel appliances.
I recently bought a platinum fridge and love it. Unlike stainless does not smudge and takes magnets. It is similar to stainless although not quite as shiny. How exciting to be thinking of your next house! Excited for you and all you’ll do with it!
Love the AGA range, makes me want to go get linoleum countertops with stainless bandings, seriously!
My husband and I built a new home in 1967 and that avocado kitchen looked almost exactly like mine. At the time I thought I had the most beautiful kitchen of anyone we knew. Today I have stainless. So funny how we change with the times.
Just like you, I have seen the stainless steel thing as a phase. To me it looks commercial, sterile & the opposite of cozy kitchen. I just can’t do it! When I had to replace my almond dishwasher (& the washer in laundry room) I was sooo happy to find they make appliances in “bisque”! How cool is that! Unglazed china is called “bisque”. We got new cabinets a few years ago & they are maple w/a creamy glaze over them where you can still see the grain. It all goes together so well. Stainless would just be wrong!
Stainless Steel is definitely the Avocado Green or Mustard Yellow of its time. (Also included in that camp are the “Atrium Window over the front door” look for every home built starting in the late 90’s).
White is classic, clean and doesn’t have a trend expiration date.
I do want to add that even though trends come and go, the difference between stainless and avocado and harvest gold (I can’t believe I was a grown up during those years) is that stainless is a metal that we use in other things and we use it all the time. Pots and pans can be stainless, flatware is stainless steel, faucets and chandeliers have a stainless look. So I think since it’s a metal we see all the time it is here to stay- though it is sure to be reinvented and updated.
It’s so funny how adamant we are about this and how much interest this topic has generated. Marian, when do we get to compare countertop choices? ;0)
check out Lehmans…it’s a store in Kidron, Ohio where the Amish shop, they have glorious stoves and other appliances…
I have stainless and do not like it at all!!! I was an ‘almond’ girl back in the day (instead of the harvest gold or avocado). Three years ago when I built my new house I went with stainless. I am constantly have to wipe the refrigerator and dishwasher down. The most frustrating is the ice machine on the refrigerator…kids are always spilling down the front! Because of the granite / stone I used, white is out but I do have dreams that involve black appliances!
I would take that Aga any day over stainless. I like the look of stainless but don’t want the upkeep I would require!
Please don’t succumb to the trend – because it IS a trend. White is the only color in appliances that will withstand the passing of time. As your appliances wear down and you purchase new ones, you will never have a mismatch. White appliances are classic and elegant.
And if I ever win an Aga, I will request it in white!
I just bought a new Whirlpool stainless gas range 4 months ago. And I LOVE it! I have no problem keeping it clean. My 2 and 6 year old grandkids are here all the time too 🙂 maybe it’s the brand.
I have a stainless range because of it’s commercial capabilities. It’s upkeep is no more and no less than an enamelled range. Scratches are scratches, no matter what the surface, but it’s so much easier to clean simply because you can take to it with a steel scourer and not worry about the damage you will do. Those that declare stainless appliances a passing fad are quite narrow minded I think. Different strokes for different folks. But in selecting appliances, whether or not they photograph well wouldn’t make my list – but then I expect to cook on my range, not just take pictures of it.
Its
Ooh Juli… A little testy! I think Marian probably cooks on her stove as well as takes pictures of it. Oh yeah; I think her kitchen has shown up in a book and possibly a magazine or 2.
Juli, oh yeah, I love stainless steel as I said in the post. I don’t necessarily think it’s a passing fad, but I’ve often wondered and I have heard others voice that as well. I do think you have to get what works for you, no matter the trends.
LOL…and yes, my stove gets quite a workout! I enjoy cooking and do a lot of it, which is one reason why a beefy range appeals to me so much. 🙂 I must admit, I do love one that’s pretty in pictures, too, though.
Thanks for weighing in on the debate.
I have black appliances and they are very hard to keep clean. Every streak shows. I like white much better. Love that vintage stove too!
Ha ha last house we had an avocado fridge that we had painted black with the smooth top stove and painted the brown panel on the dishwasher black as well. The med antique cabinets looked great with the black. I just windexed the whole works . This house we went white since 15 yrs ago ss was not affordable , also my cabinet knobs have porcelain pulls and I have a farmhouse sink . These cabinets are natural hickory so the white is timeless and classic
I love the look of stainless steel, and my last three houses have had SS appliances. I guess even if it is a passing trend, I don’t care. It makes me happy now, so I will enjoy it in my home. The way they make appliances these days they won’t outlast the trend anyway. 😉
Love that white vintage style one! Looks like a storybook cottage stove.
