The extra gap there in the alcove is because a 36" fridge won't be able to open it's doors. You never shove a refrigerator right against the wall like they did here.

The issue I have read about with white appliances is that inevitably they won't match the cabinetry if it's already painted white. It would be one thing to install the white appliances and then match your cabinet paint to them, but I know that isn't always possible. Sometimes people end up with cabinetry that looks like a dirty white against bright white appliances or vice versa.

“White appliances are much starker and colder than the white cabinets.”

Very true and can be challenging. I vote for stainless.

If you want a change, consider a black fridge (and dishwasher) and could just keep your stove since its not lined up with the others. I have bluish/grey cabinets with black counters and really like how my kitchen feels. Look for a modern fridge design.

Stainless.

It's hard enough work to get SS appliances to match, white appliances would have to all be purchased from the same manufacturer, and if one has to be replaced, the new one will never match.

It's the reason many new kitchens have refrigerators and dishwashers with matching cabinet panels.

Stainless goes well with the slight grey in your cabinets. I would not be concerned with wanting to break things up. This is a short run of cabinetry and you don't need to add any "pops" of white color to it. The current look feels more seamless and the white might feel choppy.

Maureen yours does look pretty!

Your kitchen looks nice with the current appliances. If you need a change, replacing the cabinet hardware for a silver tone would tie in the fridge and dishwasher and not be too expensive.

^Agree with replacing the hardware.

Your kitchen is lovely. The SS is fine. Personally, I'd change the hardware from brass (warm) to SS or even iron (cool tone).

Thank you. Yes I am kind of regretting the hardware, it's the unlaquered brass but I'm not loving it in the space.

Multiple random thoughts:

- If your appliances don't need replacing, I wouldn't do a thing ... not until at least one of them MUST be replaced. It's just not financially smart.

- I like white appliances, but I wouldn't choose them with white cabinets. As others have said, too hard to match them.

- I would not go for black appliances. Too dark.

- Do consider that buying new appliances isn't so easy as it used to be. I hope it's better than it was in the pandemic when bought a washer/dryer -- I had to take my 3rd choice because my 1st and 2nd choices weren't in stock. Also, stainless steel is pretty much the only thing available -- you'll find fewer choices in other colors, and you may have to order them.

- Does your dishwasher door contain other panels? Looking at the picture, I kinda doubt it, but I have had dishwashers before that came with multiple panels that could be pulled out /switched.

- Have you considered getting a "wrap" for your appliances instead of replacing them? You can get them in prints or bright colors -- try Amazon.

- Totally agree that the brass handles don't match, but that's quite inexpensive to change, and you can do it yourself in about 30 minutes.

Perhaps get panel-ready dishwasher and refrigerator, if you're going to get new ones anyway. You can either have them painted the same as your cabinets or white for contrast.

I have had trouble with white appliances in the past. Any of the plastic parts like handles turn a yellowish color over time. I replaced all of my kitchen appliances with the newer slate color which I love. Take a look at those and see if they might be another choice for you.

I have an older white Kitchenaid fridge that has not yellowed--my handles are not plastic, so I would advise that you check your model for plastic elements before proceeding.

I totally understand you wanting to replace a fridge you don't like. I love the interior layout of my Kitchenaid.

My range and DW are stainless. I think having a white fridge or white range is fine in a painted cabinetry kitchen, however, somehow I don't care for white appliances in wood kitchens and I don't like white DWs in any kitchen for some reason. I just can't explain it. Maybe because I think white DWs look cheap or something. My kitchen has a white fridge with stainless range and DW and I think the combo is fine.

When my white fridge finally breaks down, after many years of great service and only one small repair, I'm leaning towards getting a stainless steel fridge--even though I detest having to maintain stainless and I agree with Annette on the look of stainless. The only reason why I am getting stainless steel is because I would like the option of eliminating my grandchildren's artwork from the front of my fridge, which serves in part to lessen the competing whites (stark white fridge verses white cabinets) in my kitchen. Since your cabinets are light gray, the contrasts may not be that much of an issue.

