Having been in the wholesale product end of finished goods for the home for over 20 years, I love Appliances! Appliances are the #1 most talked about product for the home. Do I go stainless steel? Do I do full over lay? Do I go professional? Is Sub Zero/Wolf the best name in the business? The answer is yes and no to all the previous questions. But simply stated, what is the look you are going for and what is YOUR preference?
I’ll start by saying all appliance manufactures are good to great. Throughout the years every single manufacturer has had a lemon or one product that caused years of heart aches and headaches. It is unfortunate and not unlike the car industry. However, people talk more about their appliances than other products possibly because they use them more frequently. This month we will focus on stainless steel or overlay and dig deeper into manufacturers next month.
Stainless vs Full Overlay
Stainless Steel Appliances have been popular now for over 20 years. With the advent of the cooking shows and celebrity chefs, the consumer wanted to emulate these professionals and focused on gourmet cooking and the ultimate products to deliver the goods. Stainless steel appliances fit the look and the feel the consumer was looking for. A large 48” Duel Fuel Range with griddle provides that powerful, can do cooking platform the “Chef” is looking for. To compliment that Cadillac of a range, we bought into the 60” Refrigerator/Freezer, 2 stainless dishwashers, a wine cooler, warming drawer and a microwave or 3rd oven. Done! We got that professional kitchen. I personally love the look and stainless steel will last forever. The kitchens below has everything and more in terms of stainless steel and still looks warm and inviting.
Full overlay is a term used when the appliance is overlaid with a cabinet panel typically in the same color as the rest of the kitchen. This creates a sleek, integrated, furniture look to the kitchen which blends all the working pieces nicely into the most popular room in the home. Since the kitchen is now more integrated into the rest of the home in modern floor plans, adding panels to the appliances that match the cabinets is becoming more and more popular. The appliances are hidden behind, so other features of the kitchen can shine. This is a great way to create a focal point somewhere else. This uniform look creates a less fussy style, which blends into the living spaces well. In the right home, this is the perfect solution to a more “livable” kitchen.
Below is a beautiful blending of both stainless and paneled overlay, including the exhaust hood and other appliances. The decorative lighting adds that extra elegance to make this kitchen something to talk about.
