By Jennifer Shapira
In
The appeal of modern retro-look appliances often available in custom colors.
Out
Appliances that don’t allow the homeowner’s individuality to shine through.
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Statement-making pro-style appliances. Achieving the look of professional-style kitchens is here to stay, says Mark Wentsel, appliance specialist for Reico. Those brawny ranges from high-end lines Wolf and Viking are most coveted.
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Stoves without personality.
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“Stainless steel appliances still reign supreme,” says Cathy Holt, kitchen designer at Lowe’s Alexandria. While there is interest in black and white appliances, she says most customers go for the polished look that stainless steel offers.
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Outdated appliances in 1980s (and prior) beiges.
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The microwave as power cooker. Experts say today’s microwaves really serve as secondary ovens; they are built for cooking and baking.
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Microwaves that do little more than heat up leftovers.
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French-door, freezer-bottom refrigerators for ease-of-use, to locate items quickly and with minimal bending.
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Fridge on bottom with hard-to-find items stowed and often lost in the back; freezer on top, where heavy things can topple out.
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Super-quiet dishwashers with hidden controls that run on highly specialized cycles, from a china cycle to a water-saving half-load. An all-important third-rack allows for the tiniest items like espresso cups or odd-shaped cooking utensils.
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High-decibel, old-school dishwashers that are loud, inefficient and woefully out-of-date.
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Above-range, high-performing ventilation hoods are now elevated to high art, and available a lower cost. “It’s like a designer product,” says Reico’s Wentsel. In terms of design, he says, “People want it to be the focal point of the kitchen.”
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Noisy, unattractive hoods that don’t provide good ventilation.
(October 2014)
