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Personally, I hate black appliances. I think they are ugly and they show more dirt than any other color, far more than stainless. Why does anyone like black appliances when they are so ugly?? The new black stainless ones are an exception, I think they look pretty cool, but still darker than I would want.
I don't think black appliances are ugly at all. Stainless I can take or leave. And many stainless finishes are also often paired with black so I don't understand how they can seem lighter.
Y'know, this got me thinking on my parents' kitchen when I was little in the 70's. They had brown appliances (not flat brown, with a sparkle to them)--fridge, stove, oven, dishwasher--everything. I remember they got complimented for years, even into the 80's when the avocado and harvest gold craze was done, because the browns were neutral, went with the kitchen cabinets, and weren't dated. But I don't remember ever seeing another house with brown appliances. And thinking on it, I sort of wonder why that's not a color option nowadays.
Quite a few families where I grew up had the appliances you describe. I think they were marketed as "copper," hence the slightly metallic look. They were attractive and went with a lot of the color schemes that were popular in that era.
In 2008 Jenn-Air introduced what they called Oil-Rubbed Bronze appliances. There were recommended chiefly for the Old World look that is still popular with some people but reached in zenith early in this decade when Tuscan-style homes were the vogue. The bronze was lighter than the copper appliances you remember, more a cross between copper and stainless. A couple of other manufacturers followed Jenn-Air but the new color never really caught on. I think it's because they appeared in stores just as gray became the neutral of choice, pushing out the previously ubiquitous beige/taupe. Bronze didn't go with gray walls or floors. If anything, stainless-look appliances seem to be more popular than ever.
A couple of years ago appliances with glass doors were introduced. Whirlpool was there first and they called them Black Ice or White Ice. They never took off either. Perhaps because they highlighted fingerprints even more than other materials. In addition to fingerprints, the black ones show every speck of dust. Also, the ones I saw were quite modern in their design. Sleek with boxy handles. So many Americans go for a more traditional look in their kitchens they would have clashed for that reason alone. Also, the white was blindingly pure white which is rarely the same hue as "white" painted cabinetry, which often trends toward ivory.
This year manufacturers are offering a "dark stainless" option. More light reflective than traditional black appliances, yet still blackish. LG calls them Black Stainless Steel and claims they don't show fingerprints. They certainly do match gray colors and look a bit more contemporary than traditional black. They go well with the industrial-modern look that is trendy today. Samsung followed with their version, which seems to me to be a bit more of a matte tone than the shiny LG models. Since they aren't the same, though, consumers won't be able to mix manufacturers they way you can often do with today's "stainless."
Stainless steel appliances make me think of autopsy rooms.
However , I remember avocado, harvest gold, copper, almond & black appliances & I didn't like them, either. I prefer white...it never looks dated.
Our dishwasher is slate, the latest trend, but we only got it because of a deep discount. It's a GE, and the finish is so cheap, it's scratching already. Again, I wish it was white.
Stainless steel appliances make me think of autopsy rooms.
However , I remember avocado, harvest gold, copper, almond & black appliances & I didn't like them, either. I prefer white...it never looks dated.
Our dishwasher is slate, the latest trend, but we only got it because of a deep discount. It's a GE, and the finish is so cheap, it's scratching already. Again, I wish it was white.
Dishwashers are the easiest appliance to alter. You can take the door off and apply what's called an appliance skin. The most popular one on the market changes an appliance to the stainless look, since many people don't change out all their appliances at once. But the company that makes them also makes white and black ones. A lot of people just use them to cover beat up doors but you could put a white one on the stainless appliance you don't like. It's not much harder than applying Contact paper and probably easier than putting one of those new skins they're selling to cover a laminate countertop.
My parents and I have those.
They are great fridges. My parents' lasted 33 years. Ours is 29 years old.
Pretty much all our appliances blend into the kitchen.
Anything that has had to be replaced (the homes are over 30 years old) was replaced with stainless steel.
But the 'hidden' look is nicer.
Y'know, this got me thinking on my parents' kitchen when I was little in the 70's. They had brown appliances (not flat brown, with a sparkle to them)--fridge, stove, oven, dishwasher--everything. I remember they got complimented for years, even into the 80's when the avocado and harvest gold craze was done, because the browns were neutral, went with the kitchen cabinets, and weren't dated. But I don't remember ever seeing another house with brown appliances. And thinking on it, I sort of wonder why that's not a color option nowadays.
I think that color was called copper or something like that and I remember it. I liked it!
I purchased an appliance suite last year. As soon as they were installed smudgeless stainless steel came out. SMH
Yep that's what we have and I love it.
I personally like SS because it reflects the colors around it. It looks good in many styles of kitchens, with painted or wood cabinets. It's neutral and versatile.
It's also apparently not going out of style any time soon since it's been "trendy" now for about 20 years.
for some odd reason these days appliance seems to be a real major hit. i dont remember back in the 70s or 80s if it was such a major conversation. you picked out what color you liked and called it a day.
this "high end" phrase BS is annoying now, just because it is SS, doesnt make it high end.
oh the phrases we have today. lol
we know we need appliances, but they are made such a big fuss over these days.
no matter what brand of stove you have, the eggs will still taste the same
no matter what fridge you have the milk will still stay cold.
i have black appliances, i like them, they suit the look of my kitchen.
This is so true that decorating (or "design") choices are so agonized over today. From our first house in the 70s, you just went to the store and chose your appliances in one trip - boom, done. I have been through avocado, gold, almond, and white and will probably stick with white with white cabinets. Some appliances we had painted by a body shop. Kitchen is on the north side so I enjoy the lightness.
When we sold my mother's house just a couple of years ago, her avocado refrigerator was going strong since 1971 - over 40 years. The other appliances were replaced in white. It ran so it never occurred to her to change it!
But everything seems to be so involved and complicated these days - look at weddings! Says something about our society, I guess. Everyone can make their own choice and be happy with it.
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