Like most people these days, we have stainless steel appliances in our kitchen. They were here when we moved in and I do like the way they look and actually find them relatively easy to maintain and clean (Pledge is my go-to cleaner for the fridge, oddly). But recently I have been noticing some beautiful white kitchen appliances.
When I think of a white fridge or stove I picture my 20-something rental studios and various 80s kitchens from my childhood. Not a pretty picture, really. But today's white appliances are winning me over. Not only is white a welcome alternative to the ubiquitous stainless steel, the color (or lack thereof) can look very fresh, bright and clean.
FIRST ROW
• 1 Style at Home. I love the white fridge paired with the rich honey tones of the island in this kitchen. One bonus of having the fridge blend in with the walls and drawers is that the eye is drawn to the beautiful glass in the windowed cabinets.
• 2 Coco Cozy. White Viking appliances with stainless steel accents and highlights throughout the room. The wood butcher block island helps prevent the room from becoming too uniform and clinical.
• 3 Darsheel. Here the dark wood floors and stainless steel legs on the island provide a nice contrast with the camouflaged white fridge.
• 4 Sabjimata Blog. Here white appliances round out a retro country look nicely.
• 5 White Iron Stone Cottage. A heavy duty stovetop with a down home, vintage feel.
SECOND ROW
• 6 Kitchen Backsplashes. This freestanding vintage range becomes a lovely and original focal point of the room.
• 7 We Love Indie. By using a white stove, the eye is drawn to the color and fun elsewhere in this busy, lived-in kitchen.
• 8 Faye and Co. An example of the curved, feminine but eminently hip fridges from Big Chill.
• 9 Big Chill. Another Big Chill fridge, this time in a bold and boisterous yellow kitchen.
• 10 Life of an Architect.
What do you think of white appliances?











Z2 iPod Dock and Wi...
I like stainless steel but in white kitchens I mostly think white appliances are the better solution, since they blend in, so that the focus isn't on the appliances but rather on the cabinets or cool island or whatever.
We have had white appliances my whole life..from my various childhood homes to my apartments as an adult and now the home I just purchased has them as well. To be honest, I like the look better than stainless steel (which I've always just seen as a trend, and one reminiscent of an operating room, yuck) and it works so well in my current kitchen that when I update it will be hard to convince me not to get upgraded white appliances. I especially love the first refrigerator, that is beautiful.
AMEN to white appliances. I think stainless fridges and stoves are going to look dated eventually... at least in a home setting.
Thank god! I am so ready for this stainless trend to be over. I really love this clean white look-- which is different than the slightly off-white of some of your standard-issue non-stainless appliances.
Yes to white appliances! This post makes me happy as I have both white refrigerator and stove in our rental and I actually quite like them for their simplicity and classic style.
I love white appliances too. My aging, off-white fridge is a monstrosity, but I like the bright, clean look of my white oven and dishwasher, and when the time comes to replace the fridge, I'll be getting that in white too. I never understood why white became such a design don't. Depending on the kitchen, I think all-stainless can look rather heavy.
Hurray! Though I love high-end stainless as much as the next girl (restaurant quality), I am not a huge fan of the stainless with black appliances that were everywhere...a nice fridge was possible without black, but the stove and microwaves had a LOT of black, and my white cabinets, wood counters and travertine floors weren't loving it.
I just bought a house and chose white with chrome accents, much like those shown here, but less expensive...to the HORROR of my friends and family, who were sure it was a bad move for resale. But I don't want to redo a dated kitchen in 5 years, so I went classic...
So happy with it. Thanks for the photos...
LMAO! I love white, but what's next, avocado??!!
Thanks for these pics! We decided on white appliances back at Thanksgiving with the intention of painting all the cabinets white as well. I just love the clean look! Now, who has a good source for white cabinet paint?!
Really, I Heart Eating? You think white appliances are as dated as avocado?
Yup, I just got new appliances in white. works so much for my 'scandi' inspired (groan) kitchen and because it's a small kitchen it doesn't chop it up.
Count me in the lovers of white appliances camp. Stainless steel will be the new avocado or harvest gold soon enough.
Love white appliances.
They've never gone out of style, they don't show fingerprints and they cost less than stainless...
...and they hold refrigerator magnets!
white applicances (yes, they look great, but.....), white cabinets, carrera marble tops.....one question. Do these people really cook, and when is the maid coming to clean, the new snowball kitchen!
