Oven stopped working the day before your Thanksgiving guests arrived? Refrigerator door not closing properly and you’ve had enough? Whatever your reasons for needing (or, let’s face it, wanting) new kitchen appliances, we’re here to help with a look at what’s trending in kitchen appliances.
PRO TIP: Although supply chain issues are improving, they are not completely back to normal. Many local suppliers are giving estimated availability dates that are not guaranteed and may be pushed back, depending on the manufacturer. This is having a direct impact on the home remodeling industry. Frustrating as it is (and this comes from someone who had to wait 18 months for a range hood), it is beyond the control of your chosen home remodeler or general contractor. Patience may be required, particularly if you are a stickler for all appliances in your kitchen matching. Be prepared: some items may arrive before others.
Range Hoods as Design Statements
Once just a functional need or maybe even a simple recirculating microwave extractor above the stove, range hoods today are now standalone design features that are also expected to do heavy lifting. From an interior design perspective, there’s no right or wrong approach. Some people prefer to hide the hood with cabinetry panels so it blends into the space, others want them to stand out and make a statement and be a focal point in the kitchen. There is also a growing trend for slimline pull-out hoods. Advances in technology mean these smaller hoods are still powerful enough to extract cooking smells from kitchens both large and small.
In this home remodel in Vienna, our clients opted for a stunning custom hood with a TradeWind hood insert for their transitional kitchen.
In this kitchen remodel, cabinetry was added around the Zline hood for a more custom look as well as accent moulding in the same stain color as the floating shelves. This design accent ties the look of the range and shelves together along the back wall.
This luxury condo remodel in Reston Town Center features a slimline 24″ Miele recirculating hood which is a great option for smaller spaces when venting to the exterior may not be possible.
This leads us nicely to our next trend: now you’ve selected your range hood, what to do about the microwave that was once above the stove? Well, read on…..
Microwave Drawers
Many homeowners aren’t aware there is an alternative to the microwave-over-stove configuration/free-standing microwave on the countertop. Enter the microwave drawer! Although they are nothing new, microwave drawers are sometimes overlooked as a design solution. Microwave drawers not only help to keep kitchen look less cluttered as they can be neatly tucked away on an island (and therefore not on your countertop), they are also a great universal design option. No more reaching up over a hot stove to remove a hot dish! Microwave drawers are usually located under-counters and the drawer slides out so dishes can easily be removed from the top. Once you have one, there’s no going back to the microwave-above-the-stove option!
In this kitchen remodel in Oakton, the microwave drawer was placed at one end of the island, near the main and prep sinks.
Refrigeration
From custom width fridge and freezer columns to french doors to panel ready, the choices are endless when it comes to picking your fridge and freezer. It’s not all about the exterior: manufacturers have recognized we need more storage and better configuration when it comes to the interior and have also added more design details (onyx interiors, for example.) Counter-depth refrigerators (meaning the fridge does not stick out from the cabinets) are a hugely popular choice for a stream-lined look. Advances in design means you don’t necessarily have to sacrifice storage capacity if you opt for a counter-depth fridge.
From an interior design perspective, buying panel-ready fridge and freezers and adding cabinetry panels to match the rest of the kitchen is increasing in popularity, especially in contemporary kitchen remodels. Stainless still rules supreme when it comes to finishes for exposed fridges/freezers. We’re also seeing an uptick in the move back to white appliances, but with a new twist for an updated look such as off-whites with metal accents. It’s a beautiful look. There are really no rules when it comes to choice – so long as the color of the fridge ties into your overall aesthetic, we say go for it if you are pining for that bright orange retro SMEG!
PRO TIP: Whatever your choice, measure, measure, measure! The widths and height requirements for counter-depth vs. regular sized fridges/freezers may differ. Also, if you are placing a refrigerator/freezer at the end of a line of cabinets near a wall or window, make sure the doors have enough room to open to allow you to pull out the lower drawers fully.
In the example below, GE Café Select appliances in white with bronze hardware set the tone for this contemporary home remodel in Reston!
Showing the fridge and freezer do not have to be side-by-side, in this home remodel in Herndon, a 36” Sub-Zero integrated refrigerator column is sleek and balanced at the other end by a Sub-Zero 24” stainless steel freezer column.
A 36″ panel-ready Thermador fridge/freezer combo was used for in this contemporary home remodel in Reston.
Cost does not equal reliability
Many homeowners often start a remodel thinking they want the most expensive top-of-the-line appliances. Don’t rush into spending a huge chunk of your budget on overly expensive appliances. We’re here to tell you that cost does not always equal reliability. It is worth doing research using consumer reports on brands across a broad spectrum of price points. For example, we love Jenn Air appliances. They look good, have lots of modern styles to chose from and are highly rated.
JennAir appliances were used throughout this home remodel in Reston.
Integrated Technology
We see you. Eye roll! But bear with us, because in the same way our phones have changed and improved over the last decade, so have technology-enabled appliances. It’s all about sorting out what you really need and what’s going to make your life easier vs. what you’ll never use. For example, it may be important to you that you can turn the oven on from the office before you get home but not important that your fridge can track what items you are running out of. Another good example is dishwashers. Probably the least favorite item on many homeowners list of priorities (yet, it’s the one that’s most frequently used on a daily basis), the must-have dishwashers these days are ultra quiet, super efficient and some even come with interior lights or load-and-go options like washing machines so you don’t even have to keep refilling the dispenser every time.
This might be a good point to admit I recently spent a lengthy amount of time trying to connect my new WiFi-enabled range hood. Times I’ve used this feature? Zero. But maybe, just maybe, I will….
Appliance selection isn’t all about assuming the most expensive option is the only option. Whatever your budget, we can help you make appliance choices that fit beautifully with your lifestyle and design aesthetic. It’s all part of helping you renovate happy!
