White Appliances Find the Limelight

gurukaram Thanks so much for this ideabook. I made the choice for white appliances in my recent kitchen remodel and have not regretted it for a second! I did use a stainless hood but it does not get too many fingerprints. My white appliances are crisp, bright and easy to clean!

myfirstvancouverhome Quirky kitchen

midmodfan I think when you want to hide the 'functions' of a kitchen - like we are used to in Europe -, modern white appliances are spot on in a modern white kitchen. One step further is hiding them behind cabinet doors.

olldbobbi Harvest gold, avacado green, stainless steel, oil-rubbed bronze.....white appliances are timeless.

brasilpaint In a small kitchen, stainless steel appliances really stand out and break the flow if the cabinets are of a different material....One designer called stainless the new avocado. I prefer white in a white kitchen or black in a dark one.

Stevie Yea!!! always loved the crisp, clean look of white. Very tired of all the stainless.

Kimberly Niesz So glad to see this ideabook!
When remodeling the teeny tiny galley kitchen in our previous home, we went with all white appliances. To use anything else would have visually broken up the already small space.
I love the new white appliances you've shown that have the stainless steel accents!

Becky Harris Bobbi and Brasil - JINX! You guys are on the same wavelength with avocado :)

Judy I am thrilled to see this ideabook! I have always hated stainless steel - life is too short to spend half of it getting rid of fingerprints and blotches. I had my kitchen done in my last house in all white - S/S was just becoming fashionable and the designer wanted to talk me into it, but I refused. Must say, I did think it will be just a fad, but alas, it is still around. I have now moved and my present kitchen (that I HATE with a passion) has stainless steel and my opinion has not changed! No matter what I do, I just can't get rid of the blotches, everything looks as though it needs a good clean. I decided to start again and replace the kitchen. Having read this ideabook, I may wait a while. Here in Australia, it is still very difficult to find white appliances, so now you've given me hope that if I wait a while, white may come back here as well.

Becky Harris Here's another fun one hot off the presses, in a Houzz Tour that posted recently:

victoria27 There's a lot of stainless bashing going on these days, so I'd like to stick up for it. I love the look of stainless; to me it feels timeless. White appliances work beautifully in a white kitchen, but to my eyes they look overly bright and cheap mixed in with wood cabinets. I just removed my white kitchen with white appliances, and with my new Farrow and Ball Teresa's Green cabinets, it will be stainless all the way.

personette I never understood stainless. It is a nightmare to maintain, and didn't change the functional elements of the appliance. I'd much prefer a white or black version, but I definitely look at the features of the appliances first. Like its energy rating.

designchallenged I have a white kitchen with white appliances and I love it.

alaskasail I have a white kitchen and love it, but it's in a separate area. The place I'm building now is an open design in really sunny Arizona so a white kitchen may be too prominent for the space. I'm going with a darker kitchen and use light to bring it out when I need to.

daytona When I was getting my house ready to sell, it had 8 YO white appliances, so I changed them out for stainless. Although it was a large kitchen with a bright, sunny breakfast area, the stainless made the kitchen look dark and less expansive. I added a glass tile backsplash which helped somewhat, but it never looked like it did with the white appliances, plus every drip from the ice on the door showed, no matter what I tried to clean it with. I learned my lesson. No more stainless ever for me.

vestamyers We chose white appliances for our new home because of price. I was regretting the decision until I stumbled on this. Love it! Thank you so much!

suzyscorner I'm in the process of appliance shopping and was undecided until now!! My kitchen is small, cabinets are white, countertop is a mixture of browns with a little black and walls kind of a tan. Was leaning toward stainless but going with the white now that I saw this! Thanks so much!!

Joanne Fairmont Yinger Wonderful post, Becky. I have always promoted white as a classic finish for bathroom fixtures. And, I personally have white appliances in my own kitchen, a good choice (I think) with my white cabinetry. (I had to pin your ninth photo.)

Evelyn Reader I love my bright white cheery kitchen and I'm so tired of all the shows on TV telling me that people only want stainless steel! Thanks for showing that white still can be "in".Besides, I thought Americans were into diversity.

