How and Why You Should Bring Colored Appliances Into Your Kitchen
We’ve been stuck in our homes for so long that we’re getting bored. We can't speak for anyone else, but we want colorful appliances! We're sick of stainless steel and matte black. It's been the defacto for the last two decades and we want something new. We’ve had neutral kitchens and a lack of color in our homes for several years now. It’s time to bring back color. After the year we’ve all been through, we’ve come to realize that every element of our homes should speak to us. The colors we bring into them are no different. Yes, you can paint the walls or the cabinets, but why stop there? Shouldn’t your kitchen be just as much an expression of you as the rest of your home?
We know, change can be intimidating. There are lots of ways to do it though and they can range from purchasing new appliances in the color of your choice, to fixing panels to them, to getting a custom vinyl wrap. Let’s take a look at some colors that have been popular for this year, and are expected for next year first though.
What Colors Are Popping Up
One of the few bright spots of many of us staying at home this year is that we ended up rediscovering our love of color. The 2020 colors as predicted by Pantone and other top color companies were ochre, magenta, creams (in all shades), navy blue and dusty teal. We definitely saw these make a comeback this year, and we hope they're going to stick around for several years to come.
Going into 2021 colors are expected to pop even more as people get bored of being home. We're expecting jewel tones, aquamarine and neons. We can't say what the world is going to look like next year, but we can say it will certainly be colorful, and hopefully that will include your kitchen. One of the companies we’re going to talk about, Blue Star, has already gotten on board with the aquamarines.
If you’re starting to warm up to the idea of a color in your kitchen, your next question is going to be ‘how do I get them?’ You’ve got three choices. You can purchase them from a company, and hope that they offer a color you like. Many do offer custom colors, but that still takes time to get it just right. You can put panels over the appliance, but then it’s not exactly the appliance that’s colored, it’s the walls around it. We like this one if you want your kitchen to have a very organized and contained feel. Or you can go with a custom vinyl wrap, which while it does mean finding someone that’s willing to do it, means you can get really crazy in color, patterns, anything your heart desires.
Companies With Color
If you want to purchase from a company, we have a selection of them.
You have Blue Star, with their focus on professional quality cooking. We love their suite for 2021. They let you customize how your stovetop is going to be laid out, colors and finishes, the colors of the knobs, handles and details as well as how your doors are laid out. You can craft your ideal kitchen suite and know that it is entirely your own.
Admittedly American Range is more focused on restaurant level cooking gear, but they do offer a residential line for those of you that swear by them. They come in a wide range of colors, both matte and gloss finishes. The one draw back with your oven is that they only paint the doors and the kick plates. The control panel has to remain stainless.
Unlike the previous two brands, Capital has both preset models and configurations, with a selection of colors that they have on hand, as well as offering custom color and configuration options. They focus on luxury residential appliances, but the only one they offer custom colors on is your range.
Dacor is much like Capital. They too focus on providing luxury kitchen appliances, but they only offer color options for your range
Out of all of the brands we’ve looked at, Ilve is, to us at least, the most detailed and luxurious. However, since they only make ranges, they still aren’t a perfect fit if you’re wanting all of your appliances to be a single color.
The problem with buying colored appliances is that even if you want to keep the same color in 8-12 years when you replace it, you might not be able to. Many brands will only keep colors for so long as they’re producing sales, especially if it's a full suite.
Paintable, Replaceable Panels
What if you have a brand you already love and you don't want to replace it? Then you might want to consider installing panels. You can do that on your own, or you can have someone else apply them. The upside is that you can paint those as many times as you want. You can make the panels match your existing cabinetry and have a very sleek look. The downside is that if you love the shape of your appliances, or don't like everything being square and cabinet-like, this might not be for you.
Go Wild With Decals
Or you can use custom vinyl decals . Elise of A Beautiful Mess figured out that you can get vinyl decals of your preferred color installed, if you’re willing to look around. She ended up going to a custom vinyl shop, which usually does cars, buses and the like. They were more than willing to help her out though and even installed the wrap professionally. As Elise points out “I’ve worked with big surfaces of vinyl before, and it’s very tricky to avoid wrinkles completely. I valued the polished look more than saving a bit more $ in this instance.” The vinyl is removable, easy to clean and heat resistant up to 900* F. All of which mean it’s great for any of your appliances in your kitchen. Just think, you could change it out every other year if that’s what you’re up for. Or add additional decals for different holidays throughout the year. We love this idea the most because it makes your appliances a full extension of you and what you want them to be.
We’re thinking that custom vinyl wraps are going to become very popular soon, once people realize just how versatile they are. What about you? How are you going to color your kitchen? Are you going to go with a company like Blue Star? Or do you like how panels look in the kitchen? Or do you want to do something insane and personal with a vinyl wrap? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear from you. In the event that you end up having issues with one of your appliances in the meantime, we’re only a phone call or click away.
Disclaimer: The images used herein belong to their respective companies.