Stainless steel appliances = boring!

No individual kitchen personality. Just following the flock of designers whose "it's in" right now will change. For me, hand crafted wooden cabinetry and appliances that blend in have much more warmth and charm than a huge metal eyesore.

My 2 cents worth is plain old stain;less is my go to always. It does not matter who makes the appliance in stanless so I can actually buy appliances for how they work for me not becuase they match in color. Usually just about the time an appliance beaks down the maker no longer makes that special color and whites are horrible to find that work unless you get stuck with at least one crappy applaince from that maker. BTW care for stainless is so spimple a good microfiber cloth that is only used for the stainless hot water a bit of vinegar wipe in the direction of the stainless grain done . I run acatering biz from my home with all stainless appliances and ever 2 sets of stainless drawers nect to my range I can clean up all the stainless in less that 5 minutes after a busy day not exactly a big issue

First - who cares what is "popular or trendy"? Go with White. Appliances should never be any color other than white or pastel. Pastel vintage colors are great. I have always had white and always will. My kitchen is not one that most people would like, but I like it and that is all that is important. And of course make the dishwasher white if you must have one. I have two dishwashers - one on the end of each arm and they do not take up precious cabinet space. And yes - GET RID of Grey people - it is a color never meant to be in the interior of a home! ugh. Thankfully it is out of style now, not trendy any longer.

Try painting the frig you do not like with white rustoleum oil based paint and use it until it dies and then buy white. Be sure not to get french doors on the frig - they are SO inconvenient to use and drag food in and out around the door to the cabinet. Many trendy ideas are not very thought out to put it mildly.

I chose white appliances for my last home - had them for 20 years and loved them. When I moved into my next home I left the 20 year old appliances behind. The home I moved into had a white stove, dishwasher and microwave, but they were also all 20 years old. I replaced the refrigerator that was an old olive green monster from the 70s with a new stainless steel refrigerator.

I absolutely hate the stainless steel fridge. I feel like I am wiping it down constantly.

I bought a new dishwasher during covid. The only decent brand/model available when mine died was a white Bosch dishwasher. I bought white and decided that as my appliances die I will replace them with white. I am not replacing a fairly new fridge until it needs to be replaced even if I do hate the thing.

I have read about 1000 posts on Houzz and heard an awful lot of sales people tell buyers to get all the appliances from one company because the stainless finish won't match if you mix brands. Here I see the same argument for White. My appliances are not going to all die at the same time and when one dies I will get the best one I can reasonably afford, not what is available in the same brand as my other appliances. No one is going to notice if the color/finish of the fridge is slightly different than the color/finish of the range. (Do you notice that your toilet isn't the exact same white as your sink or tub or is it close enough?)

I just purchased a new range a few months ago. I ended up purchasing the GE Cafe in matte white. It is not a perfect match to the Bosch dishwasher white, but because the lighting hits them differently and they are not right against one another it is not a noticeable difference.

What surprised me when I went shopping for a new range was the lack of selection in the mid price models. I was shopping for a 30" gas range. 40% were over $3k and 40% were under $2k, so I set my price range to the $2k-$3k middle of the road price.

In the past when I have shopped for me or helping others pick appliances most were available in Black, White or Stainless.

You can still get black, white or stainless in some of the high end brands (Viking, Fisher Paykel, Wolf and Blue Star) but they were out of my price range.

You can still get White and Stainless in many brands/models selling for <2k.

But the top models in the lower priced brands (The standard GE (not profile/cafe series) and Maytag) were only available in Stainless and several of the mid range brands that I looked at were only available in stainless (GE Profile, Bosch, Beko, Jennair)

If I wanted white I could choose KA, Whirlpool or GE Cafe and the GE Cafe was not the standard white, but their own Matte White).

Appliance White is no longer a standard available color in all brands and models.