Becky Harris I don't know about y'all, but when I move, I take my fridge with me (unless due to some extreme stroke of luck, the former owner is leaving me a cherry red Big Chill or a Sub Zero gratis)!

justbob I have stainless steel but no fingerprints...or at least it's the stainless steel look...I love it! But I also think the white is cool..just depends on the kitchen.

kgdemme I have a white kitchen, but my stove (glass top) is black with speckles. I want a white glass top, and found they are very expensive. About $300 more than a black top. Wish they were cheaper and more available.... Please tell manufacturers!!!

thegreenbee The kitchen in the 3rd photo is adorable! Thanks for showing that bright white appliances are still sleek when done right.

laloofah Thank you for this article (the comments are helpful too), which arrives with ideal timing for us as we embark on building our first house. I've always been a fan of white appliances. Our realtor tried to talk us into replacing them with stainless steel in the house we sold last year, but we refused. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the white ones we had, and the house sold just fine - only one comment from all the showings made reference to our "outdated appliances." Now we're renting a place with s/s appliances, and I'm NOT impressed. To me, a lover of a rustic/cottage/traditional look, they often appear cold and utilitarian, and I hate their high-maintanance requirements. We are building our new house with resale in mind (in 4-5 years), and I had thought we'd have to just suck it up and install s/s appliances to please most future buyers, but this article and most of the comments make me less sure that will need to be the case. (I'm having the same inner debate about granite countertops!) :-)

Becky Harris Loofah, keep your counters simple; I think whatever your realtor and design tv shows are trying to shove down your throat right now will be dated in 4-5 years. Look to quartz, marble, recycled glass and soapstone options - I'd say as plain as possible to appeal to a wider audience. Also, particularly on islands, counters are thicker these days, so consider that in your design if you are planning on resale.

laloofah Thank you, Becky! That's very helpful advice, and I agree with you that what's "hot" now will look dated in 4-5 years, though Wyoming tends to lag the rest of the nation by about that time span! ;-) I don't like "busy" countertops, and prefer classic over trendy (hence my love of white appliances!) with budget, functionality, looks and environmental impact key factors in our decision - along with that pesky resale factor. I've liked a lot of the quartz we've seen, WISH we could afford soapstone, have pondered something like Travertine slab, and will give recycled glass a look. Our new home is Craftsman on the outside, and we want to carry that through the inside as much as possible.

mamallama Love elements of all these. Personally, I think white and wood are a poor combo. The white kills the richness of wood, and wood kills the clean sleek look of white. White and stainless go well, but do understand the fingerprint issue. Dark counters are terrific with white-out. Love seeing all the drawers....can't have enough!

Revive Home Design I think the white appliances look great in most of these pictures and wouldn't be afraid of using white. However, the question mentions the "more expensive" stainless steal. The appliances in most of these pictures are very expensive (i.e., custom colors for a Viking stove and custom cabinet panels). Cheap white appliances might not look as good in my opinion. Also, in terms of resale, when we hold an open house, almost every buyer that walks through makes a comment about whether or not the appliances are stainless steal. I think the choice needs to depend on many factors.

maureenrowland I love the white appliances and am sick and tired of stainless steel. The white is bright and cheerful and gives you the feeling of a nice clean kitchen. I agree with some of the other comments concerning it just being a fad like the old gold and advocado think how long white has been around and it is still with us.

Mercy Me I'll stick with stainless steel, thank you. White appliances yellow over time. But those are sure pretty pictures and gorgeous kitchens. Actually, my favorite treatment for bulky appliances is to have them clad in panels that match the cabinetry. Sleek and stylish.

photogirl333 I'm going to have to stick up for stainless as well... it's not that hard to maintain. Just wipe down with stainless cleaner - done. My kitchen has darker wood cabinets with a lighter granite, and white would look completely odd. They do look nice in white kitchens, and the high-end white/stainless are VERY nice looking. Of course - you get what you pay for... :)

ofelia I would like to choise stainless steel apliances, but are expensives than the white ones. So I keep the steel on accesories.

austennut I'm another one with white appliances (and not the expensive, modern ones featured in this ideabook). I like how it goes fairly seamlessly with the white cabinets. I've attached a picture to illustrate.

Melissa Thorn Thanks for including my cottage kitchen in your idea book...I used the white appliances so my tin backsplash and pops of pink would stand out. You can go to my blog if you'd like to see how I achieved the cottage look on a budget. :) http://mycottagecharm.blogspot.com

Melissa

Iyare I Austennut, your kitchen is a beauty!!!

