The End of Black?

[whirlcool]

I have been noticing lately that a lot of people are unloading their black appliances. I always looked at those as major dust catchers. It seems most people are replacing them with SS. I thought that SS was also on its last leg too?
What colors seem to be the most popular today besides SS? Is white truly always in style?

 

[mrb627]

Once You Go Black......

I too have been concerned about the impending demise of black appliances. In March, I suffered a dishwasher failure and due to the cost of parts decided to replace. Imagine my shock when I learned through a local big box store that black was now a special order. The acquisition of my machine was a long painful story which I wont go into here.

Not sure what the up and coming color of the week will be. Most people I know with stainless would gladly unload them due to fingerprints.

Maybe that electric green that we are beginning to witness on hybrid vehicles will turn up in our kitchens in the future.

MRB

 

[askomiele]

well over here special ss is now introduced no finger prints are visible and allu finish is now possible and there are prints less visible!!

 

[whirlcool]

Jenn-Aire Started Bronze....

but I haven't seen any further development of that color. We are starting to move forward with the design of our new kitchen, we are seriously thinking of that oatmeal colored granite for the counter tops. But we also think that white would not go very well with any granite. We do like the Bisque color for sinks and such but I think it is NLA.
And we certainly don't want SS.

 

[DADoES]

One of the houses on the builders tour in May had a Jenn-Air bronze wall oven and dishwasher.

 

[jeffg]

Black takes a close second place to stainless steel for the "what the hell were they thinking" award. Just ridiculous IMO, unless one doesn't have any kids, friends, dogs or other sources of constant fingerprints and dirt.

 

[whirlcool]

And don't forget ....

the noseprints dogs can leave behind! Out dishwasher front is a shiny black panel, and we have to clean it daily!

 

[frigilux]

The cooktops of my both my gas & electric stainless steel Frigidaire ranges are black and they show every speck of dust. They have to be dusted constantly or it looks like you're a slob.

I have no children or pets, so my ss appliances aren't too bad in the upkeep department.

Personally, I stick with the classics: white or ss

 

[j2400]

I've had my battles with cleaning appliances. Stoves that are next to impossible to clean, even with the simplest spill. The shiny black front that probably looked so elegant in the show room, but in the real world always looks like something you'd find in a slum, unless you hire a maid to do nothing but polish it 24/7.

I have wondered whether the people who design them actually have any practical, real-world experience with the appliances they design.

As for color choice, white is probably the only safe one. It's there, year in and year out. You can buy a new white dryer to go along with that 1930 something Maytag wringer.

 

[hydralique]

Time to bring back turquoise!

 

[whitekingd]

and P I N K !!!!!!!!!

 

[frigilux]

I was a little surprised they (turquoise, pink, yellow) didn't make a comeback in the early 80's, when so many pastel colors were in vogue in clothing and interior design.

 

[westyslantfront]

I remodeled my kitchen last September and got rid of all the black appliances and started fresh with white. Never have to worry that replacements will not match.

Ross

 

[cycla-fabric]

I wonder why appliance company's don't expand the color choices that they have for the front loading washers/dryers to there other lines of appliances. They have alpine green, ruby, etc, why are they holding back, its time to expand the color lineup to the other appliances they make.

 

[paulg]

In defense of black

I have that EXACT Jenn-Air double oven... in BLACK GLASS. In fact all my majors in my 3yr old kitchen are black (Kitchenaid, Jenn-Air and Wolf... OH MY!)
... Well, with two adults, no rug rats and a dog and cat, these fine appliances look like the day they were made and the kitchen still looks pretty slick. Actually they don't show fingerprints too badly (yes, we DO touch our appliances). The Wolf cooktop does show the dust. BAH! Who cares! That cooktop is FAAAAABULOUS and worth every penny.
In contrast, my downstairs stuff is all white.
My vote for "New Appliance Color for 2009" will be "Prism-tape"! Yeah, that's it. You'll be begging for black after I get done with next year's appliance colors tee hee.

 

[appnut]

Well, with my new fridge I got last April & the new dishwasher last May (2007), I now have all matching appliances--black--and I couldn't be happier. All very intense and masucline as far as I'm concerned. I hope it stays around for quiite a lot longer too!!

 

[mistereric]

always behind the curve...

I just installed black appliances in my (newly) shockingly white kitchen. I love the contrast, and have no kids or dogs, but plenty of dust- but dust comes off.

Next step will be black or black/blueish solid surface counter tops, and some black/white/grey tiles (like 1"x) on the backsplash. I also have black and white checkerboard tiles for the floor.

Before:

 

[mistereric]

and then the So Far shot. Not pictured are the brushed chrome cabinet knobs. Waiting to do the floor and the counter until after some plumbing work.

Its not the best re-do, but its inexpensive, and its gets me started with a clean slate. Next thing to do is get the utility room door moved, so I can extend the cabinet and install my dishwasher.

 

[sudsmaster]

And I still like stainless steel - in moderation. I happen to think that a bead blasted stainless steel is perhaps the best for a gas cooktop. You can scrub it and scour it and it won't wear through the finish - can't say the same for most other finishes, including porcelain enamel. It's a functional look. I don't worry too much about keeping my stainless appliances looking spotless. I'm happy enough that they are clean.

I wouldn't want stainless for a counter top. Too easy to dent/scratch. And once I worked in a new lab in a VA Hospital. All stainless steel benchtops. Only one problem. Whenever I ran a piece of electric benchtop lab equipment, I'd get a nasty 110 volt shock through the benchtop. Turned out the electricians had done something rather stupid (they probably "grounded" the neutral wire to the benchtop). What was kind of odd is that the electrician didn't belive me at first. Claimed it was static electricity. Aversion therapy, I still don't like stainless countertops!