I am planning a full gut remodel of my kitchen, but will only be replacing the microwave since I already replaced the dishwasher, range and fridge. I am considering covering the stainless fridge with a vinyl wrap in white rather than purchasing a new fridge while the old one still works or having a new kitchen with one major appliance that is stainless while the rest are white.

I think white would look fine next to your gray cabinets and if it were me, I would replace the appliances with white as they die. My exception to replacing only when an appliance dies is if I have a niece/nephew/friend who needs a working appliance and mine works, but I want to replace. I give the old one to them and buy myself something new.

I don't recommend French narrow . Not enough room to open fully

Have them wrapped. Much more cost effective. Just do a search online for kitchen appliance wrapping.

I don't follow trends, so that's not why I'm voting to keep the stainless steel refrigerator. I just think it looks better, especially with your light gray cabinets.

If I were going to change something, it would be the brass hardware, which you have already said doesn't look like you'd hoped.

But, as always, this is your home and your money, so choose something that makes you happy.

Go with your gut. I like white appliances also!

"Should be," "Never," are words that rarely apply to design, unless you're talking about clearances or anything scientific.

@Annette I too detest stainless steel. I don't like the look and it is hard to keep clean.

That said, I also appreciate not spending extra just to get white. Everything comes standard in stainless these days. When I had to replace my dishwasher a few years back, I couldn't get white w/o paying extra. I have wood panel cabinets. A white micro, white stove, white fridge, and stainless dw. Not thrilled it doesn't match but it is what it is. It's personal preference. Go with your gut but don't replace till needed unless you are made of money.

I think it depends on your priorities and how much money you have to spend on “wants” and aesthetic changes. I think the white fridge you show is beautiful and will look amazing (but only if you get the matching dishwasher as well) :)

If the style of the refrigerator is fine and it works property, send it to a local automotive paint company.

I'm not kidding. Decades ago, Mom and I visited a friend of hers. The friend's refrigerator was light blue. Her son owned the local Ford dealership. It was an epiphany.

You can pick a custom color, too!

Not sure if this would work on stainless steel: we bought a new freezer for the utility room. It was white and all of our kitchen and utility room appliances are black.

Dave used black appliance paint before we brought the freezer into the house. Looks great to this day.

Here's the White Cafe w/the gold handles. instead of replacing the DW, what if you had a panel made for it to match the cabs?

since I see darker cabs, I'd go w/the black cafe. gave you the black DW too.

are these shutters necessary? I think they close in the area. do a nice blind or leave them off.

I have this one and love it.

BTW, you bulbs are really yellow. they make the cabs/and white look dingy.

consider getting some cooler temp bulbs (3500-4000K would make a huge diff)

Trust me, go get some LEDs in the 3500-4000 temp. (anything higher is too cool)

Julie, if you love white appliances, go with them. They’ll be an easier fit since your cabs are gray instead of the white I assumed they were. As for the stainless, it would work nicely, too. I can tell you I spent more time cleaning white appliances in our previous home than the stainless we have now.

We have two homes and both have all white appliances. I have never considered SS because i do NOT like that look. Go with what YOU like!

Go with what you like and can afford. That said, I personally have loved SS for long years before it ever became a "trend", and I will likely continue to love it long after everyone else has decided to loathe it. I'm just that way...I like what I like. I think the SS looks very nice in your present kitchen, and I'd be glad to have it. I also like the shutters at your window...just for the record! And yes, I'd probably change out the brass hardware unless you intend to introduce it on your new appliances. Good luck, and enjoy your choices!

Beth's rendering of the black appliances looks very nice. I'm not loving the white with your cabinets, but you would need to see them in person in your space to make a decision.

The rendering with the white Refrigerator doesn't look good, but the room is shadowed while the color of the fridge was left bright white. I assume the sink is also bright white, but shaded in the picture like the fridge would be shaded.

I would think it would look more like this

I don't know if the cabs are actually a white or a cream, but this is why I also mentioned switching out the lights to LED bulbs in the 3500-4000K range. will make a huge diff.

since the countertop is black, I prefer the black appliances. but, I would think about doing some sort of ceiling light w/black/gold, something like these:

I think a darker color behind the cabs would look better.