I've been struggling with this concept for months. It actually made me put my kitchen remodel on the back burner. I just "knew" I needed to replace all the appliances in my kitchen with stainless steel unfortunately, I couldnt justify the expense when they are perfectly good appliances. Secondly, Im not much of a cook anyway so replacing them would be thinking of the resale potential in the future... possibly. Thankfuly, with this article, I now know what I am going to do. Im going to work with my white appliances instead of hating them or working against them. Austennut's kitchen is an example of the regular white appliances working in a kitchen. Thanks for this article.

alibonelli Thank you for posting something different! How about black appliances for next week?

Becky Harris alibonelli, I'll keep my eye out for some black appliance kitchens to feature soon. Thanks for the idea!

austennut Thanks, Ivie, for your kind comments. Good luck with the plans for your kitchen!

Julia Hayes I don't love or hate stainless, but thanks for saying it's OKAY to have white! :)

olldbobbi Stainless appliances cost more and you get to spend a lot of free time keeping them clean. Why not invest the extra $$$ into upgrading the white appliances?

lauraosmith Yay!!! Finally, kitchens with white appliances. Thank you so much for this ideabook. We recently bought all new white appliances. The new designs are quite lovely and nothing like the old white ones we all remember. I'm not saying that I don't like stainless steel. I think it looks great with dark cabinets. However, I am so tired of seeing it everywhere. Thank you for showing us some versatility!

monkeymason Please help a girl out!!! I agree these kitchens with white appliances are beautiful! Our last home had white cabinets with white appliances and I LOVED IT!!! My delema is that we are building a new house and it will be very country looking. I am set on having cream kitchen cabinets. So what do you think White or Stainless Steel?? Won't the white look funny next to the cream?? I am also worried that stainless steel is too modern looking for a country kitchen. I have been debating this question for a really long time. Please people help me!! The house will be ready for the kitchen install in a few weeks so the decision needs to be made

Dorian Kellley Though weary, I will hold onto my stainless a little longer. Although nice, white ice is not what I anticipated. Unless someone has a photo proving me wrong, will it compliment a kitchen that is not white?

Iyare I I ended up keeping my white appliances and I dont think stainless would have gone with the direction I wanted to go in. At the end of the day, Im glad I decided to stick with my white appliances because stainless steel would have taken away from the rest of my kitchen

Dorian Kellley I agree. The white looks very good in your kitchen. I'm sorry, I misunderstood your initial quandary. I thought you wanted cream cabinets.

Iyare I I had cream cabinets but I repainted them white to blend in with my appliances. I like the way they turned out

Becky Harris Monkeymason, have you thought about having your refrigerator front camouflaged with wood panels that match your cabinets, like this:

cdeesp Thank you so much for this Ideabook. I am a woman over sixty, updating my kitchen on a budget in an effort to make the house more “open concept”. I may or may not want to sell the house at some point, so every decision has to consider my taste as well as what may affect a future sale. I put my foot down on stainless steel, however. Is this resale suicide? I bought inexpensive but new white cabinets. There’s a new white gas range with convection and a griddle, and above it will be a wall-hung, chimney style white range hood (SignatureHardware.com). I’m putting a bright blue, glass-tile backsplash behind (GlassTileOasis.com). I’ve ordered a high-quality laminate countertop in a dark, blue-gray marble design (WilsonArtHD.com). I’ve also worked in a white upright freezer. The kitchen used to be a dark box, and now it’s a bright galley with lots of storage and work-space. The houses in this neighborhood sell for around $100k. Mistake? Pictures later.

Judy Well, having waited 7 months, white still hasn't "arrived" in Australia. Just couldn't stand my kitchen any longer, had to bite the bullet and go ahead with the new kitchen. Did find a white dishwasher, and found a stove that is more glass than stainless steel, my old (white) fridge is still going and am getting a glass cooktop. I thought about going the panels that match the cabinetry route, but decided against it. I am hoping the kitchen will last a looong time, and appliances tend to die soon after their warranty runs out, so I would then probably have to find matching materials to clad the new appliances.

jojo132 @Judy. What about integrated appliances? I had to replace my freestanding stainless steel dishwasher a couple of months ago and went for an integrated model this time - and was able to get the same door as the rest of my cabinets eight years on! Good luck with the new kitchen!

Joanna Zygo When I visited this site I discovered how much different are American style and European style kitchens. And interiors, but the biggest noticeable difference is in kitchens. We adapted the big double fridge, we call it "American style fridge" - that's the trend right now in Europe. But countertops and cabinets are very different.

