Ask Joshua: Can I Mix Stainless Steel and Black Appliances in My Kitchen Design?

Hi Joshua,

I want to mix stainless all fridge/all freezer and stainless dishwasher with a black beverage cooler & black 2 drawer fridge. My 48" gas cooktop is black with gold trim. Black faucets. Will it work?

Patti - Idaho

The modern kitchen design inspiration created by AI.

Hi Patti,

Thank you for your great question about mixing kitchen appliance finishes. I took a moment to review the renderings you provided—first of all, it's a beautifully designed modern kitchen! I can understand your concerns about combining stainless steel and black appliances. Here are my suggestions:

For the side of the kitchen with the window, gas cooktop, dishwasher, beverage cooler, and 2-drawer fridge, I recommend adding a panel to the dishwasher door to match the blonde wood kitchen cabinets. This will prevent the dishwasher from standing out too much against the black appliances on that side.

On the other side of the kitchen, where you have the fridge, freezer, microwave, and double wall ovens, there's a lot going on visually. To create a more cohesive look, I suggest adding panels to both the fridge and freezer to match the cabinetry. Keeping the microwave and double ovens in stainless steel will help balance the look without it feeling too overwhelming.

Since your kitchen is spacious and includes two islands between these appliance zones, the visual separation will help ease any potential mismatch concerns. However, if you're still worried about the visual impact, you might consider swapping the microwave and double ovens for black models instead of stainless steel to create a more unified aesthetic.

I hope these suggestions help! Please let me know if you need any further assistance with your kitchen design.

Warmly,

Joshua

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