The custom kitchen—for many homeowners there is no other option. A custom kitchen provides a homeowner with the opportunity to move beyond cookie cutter and inject aspects of their own personality into the most popular room in the home. This is especially true when it comes to appliances, which many times serve as a focal point of the room where everyone loves to gather.
Several manufacturers have realized there is a niche in the market somewhere between custom and big box retail. GE Appliance was one of the first. They introduced their Café line of appliances in 2018 in response to this and their customers’ ongoing need for customization; creating a new category in the process, the “premium kitchen.” More than a trend, customization is everything today’s consumers want and now seems perpetually intertwined with customer satisfaction.
It’s all about color, material, and finish
After many years in which consumers were offered only stainless steel as a high-end look for appliances, a level of gray burnout occurred. Fresh appliance options were suddenly offered in brushed bronze, brushed copper, brushed stainless, and brushed black hardware, combined with luxury matte finishes. This is seen as an appliance marketplace disruptor.
Going beyond stainless steel to set a “premium” tone in the kitchen with luxury matte finishes has broadened what can be done from the design standpoint
significantly. While stainless steel remains popular for those who choose to create a look with cabinetry and/or fixtures, the option for a sleek matte finish from your refrigerator right down to your microwave oven is what “wow factor” looks like in many millennial homes.
The arrival of these new appliance options also coincides quite nicely with a key designer trend, mixing metals. This trend could become as influential and enduring as the pop of color trend has been in décor. The freedom to mix elements of brass, copper, silver and bronze tone, and matte gold is being widely embraced and has opened up a new way of thinking about your kitchen’s hardware. Handles, knobs, and drawer pulls are being seen as stylish accessories with designers creating palettes that work together to bring warmth to the room, lend interest, and even make a statement.
More in store
Other well-known manufacturers seem to be responding to the consumer demand for more than stainless by offering a few extra color and finish options, as well. Maytag has added a Cast Iron Black finish that creates a matte look to their stainless appliances and KitchenAid and Frigidaire are offering a sleek version of black stainless steel.
Samsung has recently introduced what it calls the Tuscan Stainless Steel Kitchen. While it is described as a neutral look for the kitchen because the finish has the unique ability to blend or offset many cabinetry choices, its tone appears to be a deep bronze hue with just a hint of plum, thus inspiring the Tuscan nomenclature.
With trends like personalization and customization on the rise as we head into the 2020s, we can expect more options from premium kitchen retailers as they seek to please the ever-demanding custom-minded consumer.
