Kitchen Question

Q- I notice that most of the kitchens in magazines right now have stainless steel appliances. How do I update my kitchen without replacing my white appliances? I’d like to incorporate some medium to dark natural wood.

A- Your white appliances have a classic look, but do appear less formal and modern then stainless steel. Putting dark or medium tone wood around the appliances will cause them to stand out. To minimize this effect, you could opt to build in your appliances so that they blend with the cabinetry -- being careful to follow safety regulations.

Almost any colour of painted cabinetry could work with white appliances. Painting the cabinetry around the appliances a light colour (being careful not to choose a white that competes with the white of the appliances) would lend a fresh, serene look to your kitchen.

Painting the cabinetry a medium to dark colour (gold or red, for example), could give a slightly informal, retro or un-fitted country look to your kitchen. Adding an island, upper cabinets or free-standing piece in un-painted wood will contribute to the unfitted look while allowing you to incorporate natural wood.