Becky Harris Joanna, you make a good point - I think our shopping habits are so different as well - we buy things in bulk and shop once a week, whereas in Europe the supermarket is a relatively new concept; whenever I've lived in Europe we tended to shop for fresh food every day, often stopping by a bakery, meat and cheese shop, the fish guy, the produce stand, etc. Shopping this way meant we needed much less room in the refrigerator (also that we weren't eating a lot of processed food like we do in America). Plus, we like our drinks really cold here!

Joanna Zygo Becky Harris, here things are changing to, where I live now people buy in bulk once a week as well and there is mostly processed food. It is different from country to country, in France it is different than here in Holland.

Becky Harris Joanna, I fear that is America's bad influence when it comes to food!

mamallama Becky: We are just different. Why the judgment?

victoria27 @Mamallama: Why the judgment? Because we Americans have become so "bigger is better" crazed... which extends to food shopping, food portions... and sadly, our body size.....

Becky Harris Judgement? About what? I have no idea what you are talking about mamallama. I believe that eating processed foods is not as healthy as eating fresh food, and I wish that I had healthier shopping and eating habits like Europeans traditionally have had. I also wish their small cars, extensive and efficient train system and energy-efficient habits were more prevalent in the states. However, I don't see that as judgement.

maureenrowland I have to agree with you Becky, however, I think we are getting a little off topic!! lol

laurie0714 White is indeed timeless for kitchens. But what about showing white appliances in a kitchen with cabinets that are other than white? I just replaced a stainless dishwasher and chose black since my cabinets are wood stained fairly dark. Shortly after that I changed out my white stove for a black one and it looks great! I am leary of putting in a black refrigerator when we remodel, so I will look forward to next week's article. Thank you for posting this!!

laurie0714 White is indeed timeless for kitchens. But what about showing white appliances in a kitchen with cabinets that are other than white? I just replaced a stainless dishwasher and chose black since my cabinets are wood stained fairly dark. Shortly after that I changed out my white stove for a black one and it looks great! I am leary of putting in a black refrigerator when we remodel, so I will look forward to next week's article. Thank you for posting this!!

Brenda Greer We are building a new home and I have stainless picked out. Every time I go with white it yellows over time and looks awful. I am thinking a white bedroom suite but wonder if it will yellow down. I understand there is a new paint out that doesn't yellow. Is it used on appliances too?

Becky Harris Brenda, I've not had a yellowing problem and I've had a lot of white walls (and an embarrassingly outdated energy sucking white fridge that is way too old!) - I tend to see it in households with smokers though - lampshades, walls, and I suppose appliances, so i do know what you are talking about! I think the new appliances will surprise you. Another way to go is the panel-front refrigerators that match the cabinetry, which you can do with any finish under the sun.

Brenda Greer Becky, we aren't smokers and I don't cook! Never have in the 33 years we've been married and they still yellow. I hope you do write on black appliances next as we are seriously thinking of them with our cinnamon cabinets. What do you think?

Becky Harris Brenda, wow. It's funny, I don't really cook either so that was my other guess, but that's not the case with you either!!!

Here's a great ideabook I hope will help you that has mostly black appliances:




Here's a search of just "black appliances" - you can also try "black stove" "black refrigerator" and "black range" to find more. The site is now pretty well keyworded - search under "Photos" next to the search box. It also helps to put the two words in quotation marks or to put a + in between them (black+refrigerator):

http://www.houzz.com/black-appliances

Becky

olgalita does anybody know a distributor of new white appliances in North America? I am having hard time trying to locate a new white range/frig/dishwasher/over-range-microwave package in Canada. looking for higher-end appliances however not overpriced...thanks!!

gurukaram Yes, Sears!

Ellessebee I love that white is making a come-back - I only hope it happens fast! I am building a new house and want a light, airy kitchen. In my current kitchen, I have black glass and stainless appliances. The combination works well with the mixed cherry/maple cabinets. And I love the black glass for its ease of cleaning, but I hate the stainless because it is so difficult to keep clean and requires toxic cleaners to get it looking right. I hope that white glass appliances show up in the stores in the next few months.

zombieknit Why did stainless steel become popular in the first place?

anothergalaxy Btw, to keep stainless clean use WD40 or similar. It's a trick I learnt from a Subzero installer. Very easy to remove fingerprints!

llucy Having worked in restaurants and food service, I am mystified by the popularity of SS. I can see it in an "urban chic" loft in a warehouse district, but don't see the appeal at all for most homes. So alien in a space usually designed to be warm and comforting.