We just redid our kitchen and I wanted all white everything. I conceded on the stainless range at my husband's request. I wish I hadn't. It does stand out and bothers me a bit, even though it is a spectacular range. Kitchens look lovely in white.
my entire kitchen is white- cabinets, counters, appliances. I love it. And they are easy to clean-and better yet- easier to tell when they aren't!
I am so tired of stainless and granite-
Isn't it a matter of what goes around comes around? White is classic. Stainless is too, but I think it's been overdone. Avocado, etc is probably too period-specific but I could see (and have seen) it used in certain contexts where it looks good.
Most of those stoves are 1950's models. I'm so envious.
Haha, and by most, I really mean two! LOL. Ok, so two doesn't make it "most."
Loving the stove in number 5.
I adore my new shiny white fridge (samsung french doors from Lowes). The materials now are much easier to clean than the old white models were.
In my modern kitchen with white cabs & black granite, the fridge contributes to the bright, lots of light look I was going for. $200 cheaper than stainless version (which was also quite beautiful).
All of these debates about white vs stainless are well, pointless. Neither is better than the other, I think it just depends on the kitchen and home. The world would be pretty boring if we all had the some finish appliances.
I think people have gotten way too hung up on stainless steel appliances. Sure, if you're going to have a stunning sub-zero fridge and a big, commercial Viking range in a lavish kitchen with marble countertops and custom cabinetry, go for it. But when you have low-end granite countertops, builder grade cabinetry and (so often) that ubiquitous slate floor, spending several hundred dollars more per appliance for stainless steel, when you're still not even on the high end of the line, strikes me as a total waste of money and lack of imagination.
I LOVE a good, white kitchen. Especially with a vintage stove. But I'd take that white enamel Viking range if you twisted my arm REEAAALLLYYY hard.
The textured white appliances show dirt less than the smooth white ones do. I prefer white to silver (stainless steel/brushed nickel/chrome), which I prefer to black. Those three colors are sufficient for appliances in my small corridor galley kitchen. I upgrade to them as old appliances break.
White appliances without texture is the key.
Glad I am not the only one who likes white appliances ( in white kitchens. With brown cabinets, I don't think they look so good).
I sure hope they stay cheaper than the stainless steal ones when I do my kitchen all white.
I agree that stainless will look dated eventually, but then be super popular again 30-odd years from now...white is the classic way to go I think.
LOL @ comparing white to avocado. White never goes out of style. If anything, stainless will be the new avocado in a few years.
I have always hated stainless (altho I do like it if you go for an industrial/restaurant look). It just screams tract home/Home Depot/What everyone else is doing without really thinking about it. I've always liked white- appliances, marble countertops, cabinets. But I'm quickly getting tired of this look, too. Seeing as how I'm getting ready to redo my kitchen, this is quite the quandry. I think people are doing this all white thing now because it is pretty classic and easy to update with color in the accessories, etc. It works in a recession when people can't even think about redoing their kitchens anytime soon (either updating an old kitchen with white everything or when they do remodel, keeping it classic and non controversial). I might get sucked into this mindset with mine. Even tho everyone will have it like they did with stainless, maple, and granite not so long ago.
I lived with stainless steel appliances (with the dreaded black accent) in my last house and it was awful. The steel dents REALLY easily, as it's just a thin sheet that sits atop the plastic guts and it is impossible to clean. Give me white appliances anyday. I agree that they would look dumb with a dark, wood heavy kitchen but then again, I would never have a dark, wood heavy kitchen! Nothing beats a mix of vintage chrome appliances and white.
YES! I love white appliances and I love white kitchens! I love this post!
I too have stainless steel that came with the house and we bought a beautiful stainless fridge to match, and while I LOVE my appliances, sometimes I would not mind some fresh white ones! Absolutely LOVING the white options these days!
These are all distinctive or high end appliances. Would standard refrigerators, dish washers and stoves look as attractive? I had a white refrigerator in an all white kitchen - but the same refrigerator in stainless looks much better. Nothing high end here.
oh wow...that kitchen in the first picture...I would absolutely love a kitchen like that. But alas i'm unable to change my kitchen.
http://styledbywolfe.wordpress.com/
Love the white appliances... especially the vintage styles. I have never had anything but white in my kitchen.
I want white, vintage (or vintage-inspired) appliances so badly!
Yes! I'm so glad to see the virtues of white appliances celebrated. I love mine. I love my all-white kitchen. The appliances just blend in - important in a small kitchen to have a unified look.
