Great Article on Appliance Colors

I just came across a great article by Susan Serra on DesignTalk about Choosing Color for Appliances. Great advice!

I think the new accent colors available in focal point appliances, like ranges, are wonderful.

I'm not so sure about colors for the rest of the appliances in a kitchen.

Dacor recently came out with some lovely, color-drenched dishwashers. But I don't think I want to draw attention to the dishwashers in the kitchens I help plan. Just their locations, usually on one side of the sink, would tend to "unbalance" the design. I'd have to give some real thought as to how, or why, to make a dishwasher a focal point.


Focal points are very important elements of design to a kitchen designer.

We need to create them, emphasize them and not make too many of them.

The most commonly used focal point in a kitchen centers around a sink and window.

If the kitchen has no other focal point, the sink is usually centered on a main window. It is important to create visual balance around a window and to let the window "breathe", with enough wall space on either side that it doesn't feel "pinched". Visual balance can be equal sized cabinets. Or it can be items with similar weight in the space, cabinets on one side and a painting or shelves on the other. Balance doesn't have to mirror so much as it has to feel right to the viewer.

The other focal point that I very often use is a ventilation hood over the range or cooktop.

In this kitchen remodel, I used an Abbaka Facets hood with brass trim on an old brick chimney that was formerly hidden behind plaster. The strong, rough brick contrasts with the painted cabinets to create the focal point. The hood accents the brick.

A secondary focal point is the sink area with a recessed open shelf cabinet and mullion door cabinets of equal size on either side.

There are so many wonderful hoods out there these days, from stone to sleek brass. The only limits are the budget and adventurous nature of the client.

Peggy