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| New metallic colors in appliances are giving stainless some competition. Via THS Garden Web |
Even if your idea of a home-cooked meal is warming up a frozen pizza, the kitchen is probably still the busiest room in your home. Maybe it's in our DNA to be drawn to the place where both food and fire are kept or maybe it's the simple hope of finding a tasty snack. Whatever the reason, we love a great kitchen, and appliance trends for 2016 promise to make everyone's favorite room even better.
Color Me Up!
Stainless steel has ruled the world of kitchen appliances for years. Well step back shiny silver, there's a new color in town-in fact, there's lots of them! From turquoise to bright orange to fire engine red, major and small appliances are available in a rainbow of colors. Think of colorful appliances as decorative accessories for your kitchen decor. You can mix it up with an orange stove and a yellow refrigerator or let one colorful appliance grab all the attention. Just remember that major appliances come with major price tags. That seafoam green dishwasher looks cool now, but are you still going to love it in a year or two?
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| Appliances with color are also trending. |
Heavy Metal
Along with an explosion of color, new metallic colors are also on trend. Stainless steel appliances with finishes in gun metal, copper, bronze and even gold retain all that's good about stainless steel while giving it a more modern twist. The new metallics may not "pop" like their more colorful counterparts (which manage to look vintage and modern at the same time), but they do provide an unexpected use of color that will fit into a more traditional kitchen.
Make It Seamless
Open floorplans that integrate kitchens with the family room or dining area to enhance multipurpose function are becoming more popular. With that, appliances that look more like furniture are on trend for 2016. Refrigerators that appear to be cabinetry, stove tops that practically glide over the counter and everything built-in adds to the charm of the new "great room" by blurring the lines that define the kitchen as kitchen.
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| Appliances that look like cabinetry give a seamless look.Via Southern Living |
Although the average size of new homes is smaller than it was a few years ago, appliance sizes are getting larger. Restaurant-style refrigerators, six-burner stoves and side-by-side dishwashers are showing up in some surprisingly small family homes. The trend for convenience is driving the desire for larger appliances.
High Tech
Computers are already a larger part of our lives than we realize, and the kitchen is no exception. Look for high-tech appliances that do everything from saving energy to sensing exactly when your cupcakes are done. As always, technology comes with a price.
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