Stainless is a pain in the neck w the oil sprays and buffing. No thanks.
Back in 1954 my mother had her old old kitchen remodeled. She chose cherry cabinets,
a pink GE frig with the freezer on the bottom. Also a corner sink so she could watch the birds.
A Thermodore elec. stove top with double ovens. Also a two burner gas stove top just in case
the electricity went off. Talk about timeless taste. The kitchen is the same today but with updated appliances, no more boomerrange formica with metal edge. One major dated thing
were the jalosie windows which were the cats meow then. Not bad for a sixty year run!
We had a pink fridge too! Then when my folks built a new house in 1972, they had an orange and avocado kitchen with green stove, sink & dishwasher plus orange COUNTERS & dark brown cabinets. There was also carpet in the kitchen! It was multi-colored: brown-orange-green, but at least it wasn’t shag! With all the expense of building a new house, my mother was frugal & kept the pink fridge & put it in the middle of that crazy orange & green kitchen!
I’ve had both white and stainless and love them both. I think they both will stand the test of time and trends. I currently have a stainless stove and fridge and love them, not hard to keep clean and they’re like a black dress, they go with everything.
I have white as I thought they fit in with my little old-fashioned cottage. White is always in no matter the trends. But, I think Stainless Steel will always be in as well. It may rise and fall in popularity as has white over the years, but it will be here for a long time I think. I like the look of stainless, but for now White is my preference.
I love a white kitchen and I have no problem with white appliances because they can blend in nicely with an overall design. I do not think that stainless steel can be so easily dismissed as the avocado or harvest gold of yesteryear.
Stainless steel appliances came mainstream as people looked at commercial kitchen appliances which offered more options…commercial kitchen have always been stainless steel appliances and countertops, etc. So I think stainless steel appliances are here to stay.
They do smudge but just keep a bottle of baby oil handy and wipe them down regularly! Gives a beautiful lustre to the steel! I have a 5 burner Italian gas stove and love it.
Stainless and white are both classics; it’s hard to go wrong with either.
I have been hearing about the demise of stainless for the past 10 years but it didn’t stop me from choosing it when the white fridge in my last house bit the dust after nine years. When I shopped for appliances for my new house I never considered anything other than stainless. I chose a Pro Style range and it, along with the range hood is the centerpiece of the kitchen. I have also found that the heavy duty grates are much easier to keep clean than the light grey ones on my old white range. After trying many products I settled on the cleaner Pledge makes especially for stainless. I just spray some on a soft cloth and lightly go over any fingerprints.
I chose stainless steel in the home that we built 5 years ago and. for this house, it is just perfect. I bought my appliances because of their function as well as how they looked on the outside. I have a large Sub-Zero refrigerator/freezer with drawers, 2 Wolf warming drawers, and a Wolf gas 6-burner/griddle stovetop. I find the stainless steel is no harder to keep looking nice than various other surfaces that I’ve had in previous houses.
If I want to see some Harvest Gold, all I have to do is walk over to our log cabin and gaze at the electric stove that still works perfectly and has been there since the 60’s! The refrigerator died about 5 years ago, so had to buy a white one since Harvest Gold is not one of the colors you can buy at Sears!
Forgot. My stovetop hood is also stainless steel–a Zephyr Trapeze island model. I love it’s functionally and looks!
I loved my almond appliances at my old house… but since I found a great stainless non-streaking cleaner at Sam’s a couple of months ago, I’m much happier with stainless. …and it gives the eye a break from all the light colored cabinets…. but that’s just my opinion.
I’m not that fond of stainless appliances, but I think they will outlast black ones. White, however, I think will always be here. My husband had an “almond” side-by-side when we married. I hated it. I covered it with black contact paper several years ago, & reversed the fronts of the dishwasher and trash compactor to black. I don’t mind them as much as the almond, but don’t love them either. Not a clue what I’ll do when we move.
Stainless..hands down..It has never gone out of style in restaurants and won’t in your home. I’ve had homes with all the color trends from green, copper, white,black and the one I never tire of is my stainless Sub Zero. It is so easy to clean and I smile every time I walk into my kitchen. I also have a Monarch stove that came with the house and is a decoration now in the eating area. Great topic…
I don’t think stainless appliances are a trend but I think granite countertops are. I really don’t like them at all. But ultimately, you have to go with what you like and to heck with whether it’s a trend or not. By the way, the easiest way I found to clean my stainless appliances is hot water on a microfiber cloth. It cleans up streaks, grease, anything and everything…without any cloudy residue or streaking. I’m telling you it’s a lifesaver! It’s a small thing, but life is all about the small things, right?