I wish the producers of HGTV would read comment sections like these. All their programs focus on the SAME scheme: SS, granite, dark wood. Variety. Choices. That's what we really want.

mairie No one has the mentioned 'silver mist' finish alternative (Frigidaire) offers and GE has a similar finish series. It is an enamel coating very similar to satin silver hardware. We have a white kitchen and are replacing appliances with this finish which does not need fingerprint maintenance. It reads lighter than SS and will go with the soft gray we are painting the cabinets. Daughter has all black appliances which look lovely with the med. toned wood cabinetry. So it depends on the cabinetry. If I could find white appliances with no vinyl components (which is what yellows) I would consider it.

Nancy Reinke This is an outstanding article. Thank you, Becky, for showing that white appliances work in so many different design styles. When we bought our 1926 mountain cottage it required a complete remodel. The only thing I kept in the kitchen was an almost new white range. I matched it up with new white refrigerator and OTR microwave. SS would have made an overpowering statement in our tiny kitchen, and I wanted to keep a more vintage look with the mountainy knotty maple cabinets I chose. Besides, I'm so tired of cookie cutter SS kitchens. Our kitchen is unique and I love it. Friends and family comment on how fun it is and it's so easy to cook and clean up here. I'm showing photos (ignore the white looking shelves in the open front cupboard, I've since stained them to match). Cheers!

cjyap1 Any thought on White appliances with Dark, contemporary cabinets. Is that too much, should I get stainless instead?

maureenrowland the contrast would be nice if you had handles with white in them somewhere, however, we are all talking about white vs stainless but there are all kinds of other colored appliances available these days. What are your thoughts on those?

cjyap1 I'm not planning a high end kitchen, so I'd stick to the standard appliance colors that don't require a special order. I'm not sure I'm that bold either. I have functioning white refrigerator and stove, but need to buy an over the range microwave and dishwasher. I also will be replacing the ones I own relatively soon. I like plain front cabinets, with the long brushed silver colored handles. I am planning to do a light colored cork floor, and have discovered that even the ones that look like they are bleached with a white stain are warm in tones. The cabinet color, and handles that I like are similar to this picture. I'm thinking of a slab front, rather than the shaker style. The flooring will probably be lighter than the floor in the picture. I haven't selected a counter top yet, as that will help tie things together. (I hope). The Kitchen and living room will be one big open space, and there will be a lot of light from two large windows (6' W X 4'H in the kitchen, a 6' slider, and an 8' W X 5' H window in the living room)



So What do you think? Are white appliances too much of a contrast, if so, stainless? Help!
Thanks

Nancy Reinke Ciyap1, with a contemporary kitchen like this I would go with black or stainless appliances. I've seen photos of both combinations. If you google "dark contemporary cabinets with black (or stainless) appliances" and go to the images page you'll find lots of inspiration. Good luck with your kitchen. It sounds like it's going to be great.

Ellessebee I have something very similar and used black dishwasher, oven and OTR microwave. But I used a stainless fridge because it's large and would have been very imposing in black. The stainless also won't raise any eyebrows when it comes to resale down the road.

mairie I have a vintage style white kitchen and therefore white appliances; will soon be freshening up the cabinets with a very light gray glaze and the white appliances will still be a good fit. I prefer that appliances blend in and not be highly contrasting. The look of stainless (or black) with medium to dark cabinets is also a fairly seamless look. I agree with Nancy for your space.

cjyap1 Thank you all for your input. I thought it might be too much contrast, but I'm not very good when it comes to seeing what goes with what.

julie77777 All of this discussion above is SO helpful!! I have a fairly new white dishwasher, microwave and range. Old frig is beige and will be replaced soon. I am seriously looking at re-facing cabinets from 1993, arch-top oak doors with lots of grain, current stain color is a medium oak (with a hint of rust color). Anyway, I've been thinking about going with a little darker stain (new doors), but have been worried that the white appliances aren't going to look okay. (The idea above about using cabinet handles with white in them might fix that probem?) I'm also considering re-facing with white, but then I worry about the white cabinets clashing with the white appliances. What about having a white diswasher and range, but a SS refrig and oven hood -- in a kitchen with white cabinets? All comments are welcome.