Or, something like this. Lose the shutters and do a black window instead of your white, w/a sconce, gold faucet, black Cafe appliances. wow. looks really nice

I think it's a very nice upgrade from what you have.

I feel like the shutters should be removed, some additional potted plants, african violets, added to the garden window area.

also like the woven wood blinds instead of the shutters (if you must have something)

Otherwise, no blinds/shutters at all:

another option, if those shutters are removed you could do two pendants

Computer renderings are notorious for not giving the true color, so it's imperative that anyone looking to make a change to any room needs to see the colors in the actual room with the actual light. Incandescent lighting can look way more yellow in photos than it does in real life. Changing the lighting will change the way ALL the items in the room look, so it's not a foolproof way to adjust the colors.

The white will look amazing! Very clean and streamlined. Maybe see if there is gold hardware for the appliances to match to gold hardware on the cabinets and drawers. Go with what your eye loves b/c you will see it everyday.

“White” doesn’t always match other whites. I would go with stainless steel.

Stainless steel appliances remind me of school cafeterias and restaurants, very industrial and professional. Great for very modern decor.

I have a white porcelain sink and appliances and love them because they are nostalgic, unique and ’homey’… and they are easy to keep clean! Steel shows everything! I don’t follow trends

Wow! You all have some really great ideas. The lightbulbs! I hadn't even though of that, I am going to change them out this weekend, I agree the lighting isn't right now that you mention it. I like the rendering with the darker appliances too, as well as the black window trim. I'm not sure if I could paint the trim or not, it's not metal, it's a weird little window. I tried curtains and regular blinds and nothing look right hence the shutters. The cabinets are a light grey, I replaced the doors and painted the bases since they were in good shape and real wood - maybe should have gone with white, but overall it's a pretty color. I will have plenty of time to consider the right direction on appliances because I am definitely not made of money Hollywaterfall :) . I did a project last weekend to speed up the patina of the brass hardware and it now looks better, I needed to try and save it since it was expensive. I'll sit with it a while.

Thank you all so much for such good ideas and opinions, I really appreciate it.

Beth, the renderings are really pretty. I do have to have something on the window, because it's the front of the house, and since the house is set a bit down from the road anyone can see straight through at night. I just have a thing about that. I have some Dorian grey, maybe I'll try that on that wall. goodness, the brass faucet looks nice. I like the sconce as well.

My kitchen front wall looks a lot like yours. I have a pantry cabinet where your refrigerator is. My kitchen is really small so I didn't want to break up the run of white cabinets with stainless appliances. I bought a 2 drawer dishwasher, which I love because there are just 2 of us and the smaller of the 2 drawers lets me run it more often than if I had one regular dishwasher. I had cabinet fronts attached to it.

The oven and refrigerator are on other walls and they are stainless.

I had white appliances when we built our house 30 years ago and they worked pretty well because it happened to match the cabinet white pretty well. I am surprised white appliances are back if only because there are so many different white paints for walls and cabinets. If you go white, try to make sure it works with your other whites.

White. Simple, clean and will blend in nicely-easy on the eyes. AND won’t clash with the brass knobs 😊

Stainless. White will limit your options a lot both now and in future if you need to replace just one.

I had white appliances with gray cabinets and they looked too stark. Stainless steel was too drab, such a similar color. I ended up with matte black and they look better. IMHO. Of course, lighting makes a difference, and I don’t live there any more, so can’t retake the pix

I think white looks fresh. Maybe stainless is easier to keep clean, but if you like the white, go for it.

If appliances are not placed next to each other, white or stainless or black will look good enough to pass as “related”. My three stainless appliances are from 3 different manufacturers and look fine.

If you go with white then either both the fridge and the DW have to be from the same manufacturer to match the shade of white (as they are not all the same) or it is better to panel the DW to match the cabinets - IMHO. Two different whites may clash as the fridge and the DW are close enough to each other.