Kitchen appliances are the last part of your kitchen design. There are many styles and designs you can go for when choosing yours, but what you select can either tie everything else together or leave it feeling mismatched.
This means you need to put some thought into your selection to ensure your kitchen feels harmonized. Whether you’re considering sleek stainless steel, bold matte black, or colourful options like those offered by Smeg appliances, here are a few guidelines to work with.
Align with Your Kitchen’s Style
Before fitting the appliances, you already have an overall design. This design is the base you should work with to ensure the appliances fit in perfectly and complement the rest of the kitchen.
At this point, you only need to consider the broader design. I.e. a modern kitchen, a traditional kitchen, or a bold design. For modern kitchens, stainless steel or matte black fit in effortlessly as they have a minimalist vibe and are also neutral colours. In traditional kitchens, you have more options, as custom panel-ready appliances can also fit in perfectly. There are also many colour options, as is the case with bolder designs.
Think About Maintenance
Beyond the look and design, you also need to consider how easy you want the maintenance to be. This is important as the kitchen is one of the busiest areas of your home, and the appliances there will also have lots of food and oil smears.
Stainless steel is the most common choice for kitchen appliances as it’s neutral and more durable. However, it’s prone to fingerprints and smudges, so it needs constant cleaning. If your kitchen has high traffic, you can opt for matte finishes, as they are still sleek but have smudge-resistant qualities. Glossy finishes are mostly meant for less busy kitchens, while custom panels depend on the material used.
Match the Finish with Your Cabinetry and Countertops
Before you bring in your appliances, you already have the finishes used in your cabinetry and countertops. This means that you’ll need to create harmony with these to ensure your kitchen feels coherent and the selection looks intentional.
Stainless steel will give you an easy time here as it pairs easily with most cabinetry materials and colours. It also fits in with most countertop materials. Matte Black will work well if your cabinetry and countertop use white or darker colours, but it’s not the best for brightly coloured kitchens.
Personal Style and Preferences
At the end of the day, your kitchen should bring out your personality and taste. Besides considering the functionality and cohesiveness, you also need to let your personal style guide the decisions you make.
For example, if you love to make statements with your designs, you can have a bright red oven that acts as the focal point. You can also complement it with one or two other smaller items, such as the kettle or coffee maker. However, this means that you also need to reconsider the finishes on the other items, as the ones used on your bold appliances will need to match with the rest.
Future-Proof Your Choice
Kitchen appliances are quite an investment, so you need to ensure that the designs you choose will last for years. While it’s tempting to go for the latest designs, colours, and finishes, think about whether your choices will still hold up in ten years.
The safest bet here is going for classic finishes like stainless steel, white, or matte black. These work well with most designs and never go out of style. Bolder or trendy appliance designs and finishes are a bit risky, but they still work well for smaller appliances like microwaves, kettles, and toasters. In case of a remodel, you can easily swap them out.
The basic idea is to choose designs and finishes that offer long-term appeal, ensuring that your kitchen stays functional and beautiful for years.