And, although I covet a high-end restaurant stainless steel range, it's because I am a serious cook not because I like stainless steel.
Those black appliances with a little stainless on them are horrid.
Love the white appliances, particularly vintage, with white cabinetry! It's a nice, clean look - stainless or black (or bisque - ack!) appliances can make an otherwise white kitchen look choppy. That said, when will people stop referring to stainless steel appliances as a trend that will look outdated any day now? SS has been so prominent for so long, there is just no way that it will be the next avocado or harvest gold.
Stainless Steel will be outdated like Harvest Gold eventually.
I'm with akemimi -- love me some white appliances (vintage styled, if possible), but hold the texture. I am sick of the rental-unit bumpy-surface white fridges; I want the smooth, shiny white enamel appliances of my childhood. The fridge/stove combo in #4 is lovely...I'd probably go for some color on the wall or cabinets and floor, but the smooth white appliances and marble counters can stay put. Dreamy!
I've put stainless appliances into other kitchens, and ended up not truly loving them, I scratched them or found them a hassle to keep looking pristine. So in this house I'd been delaying the choice, because I couldn't decide stainless vs. white, but when I did a little photographic maquette of what it would look like... visually in a small kitchen keeping the same line (white cabinets + white appliances) makes the small kitchen appear so much larger and I can still have stainless accents (sink, range hood). So the choice is definitely white but now to find some non-textured ones that are still within my budget...
I have white appliances consistent with the era of my apartment ('50s w an '80's update) They are hardly "today's" white appliances, but I'm fond of them none-the-less. Visually they are understated in the tiny kitchen, and the white is a nice background for the black burners and knobs. For me, white appliances serve their purpose without making a statement. I like them.
Taureg, I have a white samsung fridge that looks really nice (I always get compliments on it). Not cheapo but I wouldn't call it high end either.
So much for having an awesome fridge if the doors open to the wall. Ugh!
Anyway, I think both stainless and white appliances can look equally dull or amazing, depending on how well they are integrated with the rest of the decor... like white walls.
On texture, I say no- I'll take easy to wipe clean over hidden dirt any day.
I quit watching HGTV because every show had someone bashing any appliance that wasn't stainless steel (and floor that wasn't hardwood and countertop that wasn't granite and wall that wasn't red). The peer pressure and the wannabees...
For those who think stainless is 'trendy' - then it's been trendy since the mid 1950s.
When we bought our home in the 80s, it still had the original stainless Flair oven/cooktop. It would have cost way too much to refurbish it - but I miss the look of that thing! The old Thermador wall ovens were great looking too.
White appliances ARE lovely. #1 and 10 in the photos look so clean and crisp.
Yay white appliances! I LOVE the second pic :-)
I agree with travislessness. White appliances are classic. I'm so tired of tv designers saying that white appliances look dated. They don't. That's what is so great about them.
I can see the appeal of white as well, especially in a small space with white cabinets.
We will be going for all under counter panel-ready refrigerators when we remodel our kitchen. Then I can make it match the cabinets and have it blend right in to whatever we do. And if we change it, we can still make it blend in.
I am so GLAD to see that so many have posted about liking white appliances ~ and admitting they are not on the stainless steel bandwagon. I have never liked the cold look of stainless, and I do not believe that hardwood floors and granite countertops are the only way to go- how boring.
Love? Appliances? No.
Thank you AT and AT posters for showing some love for white appliances. How about some pictures of white appliances that aren't paired with white cabinets for further inspiration?
As for the "dated" comments, companies never stopped making white appliances. It seems that the local Sears always had more white appliances than any other color. How much avocado green, harvest gold, or brown (I think they called it copper, but it was definitely brown) do you see in the display today?
I have also always had white. Clean and classic! Here is another advantage. If you , say, need a new dishwasher in 5 years and your fridge and stove are still going strong, you can get a match in color so easily. If you choose different brands---well white is white. If you change themes or color schemes-white always works. I you get a scratch or chip--white repair paint is easy to use and available everywhere.
I like white appliances well enough, but I hate the way the white plastic handles take on that yellow-gray tone with time. My fridge (textured white) works great and looks fine to me except for the cruddy handles, and it's not dirt as far as I can tell - I have tried very hard to clean them! Any suggestions?
While I personally HATE white kitchens (talk about overdone!) I do like white appliances with them. I don't think stainless steel & granite are on their way out, they can be beautiful, and in the end it's all a matter of taste, and what looks good in YOUR kitchen and makes you happy!
