Hold On… White Appliances Are Now the New Alternative?
By Christa TerryI’m sitting here suddenly wondering what’s in everyone else’s kitchen and if I missed some kind of style memo, because according to Apartment Therapy, white’s the new stainless. Or the new black, or something. This is the sentence that struck me: “Like most people these days, we have stainless steel appliances in our kitchen.” Really? I’ve had white for as long as I can remember, and when shopping for a new range a while back, white appliances definitely dominated on the showroom floor. But the author of the post went to far as to say: “When I think of white appliances I picture my 20-something rental studios and various 80s kitchens from my childhood. Not a pretty picture.”
My guess is that stainless steel will go the way of avocado and almond
Again, really? I always thought that stainless steel appliances were the trendy alternative that will probably look dated in another ten years or so, with white appliances being classic and, furthermore, blending in so as not to make one’s kitchen look like an operating theater. Oh, and no gross fingerprints. Maybe not with dark wood cabinets, but I say bleah to dark wood cabinets, anyway. But maybe I’m totally in the wrong here – what’s your take on the kitchen appliance color debate? First, take the poll:
Then give us the lowdown… did you opt for stainless steel appliances or white or what, and why? Is white a trend, or is stainless the trend?
June 28th, 2011 at 3:48 pm
I’ve got a little kitchen. White appliances blend in neatly with the white cabinets, so the space looks nice and light. They don’t show dust and fingerprints the way darker appliances do. And a special bonus: they’re cheaper to buy.
I’m with you – I think stainless is a trend. White is the timeless classic, and always a safe choice.
June 28th, 2011 at 5:57 pm
I’m not a fan of a white kitchen, so we have IKEA birch cabinets and black appliances. If I remember correctly, in the 80’s our house had an avocado stove and a yellow fridge from the 70’s. When the appliances were updated in the latter part of the decade, they were all beige with black accents. It wasn’t until some late 90’s college rentals that I encountered white appliances.
June 28th, 2011 at 6:31 pm
I have a little galley kitchen, so we chose white appliances. We just bought them in the last year.
With chrome we would have had to deal with the finger prints and it would have broken up the visual flow of our small kitchen.
Also, I agree that the chrome thing is going to pass and date the appliances.
June 28th, 2011 at 8:23 pm
Thank you for saying what everyone was thinking! Okay, maybe not, but I have white appliances with painted white cabinets, and it just works better for my cottage-y kitchen. Stainless screams overpriced trend to me, sort of like toilets in colors or giant entertainment centers.
June 28th, 2011 at 8:46 pm
When I think of 80’s kitchens I think of bisque appliances, not white, white is classic and timeless. In five years, everyone with stainless steel and granite will be complaining about the upkeep of their kitchen. White is easy, that’s why we sought it out when we bought our new stove and refrigerator.
June 28th, 2011 at 9:04 pm
We picked white appliances when we did our kitchen over a couple of years ago. The white is classic, and easier to maintain. Win-win! 🙂
June 28th, 2011 at 9:33 pm
When I got my appliances, I picked white because it was CHEAPEST. I didn’t feel like spending extra for black or stainless and I think beige just looks dirty.
If they’d offered ’em in pink, though, I would’ve shelled out the extra bucks for the paint job.
June 29th, 2011 at 6:07 am
I’ve always been stunned by the price differences between the stainless version and the white version of any appliance. It’s big enough that I could never justify the extra expense when I could put it towards a relaxing vacation for when the reno’s finally done. That said, I love the look of white appliances and I like my kitchen to look light, airy and clean, like a place I want to be in, and work in.
June 29th, 2011 at 6:44 am
White!!
June 29th, 2011 at 8:31 am
We got stainless. We don’t have dark cabinets — they’re oiled maple. But the stainless DID look less jarring than white. It’s very possible that the stainless will be dated in another decade, but I do think it’ll have a longer life than Harvest Gold or Avocado. I’m content with my stainless, but certainly have nothing against white appliances. Whatever works for people, right?
June 29th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
We had stainless appliances in our condo, with white cabinets and slate flooring. I love the neutral, yet modern look of stainless. We decided to sell the condo and go back to rental living. Now we have black appliances. I don’t mind them, but they are definitely more basic than what I’m used to. I like the clean look of white, and really love the colored appliances that are so popular in Europe. The only color I really dislike is almond/beige. I feel like those look dated/dirty instantly. I am pleased to see more color variety in washers and dryers and hope that it spreads to kitchen appliances in more affordable brands. I could get behind a candy colored kitchen!
June 29th, 2011 at 3:43 pm
You know? After living in a house with stainless appliances, I really really really hate them. They show every fingerprint. They smear. Not a fan. Our current apartment has white appliances and I love them. They’re classic, clean, and easy to take care of.
June 29th, 2011 at 9:13 pm
White appliances. Too cheap to pay for stainless. Plus matches the white tile that is embedded in the plaster of the walls (house was built in 1940s, I think, and tile is original).
July 4th, 2011 at 8:13 am
I have a white fridge that’s newer, a white stove from the 70s, and a stainless steel dishwasher that’s newer. My motivation for any appliance purchase is…1) is it free? (stove) 2) is it scratch & dent and therefore on sale ridiculously? (fridge and dishwasher).
Price. ‘Tis all.
July 19th, 2011 at 9:17 am
In 2005, I remodeled my 1928 kitchen (empty when I bought the place) with classic style warm maple cabinets, brushed nickle handles, black silestone counters, and stainless appliances. White would not have worked with the overall design. The design looks just as good today as it did in 2005, but I imagine one day stainless will go the way of other outmoded trends. By that time, I’ll be ready for new appliances anyway. I hope they come up with a better surface that is easier to clean like my LG frig that has a “titanium” surface.
I hate all white kitchens. It seems that most of the new kitchen trends show all or mostly white. White appliances were never out, suddenly (again), everyone wants white, white, white. White appliances, white cabinets, white counters, white floors. To me, that is just cold and drab. I wouldn’t like an all stainless kitchen either. or an all red kitchen, or…
July 28th, 2011 at 10:38 am
found this blog entry because we just bought a new house and are debating white vs stainless…initally we both wanted stainless, but are now leaning towards white…some reasons:
the house has lots and lots of oak and white walls…the kitchen is wood floors and oak cabinets + oak countertops, white tile backsplashes, white sinks…not only would white go along with the sink/tile, it would break up all that oak…
also, the house is a plantation-type design and overall the stainless just felt a little too “modern”
would appreciate any input, but we’re thinking the timelessness of white just makes more sense here…