mairie @julie...My two cents....I am refreshing my cabinets in a very light shade of warm gray (they are off-white now) as I prefer white appliances and will continue to replace with white. This way there is very low contrast in the kitchen and no chance of competing shades of white next to white-also my appliances are not side by side.
Even stainless steel hues differ, so that is not a guarantee of a match. Nevertheless, I personally like stainless appliances (or black) in a medium toned to dark wood kitchen for the same reason as using white appliances for a very light kitchen- to blend in with cabinetry more seamlessly. The new 'white ice' appliances have stainless accents so it is easier to pull off for example that stainless hood. There are many visuals on houzz that show both high and low contrast kitchens well, and it is so helpful in the decision making process. Good luck..

julie77777 mairie -- Thank you so much for your thoughts! Would you possibly be able to post a photo of your light warm gray cabinets with your white appliances? (even if not all the way done....?) I will look around on Houzz and other sites some more for "white appliance" kitchens.

mairie Will do - paint is ready and this is next on the project list... I also have a soft silvery metallic paint and plan to experiment with a hint of shimmer on a cabinet door using glaze over the light warm gray.. (Shaker style). It will be fun to try it and maybe just the island will have a different treatment. We'll see...I see a new line of metallic interior paints by Martha Stewart...she must have read my mind! lol.

Dishwasher-Review.com Thanks for this great collection of photos showing how good white appliances can look. As white dishwashers are typically $30-100 cheaper than the same dishwasher model in stainless steel, white appliances can be a good way to save money too!

Pam Moore I must say that I have never understood the popularity of SS, and am amazed that it has lingered this long. But I also don't understand the cookie cutter mentality we have in the US. For the past 15 or so years, it seems that virtually every new kitchen or kitchen remodel features SS appliances and granite countertops. There are kitchens in which SS works best, there are kitchens in which white works best, and there are kitchens where something else works best. It should be a decision based on the other design elements in the kitchen and the house as a whole. But the overuse of SS for so long has really made me sick of it, and an acceptance of alternatives is long overdue and most welcome.

kitter For practicality, drop the "matchy, matchy" rule. The most efficient color (easiest to keep looking good/clean) for stoves is black, but a black free-standing refrigerator would suck the light out of almost any kitchen. So in our kitchen, we have a black stove, a black glass fronted dishwasher (shows streaks less) and a white fridge. The cabinets are painted white (would rather have easier-to-keep-clean wood-grain, but it would be wasteful to replace vintage, solid wood cabinets in excellent condition). The combination looks planned & sleek.
On the other hand, the floor.... (next on the list).

Pam Moore Kitter, I like the way you think!

kusurfer I have had my stainless appliances for a few months and all I can say is "I WANT MY WHITE BACK!" I think we have been brain washed.

ebea Pam Moore, you and I are on the same wave length. I never liked SS - it looks cold, industrial, and cookie cutter. Kitchens are gathering places traditionally and should be warm and inviting. We used to have our own preferences and styles but SS has been shoved down our throats for so long that we have become sheep with no choices but SS. I know what I like but it may not be for everyone. People should go with what they like and get over SS. There are other options for resale. We bought our home partially because I loved the kitchen which was all white.

melissaguinness Dorian Kellley, Here's a picture of Whirlpool's White Ice Range used in a kitchen with a combination of white & blue cabinets.

I really want the range and microwave for my boat's galley, but the grates are so large, it makes them difficult to clean in my small sink. Why did they make them so large!?! I can't figure out how to attach the fiddle (keeps pots from sliding off in seas) either .

ellenhstevenson I have white GE Profile appliances, like the white but need a new refrig and wall oven/microwave-convection oven combo. I saw the comments on the Whirlpool White Ice collection, does anyone have a comment to their durability and performance? Have read some of the comments on the Whirlpool's appliance web page, about the sound levels and the ice maker/water dispenser issues...what are your experiances? Thanks!

Teri Ahlm We are in the process of replacing our kitchen appliances with BISQUE appliances. They are a perfect match with our cabinets and are much warmer than a stark white. So far we have purchased the refrigerator and the dishwasher will be next. After the appliances, a cork floor and new butcher block countertops will complete the remodel inexpensively!