Yes, it drives me crazy on house hunters when a house has really good bones and they are hemmin and hawin about the "outdated" kitchen, especially the appliances.
You can always change the appliances if you want later people, the house is a much more important factor. Some of these kitchens aren't even bad, I feel like many of the buyers have it in their heads that it has to be brand new, granite & stainless. I also doubt they grew up or only lived in homes prior with constantly up to date kitchens. Some of the kitchens we see on the kitchen here aren't the most updated and are still so great.
My stainless appliances are a huge pain in the rear to clean. In my next kitchen I think I'm going to go for it and do the Big Chill brand that's shown here or something interesting like that.
Hey mauishopgirl I once had a coworker tell me if I didn't have granite countertops I may as well be living in a trailer park! Yup.
Am I the only one who thought "most people these days have stainless appliances?" Maybe most people with NEW appliances do, but I doubt even that.
Would be happy to ditch my textured white rental fridge for a smooth enamel one, yes!
Oh well, since no one else is defending black appliances, I guess it's up to me. Moved into a house with an open family room / kitchen. Black stove, black oven, black dishwasher already there. Black rimmed fireplace in the FR. Got a black refrig. Like it because it doesn't scream "KITCHEN!" when you're in the family room.
All very nice looking!
I'm one of those that think that as long as your appliances fit in with the whole look, who cares what color they really are?
Frankly I prefer appliances that blend in with the cabinetry. If the whole kitchen is glossy neon pink, I'd rather have glossy neon pink appliances than stainless steel, smooth/textured white, or smooth/textured black. When I buy my own place one day, I think I'll end up with white cabinetry/appliances and darker/grey countertops.
@mauishopgirl
i know what you mean about the prospective buyers complaining about appliances. i can't stand it when people complain about the interior paint or wallpaper...easiest and cheapest thing in the world to fix! so bizarre!
I think the appliance should dictate the color or finish. if someone was to give me that stove in number 5 then I would say yes and it would be white..I had a Viking stove and it was stainless steel with that baby I could not see it any other way. Stainless steel appliances have been around for a long long time again I think its about the machine.
I've had Ivory, stainless steel and black appliances over the years, but white is my absolute favorite.
When I bought my super bright white GE fridge, they were having a free upgrade sale to stainless steel appliances.
I turned it down and the saleswoman gave me a strange look like I was making some huge mistake. Never mind that the stainless steel they were hocking was that horrible brushed nickel look. IF I had to do stainless steel I prefer the more unfinished, tinny look. Also, I always get shocked by stainless steel appliances.
Anyway, I made the decision to do all white because my kitchen is all white, my grandmother's appliances and the appliances I grew up with are all white and look clean, classic and understated (which, per my aesthetic is what appliances should strive to be).
Honestly, many of the people I've seen that trip over themselves to put stainless steel in lack personal decor style and see this as a move to designing an ideal kitchen without having to actually design/decorate. And it usually includes the trifecta of stainless, standard grade granite, and dark stained cabinetry.
Suffice to say my aversion to standard residential stainless steel appliances is rivaled only the the California Tuscan style bathrooms with floor, to wall, to ceiling, to shower travertine.
I think the color is less important than the finish. I hate the textured white or black typical appliance finish. But IKEA (and probably other places, but IKEA is where I've seen them) has super nice looking white and black appliances in this nice matte metal and glass finish. Sooo good looking. Wish I could have worked them into my own kitchen.
Love the white! I am so sick of stainless. We got all stainless at our old house and it was hard to clean and sterile looking. I am a big fan of either white or black.
I infinitely prefer white over stainless. We've had it forever and it looks so nice and is easy to clean. We have the textured white, but I love the look of JennAir's glass white and Ikea's white appliances. I hope it comes back into style because I'm sick of builders and remodelers sticking stainless in every kitchen.
I agree with pandamonium54 (and others): appliances should blend in with the cabinetry. A fridge is just a big ugly cold box with an old jar of pickles at the back. Why draw attention to this? (Or a dishwasher for that matter). What I love are fridges/dishwashers that come with a mounting plate so that you can attach a panel (painted or wood veneered) to exactly match the cabinetry.
That being said, I do think that stoves, range hoods, and sinks can look very cool and greatly add to the aesthetics of the kitchen.
