Color in the kitchen

Welcome back!

When you think of colorful kitchens, you probably picture a bright countertop, backsplash, or cabinets, but there is something you are overlooking. The appliances.

History:

Colored appliances trace their origins back to the 1950s. Before that, your only option was white. Most of the colors were bright and attention grabbing. As the decades progressed, the consumers desired less and less bright colors–moving to more subdued tones like avocado, harvest gold and onyx–before shifting back to white in the '80s and '90s. As a new millennium rose, so did a desire for the sleek, clean look of stainless steel.

However, things are changing again -

Now:

As I've stated in earlier posts, people's obsession with a lack of color is starting to fade. We've gotten tired of everything being shades of gray. White kitchens are still very popular, but they are no longer considered spectacular. They need something new to make them pop–like, maybe, a bright red oven?

Sounds like it would be hard to locate, right? Wrong. There are two major companies at the forefront of appliance style that are there to help you get the kitchen you want.

Smeg:

Smeg was founded in 1948 in a small town in Italy and is sold all over the world. One of their specialties is bringing a vintage look to modern appliances. They have an entire line of '50s inspired appliances, ranging in color from white to chrome to red to pastel blue. They even have refrigerators painted with the Union Jack, Italian, or American flags. That's not to mention the special collaboration they did with Dolce and Gabanna... Those are just wild.

And they don't only make large appliances. They also offer toasters, juicers, coffee machines, espresso machines, blenders, stand mixers, and kettles. Basically, they have everything you could want to add a lovely, colorful, vintage feel to your kitchen.

BlueStar:

BlueStar's parent company, Prizer-Painter Stove Works began in 1880. They made residential and commercial coal ranges, hot water heaters, and heating stoves. In a testament to their quality, many of those original models still work to this day. In 2002, they launched their BlueStar brand: "handcrafted, restaurant-quality ranges for the residential market." Throughout the 2000's, they continued to expand and now have a line of customizable ranges, ventilation, and refrigeration.

BlueStar ranges are almost completely customizable. You can choose the size, number and configuration of burners, backguard style, base color, knob color, trim color, and door style. Don't like the base colors offered? Send them a sample of the color you want and they will make it for you. They also build their appliance to be changeable. If you don't like the color a few years down the road, you can order replacement panels. And, if you want to change the color of existing appliances, like your dishwasher, they also offer panels for those.

Why does this matter?

Because you have more options than you may be aware of. There are so many ways to make your home comfortable and you don't need to sacrifice style for it. You can get the quality you want and it can still have personality.