Inis Lovely We took delivery of a new smooth white LG fridge yesterday. I have always loved white kitchens.

susanseward I love white appliances. We recently changed over to the stainless fad and although they look great the old white ones were much easier to keep clean and shiny looking.

glbaldacci I love my white appliances. I was over SS about 10 years ago. I found this old chambers stove and the Kitchen Aid fridge has a smooth white finish which was a must, I didn't want the typical nubbly white on lower end appliances ( but couldn't afford the high end glass look finish). I paneled the dw to blend in with the cabinets.

ehpehp I agree with kitter about not needing to match all your appliances. My family almost had me convinced to go with SS even though I wanted white appliances to go with my white cabinets. When I saw the smudged and fingerprinted models in the store, I knew I couldn't, and wouldn't, keep up with the maintenance required. I changed everything to white except my dual-fuel range (which only came in SS). I used the same metal in other places to unify the kitchen (faucet, hardware, light fixtures, island stools). The one SS appliance looks special, not mismatched.

revss Great didcussion-and timely! Am doing a K remodel (mid-50's ranch) which has 2 windows which face N. Going with dove-gray cabs. Currently have white tile floors and black countertop-both of which I hate as they show everything! Appliances currently black, tho' I want a frig that is countertop depth and a gas range. Since the K feels dark (adding 2 solar "tunnels" for more light) I've been thinking of SS appliances, tho' many people tell me they're care-intensive. Maybe white would help lighten it up? (Will move the salvagable cqbs to laundry/lower level (inexpensive wood, Shaker/slab doors.) Current frig extends so far out, as does K bar, that functionality is poor for 2 cooks.

At 70 I'm not doing it "forever"! Glad to hear white is making a comeback. THANKS ALL!

monjav2 I love white kitchens (which ours used to be) but when we remodeled, we went with wood cabinets and switched to all stainless steel appliances...actually hubby "had" to have SS! I have to admit, although I loved the all white kitchen, the white appliances would have clashed with the new warm wood cabs. Over time I have come to love the SS. However, if we ever move or remodel again, I'd consider going back to white appliances and all white cabs b/c it's such a fresh clean look.

If you do have stainless appliances and struggle with keeping them clean and gleaming, we figured out an easy technique: To clean, add a drop of dish soap or hand soap to a wet cloth, wring out to just damp, then wipe down to clean, then dry off with a clean soft cloth. Once completely dried off, squeeze a little baby oil to a dry microfiber cloth, and , wipe/buff the entire SS surface down to polish and protect the SS. It keeps the appliances looking brand new. We do this about once a month, and our 7 year old SS appliances still look new. Everyone we know has asked us our secret, and now uses it...it's cheap and works like a charm! I like using the lavender scented baby oil, b/c it leaves a delicious scent :).

It works better than any SS cleaner we have found on the market. Hope it helps someone out there.

Elisabeth Clark I'm really tired by stainless steel appliances. I usually make my appliances blend in to the cabinets. So after all these decades, white looks great with white. Although, in my youth I had my appliances car painted to match in.

carlajene I've always had white appliances (except for a second-hand avocado one in the 80s; I was just happy to get one that worked). Others look nice but not for me. We're getting ready to build a new house and I intend to use white appliances again.

yogapaws I do not like ss either. Bisque (aka almond) is in current kitchen. Looked better with the counter & wood. I have had the lighting updated - but haven't finished this project yet....

Nancy Reinke For those thinking white appliances and wood cabinets don't work, here's a link to a Houzz article on a kitchen remodel with white appliances and cherry wood cabinets.

Just sayin'.

Pam Moore Nancy, I like the way they pulled it together with the white countertops. And the subway tiles work beautifully. Thanks for sharing.

jojosail2 I have always preferred white over all-stainless. But I am not in favor of doing "what everyone" is doing, never have been, not even in high school. I have always been independent of trends, not a slave to the current fad. I do like the white and stainless combination. Very versatile. I have all stainless now, hate it, fingerprints and smudges make me crazy.

ekknox We just remodeled our kitchen and decided to keep the white appliances. A designer I spoke with suggested that we make sure our counter top included white, so we did that and added a white subway tile backsplash. It might not be for everyone, but we like it.

carlajene It looks lovely, ekknox.

Shavonda Gardner I loved seeing this discussion. It's so refreshing to see beautiful spaces featured that don't include stainless appliances. We have been slowly revamping our kitchen over the past year on a really small budget, and have come to a point where we are having the appliance discussion. Our current appliances are black and are in good condition. I really am over stainless steel and don't want to use it in our kitchen. We are thinking of replacing our appliances with more black ones, but in a matte finish as opposed to the shiny finish they are currently. But, after seeing these spaces, I'm wondering if we should consider white? Great post. Thanks so much for sharing.

julie77777 Very helpful discussion! I'm changing cabinet color/finish now and will be replacing old almond frig within a year. Have been debating what to go with ... and this info helps!