Personally I don’t like Stainless Steel appliances too commercial for my taste. In some kitchens stainless looks great , in others a white works better and even black can look really good. I’ve seen a really retro kitchen with black and white Lino tiled floors and white cabinetry that had RED appliances that looked amazing. Just depends on your style I think.
I’m replacing appliances and I’m going with “bisque”. Not real easy to find anymore though. But that is the only thing that would look good in my kitchen. White, stainless or black would not go. I used to have a stainless sink, but when we remodeled, I chose a big farm-style bisque sink and absolutely love it. The stainless sink became very dated. Will appliances be the same way – I don’t know.
I love my high end white appliances. They always look great, blend in with my white cabinets, and while I can see small fingerprints to wipe them off, the prints and smudges don’t show across the room.
In a multipurpose room (open concept) I think that stainless steel looks too industrial and, well, gray. Stainless steel appliances are especially drab when paired with cherry cabinets. Add a really spotty granite countertop and you have the recipe for a very ugly kitchen. There is way too much dreary design out there today featuring predominately dull colors. I have no doubt that the push to stainless steel appliances as the de facto standard in kitchen design was partly to raise the price tag on appliances; stainless steel finishes cost more. That being said, some people really love their stainless steel. If you want a commercial range, stainless steel may be your only choice, but it can be countered with other appliances in another finish. Some of the retro appliances colors can really make a room pop!
No stainless in my kitchen. I have an enameled blue range with blue cabinets. Refer and dishwasher covered with wood to match cabinets. Hard to get that country feeling with stainless. And the fingerprints on the refer would drive me to drink!
I have black appliances and I love them. I replaced the white ones years ago as they really didn’t go with my decor. I like southwestern and western rustic style and white or stainless do not go well at all with those styles. I have no trouble keeping the black appliances clean.
I gotta admit I am definitely a stainless gal. But I really think it all depends on the kitchen itself. I have seen white appliances that look great against white cabinets like yours does and I have seen black appliances that look good too. I still like the stainless but I gotta say I am madly in LOVE with that white vintage stove you posted above!
I’m with you on the trend thing! But I also think you do what YOU like, not what magazines or movie stars sell you on! I think for me, if money were no object, I’d go with some retro appliances, love the white one you showed! I also like black, but depends on the style of the kitchen, it might not have lasting power for me!
I think that the color of the appliance should blend in with the cabinets and not stick out like a sore thumb. But stainless can be nice, even though I think it started out as a status symbol, with granite countertops. I have black appliance, because the house came with them.. But, I have to say, when the morning sun hits the top of the range, I realize that I have to dust AND clean. Sheesh!
My parents bought stainless appliances almost 30 years ago and are still using them. I think stainless appliances have been dated for awhile and are cold. I don’t like chasing the “fad”. I like living with what I love. My corian countertops and black appliances are perfect for me.
I like stainless or white (in a white cabinet setting). Black is my least favorite and unfortunately, that is what came with the home we just purchased. They’re only 3 years old so I don’t have an excuse to paint them. Boo. And, I was planning to paint the maple cabinets but realized that it was a BAD idea with those stinking black appliances. I think if I could get what I wanted RIGHT NOW, it would be the newer GE Artistry in white or the Whirlpool White Ice! I lurve them sooooo much!!!
Good question. There is no doubt that avocado appliances (or avocado shag rug – the first house we lived in as children had that. Shazam!) was in vogue at the time, but now it just looks hideously ugly and makes us shudder.
I don’t know if that makes stainless steel in that category or not. Our dishwasher died a few years after moving into our home. After ‘making do’ handwashing for a few weeks, I told my husband I couldn’t handle it anymore and asked him to go out and get a dishwasher. We choose a stainless steel one. So…my fridge is white, my oven is white…but my dishwasher is SS. Clearly, I was not thinking this one through. If I had to do it over, I’d pick a white one. The SS scratches, thanks to two curious little boys and gets grubby pretty easy.
