Modern Trends in Dream Kitchen Appliances

Your kitchen’s look should reflect you and your personal style. Thankfully, there are numerous ways that your builder can customize today’s design trends to suit your own tastes and styles.

Two-Tone Cabinets
Who says your cabinets have to have a uniform color? Think about a washed wood look for drawers and colored cabinet doors to combine both modern and classic looks. The key is to make sure they complement each other and the other colors in your kitchen.

Metal
Nothing stands out in a kitchen quite like a range hood featuring sheets of copper with straps and rivets to match. If your new kitchen has limited cabinetry on the top, this element could provide the height and accent you need in a room that’s open.

Four-Door Refrigerators
Skip the classic two or three door design. Instead, choose a fridge with four doors. Behind each is a separate compartment where you can adjust the temperature according to the chilling needs of the food inside. Another way to save energy!

Black Appliances
While stainless steel is still a hot look, it can be overwhelming and stark if your kitchen is small. The latest trend is black stainless steel, accented with copper, gold, or rose gold handles or knobs. This look can add sophistication and surprising warmth to the room.

Darker Floors
If your cabinets and walls are light, a dark colored floor will provide a solid contrast. Think of walnut or ebony woods against  whitewashed cabinetry.

Appliance Trends
While choosing the style of your appliances is one thing, technology is also making a big impact on what these kitchen elements look like. Energy conservation is a big trend, but so is convenience and functionality.

Appliance “Garages”
If you don’t like the look of your toaster or coffee maker on the counter but you also don’t want to have to pull them out each morning, consider designing your kitchen with an appliance garage. This dedicated cabinet space usually has a door that swings open just like garage door to give you easy access – and a way to hide the clutter when guests come over.

LCD Digital Interfaces to Your Range
Sync up your smartphone and stove with an LCD digital interface. The newer models are large and allow you to import recipes, dial in temperatures, and set timing.

Smarter Refrigerator Designs
Why open the entire fridge just to grab a soda? New fridges are designed with smaller doors so you can access just the part of the fridge that you need. This is super convenient for reaching regularly used items. These fridges also have features like glass-front panels so you can peer inside to make grocery lists without opening the doors at all, which saves even more power.

Hybrid Water Heaters
You use a lot of hot water in the kitchen. Save energy by asking your builder to install a hybrid water header that combines on-demand tankless heater technology with a hot water storage tank. These appliances are both convenient and cheaper to run.

Professional Cooktops
If Top Chef and cooking shows inspire you, you might want a professional-quality range with big grated burner plates, gas jets, sturdier knobs, and precise heating elements.

Three-Level Dishwashers
While the size is the same, some new dishwashing models feature more tub space and room for three racks of dishes, as well as high-tech water jets for more efficient cleaning.

DID YOU KNOW?

When talking to your builder, he or she may use one of two terms to describe the environmentally friendly features of the home: “green home” or “energy-efficient home.”  While you may think they mean the same thing, they actually have somewhat different meanings. Let’s define them more clearly:

GREEN HOME

A green home is one that is intended to have as little impact on the environment as possible. These environmentally friendly homes are built with materials that were chosen because they come from sustainable sources, can be easily reused or recycled, and require less input of toxic ingredients to make.

ENERGY-EFFICIENT HOME

Think of an energy-efficient home as one in which everything is chosen based on how much energy it can save to reduce the home’s overall carbon footprint. This means appliances, heating and cooling systems, windows, insulation, and more are all chosen to cut energy bills so you reduce your monthly costs. Since everyone will say their home is energy-efficient, the question should be: “How energy-efficient is the home?” Homes tested by a third-party energy rater will specifically show a home’s performance as “minimum” or “high.”

For more information on the appliances in this article, call (956) 225-0035, or visit Morrison Supply Company’s showroom located at 5401 N 10th St., Suite 101, in McAllen, Texas. The showroom is open from Monday to Friday, 8a.m. to 5p.m., and Saturday by appointment.