Like honeyhaze, I love the look of the Big Chill fridge. But I think you have to defrost them. That's a blast from the past I can do without!:(
"I like white appliances well enough, but I hate the way the white plastic handles take on that yellow-gray tone with time. My fridge (textured white) works great and looks fine to me except for the cruddy handles, and it's not dirt as far as I can tell - I have tried very hard to clean them! Any suggestions?"
If you can't get them clean with regular cleaners, consider replacing them. It's easy with the Internet. One broke on my old fridge and I had the sense to buy new ones for both, and for about $20 my fridge looked 300 times better.
Add my vote for white appliances. They are timeless and they all match. If my new stove goes before my new fridge, I can put a newer white stove in and nobody will notice. Do people really notice if the handle styles are different, unless the items are directly next to each other, have really distinctive handles, or the person is over-picky?
White + chrome = classic whether it's a kitchen or bathroom. I'm also tired of the dark granite counters.
White appliances are a nice change from seeing mainly stainless. How about a black appliance feature too?
@deelw - I've got those icky handles on my fridge too. The best treatment I've found so far is to use a good spray on kitchen cleaner scrubbed in with a nail brush - the kind with the really stiff nylon bristles, then rinse with a damp microfiber rag.
I SO want a vintage (or vintage inspired) fridge and stove to go with my (original) red linoleum countertops edged with bright stainless steel. The stainless may be dented and the lino may be faded here and there, but I LOVE the retro look - just need the Big Chill fridge and a Chalmer's range (maybe when I hit the lotto - LOL).
I'll take white appliances over stainless steel any day!
@Act2 - The Big Chill website says "iconic look of a 50’s style vintage refrigerator with the amenities of contemporary appliances–and no defrosting required"
http://bigchillfridge.com/site/shop/big-chill-fridge
the white appliances are very nice, and lovely with white cabinets, but I don't get the stainless hate either. My kitchen came with really lovely, custom-built maple cabinetry and yes, black granite countertops. White would look completely out of place and custom fronts for everything would be expensive and impractical.The rest of us need appliances too!
personally, i'm over stainless steel, granite countertops, microfibre anything, and laminate floors
oh, and the ubiquitous dark brown 'leather' square styled sofas
I have black appliances.They were the same price as the white.They aren't high end by any stretch of the imagination.We had never had brand new kitchen appliances before.Always white and always second hand.Maybe that is the reason why the only preference I have for appliances is that the fridge and stove finishes match.I always notice when they don't.Friends just bought a higher end white set and it is beautiful.My aunt bought black after seeing mine.That said...there is nothing wrong with making do.I honestly don't see myself buying brand new ever again.Turned out not to be THAT important to me.I installed cabinets with interchangeable door styles, in case I got bored,and cheapo laminate counters.Practically a disposable kitchen.Currently we are white cabs and black counter.Appliances break....replace with anything.Fridge and stove are miles from each other.Even I wouldn't notice if they didn't match!
I think manufacturers are realizing that preference for white appliances never went away.
The phrase "practically a disposable kitchen" is giving me HIVES. So, so wrong on every level.
@shanalulu
LOL! I have tenants and thanks to them I've 're-done' many kitchens.Hives isn't the word for it.You don't consider laminates and doors disposable? I do because I buy at least one set of each every year.Same with sinks and faucets.Don't get me started on appliances.I've had to put inspections into the leases.
Back on topic....I buy the tenants whatever is available for the money I am willing to spend.I have two longtime renters and one picked stainless and the other picked white.I picked black for myself.With two kitchens in my own hone and several other units....that's many sets of appliances.The thrill is long gone for me.
@deelw - Simple Green cleaner works well for that.
@hello123: well, context helps. I don't think most of us own a bunch of rental units, nor would that be a reasonable assumption.
Addendum, @hello123: I went back. You mentioned you, friends, your aunt, you again, and "getting bored." Why would I have thought that you were outfitting a bunch of tenants' places? I still think going durable, rather than disposable, is a more responsible choice.
"Like most people these days, we have stainless steel appliances in our kitchen."
Do "most people" really have stainless steel appliances? I can't imagine that's actually the case, considering the cost of them. Unless you mean most upper middle class people in urban areas.
The vintage ones, the vintage throw backs, and the high gloss ones are great.
Anything else, no.
I once saw a glossy white oven with silver accents at IKEA and thought to myself, gosh, that's pretty! I don't see it on the website any longer, and it probably wasn't the best oven in the world, but I agree that you can't go wrong with white. As long as it's not cheap plastic...