Kristy Villane I love white kitchens as well as white appliances. It's a classic look.

npcnpc Stainless steel is a misnomer. I once had a stainless steel sink and would spend so much time getting it to look clean and without fingerprints or discolorations. Never again. The only steel that I want in my kitchen now is perhaps on the toaster. Otherwise, it is white appliances.

Pam Moore @npcnpc Me too! I could never get that SS sink to look clean! And the only SS in our kitchen now IS the toaster.

lanthon1950 Love this discussion! Recently did a 70's kitchen with white appliances paired with white upper glass front cabinets and crown molding but with gray walls, bead board backsplash and even darker gray lower cabinets. The s/s would not have worked here either!

mairie @ lanthon- could you post a photo please? Sounds like my plans and it would be great to see this combination...

lanthon1950 Marie, here are a couple:

Nancy Reinke lanthan1950, I LOVE this. Are these new cabinets? Or did you paint existing? They look great, whatever the case. White appliances are perfect, and I like the bead board backsplash a lot. Nice job all the way around..

Pam Moore Lanthan1950, great job! I like the lower and upper cabinets being different colors, but I don't know whether I can talk my husband into doing that. It looks great!

marleneshannon I enjoyed this thread because I recently opted to get white when purchasing new appliances. It's just a personal preference. I have an old house and wanted a fresh, clean, somewhat cottagey look, and noticed that the SS appliances seemed dark and sunk the light. My cabinets are a pale green, kind of the color of jadeite, and I have a vintage white Wedgewood stove, but it still took me quite awhile to make up my mind to get a white refrigerator and microwave. For the dishwasher, I got a cabinet front. I tied everything in with a creamy crackle backsplash tile and honed white marble countertops. Everyone loves how it turned out, and one of these days I will post a picture when it is completely finished. Combinations of white look very nice if done right, but I don't think I'd do a creamy kitchen with white appliances. SS looks great in more modern, industrial type kitchens, and with certain cabinets.

lanthon1950 Nancy Reinke, these were existing cabinets and fit the style of the house so using good advice from pros, I did all the prep work, (the hardest part,) and with a good dose of patience plowed into it. It's a clean soft look my husband and i can live with for a long while.

Nancy Reinke Marleneshannon, your kitchen sounds delightful. I hope you will post photos here very soon. I'm dying to see it. :)

Nancy Reinke lanthon1950,congratulations. You did a spectacular job. I enjoy seeing a DIY cabinet redo like yours. It's inspiring. Thanks so much for sharing.

mairie @lanthon..Thanks for posting your pictures. Superb job! The reason I also plan to go with soft gray lower cabinetry was that I noticed in my now all white kitchen that I am often spot-cleaning the lowers where the uppers are seldom in need and stay fresh. So this to me is the best of both worlds since gray would be less maintenance. It also allows me to paint the walls a warm gray and have some upper contrast, but not too much.
@ marleneshannon- I agree with you that SS appliances read as dark and while they suit certain kitchens well, the cottagey look and white go hand in hand. I adore the look of Wedgewood stoves and look forward to your pictures as well. The green with white must be beautiful...

gloria56 We are within three weeks of finishing a whole house remodel. The kitchen is all that is left. Although we were looking at black or stainless appliances, we went with all white because our kitchen is very small. We took part of the wall out between the kitchen and living room and that opened everything up. I think the white will smooth everything out with painted taupe cabinets. We shall see in a month when they are delivered.
This article makes me think we made the right decision. These are great examples.

Sharyn I like white on white. SS is miserable to clean. White cabinets is no picnic either, so I picked my battles and opted for the painted white cabinets in my recent budget friendly re-do.

Michelle Harnum I had black appliances in my first home, stainless steel in my second, and in my current home I have white appliances that I inherited from the previous owner. I miss my ss and can't wait to change out the white. I have natural oak cabinets and in combination with the white appliances I feel that my kitchen looks very boring. Ss adds sparkle and instantly updates a kitchen. I think ss is the new standard and does not compare in any way to avocado.

charlize Here is the same kitchen with white/ or stainless steel. The cupboards are highgloss and the white matches pretty good. What do you think? Half the price.

gurukaram White is much better. The stainless makes it look too chopped up.

revss To me the SS frig. looks like something off a huge ship...a boiler? beer vat? Far more obtrusive than the white.

Nancy Reinke The SS appliances really dominate the small area and dwarf the cabinets. They look like they're too big for the space. The white appliances blend in and look like they fit the space better. They look like they belong there. I like the white much better.