I love the *look* of old enamelware appliances. But, speaking from experience (my mom has a lovely Granny Smith apple green stove/oven from the 1930’s) it’s a huge pain to keep them working properly, find parts, get parts made (!), etc. I guess if I could have a vintage looking one that was new, I would go for that.
I’m 63 years old and have had everything including stainless and black. I would go white again in a second. I think the Amish store is a fantastic idea. My stainless scratched easily and showed every print. I have new black high quality appliances now and they are the worst I’ve ever had for showing every single spot. I would suggest to anyone wanting black to live with a black toaster for a while to try it out before going with the big appliances. The calcium deposits, water stains, and finger prints are bad even with a water softener.
I have no idea how to keep up with what is the trend anymore. By the time I figure something out, decide I like it, convince my husband of it, save up the money and finally decide to get something – it is out of date.
We built our home 17 years ago and my appliances are almond, lol. We replaced the fridge and I got a faux stainless steel. I actually don’t know if it is stainless with the coating on it or platinum. I just know I can clean it easy.
Now it’s time to replace the stove, and what to do. Of course my hubby says I have to go stainless because of the fridge.
I think my living room is just coming out of the 90’s into this century. I finally give up and just do what I like. If I can decide what that is 🙂
Wow,… i really enjoyed reading everyone’s comments here!
Cindy
I don’t think stainless is the new avocado or harvest gold. I think it depends on your aesthetic. We have a bertazzoni stove. Hubby is a chef by trade and that is what he picked. It replaced the harvest gold one we had inherited from the prior owner. It can be an homage to shiny if you go overboard. A good balance of surface textures helps keep things right in there.
I love both right now. Being the independent personality that I am, I’m over something as soon as it starts being the norm. 😉 It feels like furniture painting is becoming a hybrid of some wood and some paint; I feel like that about appliances at the moment. I’ve seen some gorgeous white refrigerators that look very modern and sleek, but I still love an industrial looking stove / oven. I’m curious how long the stainless look will be in too! Have you seen the Big Chill appliances? I just discovered them, and I love!!! Super spend, but I think I’d opt for one of their ranges and hoods as a splurge!
Before I sold My Home 3yrs ago & moved into a rental,I purchased an LG french door stainless Fridge new,Bought a High output commercial stainless stove (My 1st used,ever!) but I picked it up for around $300,took it Home,Dismantled it & cleaned thick layers of solidified grease from it’s life @ The Marriot Hotel’s Sunday Omelet Bar where it originally came from prior to going to the used appliance store that I seen it posted on Craigslist (The dealer had never even heard of that brand,I researched it & discovered it was a $2,000 specialty stove!!) Although I loved the look of My kitchen then because the shiny stainless looked like pieces of jewelry when They were clean,that it but the constant cleaning to keep that look up,Was neverending & not worth it.Now that I’m in My current lease option rental,I have become spoiled with the apartment sized,High end appliances that My Landlords Wife insisted be part of the kitchen remodel they did to make this Home more appealing to Buyers,Because They wanted to sell it.When it was unsellable due to it being overpriced for this market,They decided to rent with option to buy & that’s when fate had Me stumble across it,After only 6 hours of advertisement & I wasn’t even looking to move! I was just bored & browsing.
The Owners Wife had Ikea cabinets installed & every nook has a small pantry pullout or organizing feature,So after downsizing My belongings from My large former kitchen to this shoebox sized wonder,Everything has a Home & is more organized in an efficient way then I ever had with more square feet.But what really makes a world of noticeable difference is the compact,integrated Lieberherr Fridge/freezer & the Miele dishwasher.My cooking skills have become that of Chef thanks to the AEG by Electrolux (European brand) induction stovetop built flush into the granite countertop & the single convection wall oven placed into a cabinet under the stovetop.There’s even a built-in Rotisserie & indoor grill feature included inside this compact beauty! I do hate that it displays in celsius instead of fahrenheit but I keep a conversion chart on the inside door of the cabinet that houses the stove hood. The only thing I don’t care for,Is the brown/beige granite & the backsplash.I would have prefered Carrara or white quartz with subway tile backsplash
Should I decide to move or buy another fixer upper as I have in the past,I most definitely will put the majority of the remodeling budget into compact,highend appliances with economy cabinetry from Ikea,Where prior to living here,I would have focused on the best cabinetry I could afford with basic appliances. They truly make a difference that cannot fully be understood,Unless You’ve lived with & experienced the huge improvement.They’re wellworth the money & last so much longer then basic appliances!.I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to live here & now know the differences