As far as the avocado comparison goes, AT readers can be so harsh sometimes! I think what the person meant was - trends, coming and going, is the next trend in kitchen appliances avocado? Not that white would be as dated as avocado.
@shanalulu
I can't write a book every time I make a comment.Responsibly purchasing durability does not make any material or appliance indestructible.Certainly 'disposable' might have been a cavalier choice of words.However,design isn't static.I don't have any fixtures,appliances or furniture from the 70's or 80's and I was there.Do you?
If my kitchen becomes completely outdated or worn out,it will be changed.No,I would not be quick to buy brand new appliances for myself.My own experience has taught me that the difference between the high and low end of most homeowner geared appliance lines is negligible.I've bought extended warranty and was shocked to find out that most of the time the appliance is replaced and not repaired.Many of the more dazzling features are excluded from warranty.
Standard sizing in mass manufactured goods means that they are interchangeable.I won't be throwing away my cabinets anytime soon.My doors are white slab style.Reading AT commentary has assured me many would change them out because they are white.Same for the black counter and silver tone hardware.I'm finding my laminate counters to be very durable and are proving themselves to be an excellent purchase.I bought my hardware and flooring at the Habitat reuse center.I donate many left behind items to charities.Don't be so quick to judge others by a comment on a website.
I've bought enough of this stuff to know what is durable,wears well and can be maintained long term.I have that knowledge from 'responsible' purchases.How well people care for their home is not so easily ascertained.
I love white appliances. Totally classic, and for mid- to low-end stuff, it's so much cheaper than the exact same product in stainless.
I think that what some here have meant to say is that high-end stainless, like for restaurant-grade stuff, has always been in style. The low-end stainless (or worse yet--silver-colored!) appliances you get at any big-box store, that to me is more of a trend that won't last as long as white, and definitely fits in with the avocado/harvest gold. Of course I think avocado and harvest gold can look pretty cool if you're doing a retro thing. So maybe stainless will be the same someday.
What I cannot stand is bisque. Gross.
I am actually going to do all white kitchenaid appliances, with a stainless steel farm sink and stainless range hood - white cabinets and slate floor. Maybe butcher block counters to warm it up a bit (and save $$$) I think they look very cool and retro and sleek and frankly I am tired of stainless, they used to denote high end, now they are just too much everywhere..the thrill si gone! I am excited for my white!
@ deewl,
I would try a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser if everything else fails. They're amazing. If it's actually a discoloration of the plastic itself, you can either replace the handles or remove them and spray with Krylon Fusion spray paint- made for plastic.
I love my stainless pro stove for it's restaurant kitchen look and it's ability to turn out gourmet dishes (as a former French Bistro owner), but I am happy with my WHITE refrigerator (with brushed nickel handles to coordinate with the stainless door pulls on my WHITE IKEA Applad cabinets and Grundtal shelving) and I like how the fridge looks more like cabinetry and not the big dark box it would be if it were stainless (not to mention the hassle of cleaning finger prints off a stainless fridge). My Kenmore Pro stainless range is a cinch to wipe clean.
I was all ready to buy a stainless french pantry with bottom freezer JennAir in 2005, when I saw the same fridge in white with floating glass. My condo was small with a dark kitchen so I went with the white and have never regretted doing so even though stainless "the thing" especially in 2005. I never did the granite counter tops either and am happy with the birch butcher block counter tops I got from IKEA. Had to drive to another IKEA 200 miles north to get the last ones I needed to complete my kitchen as butcher block is the most popular choice for kitchens these days and my closer IKEAs were all sold out of all sizes in the birch.
I am trying to upgrade my mix-matched, DARK kitchen without spending a fortune since we have more pressing home improvement jobs ahead (roof and furnace). It currently has dark oak cabinets (90's era - not too bad), an off-white tile floor which is in good shape, an old, cream colored dishwasher, white refrig and white stove, both in good shape. I can replace the dishwasher to match the other white appliances, but never see pics of dark cabinets with the white appliances. I plan to add some under cabinet and pendant lighting fixtures to brighten the place up (but don't want to paint the cabinets white if I can get away with keeping them). I'm thinking white subway tile backsplash and white/gray/black granite-look laminate for the countertops. The wall opposite the main counter will be the only one with color - blue grey (or should I paint it white?) There are very few pics on line of dark cabs with white appliances. Any suggestions??? Do you think my plan will work to get more light into this room? Will the contrast with the cabinets work? HELP!
To me, white is a timeless choice.