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julieste

Stainless range with white appliances???

julieste
11 years ago

Has anyone used a stainless steel range in when all of the other appliances are white? I have a house that is nearly 100 years old and is in an upscale neighborhood of similar houses. I plan to install soapstone countertops but have realized that if I am going to replace my range it makes sense to do it prior to ordering the countertops. My current Jenn-air, slide-in, dual fuel downdraft range is still functional but showing its age (I've had it nearly 20 years) cosmetically. All of my appliances are white because that is what suits the idea of my period kitchen---replicas of 1920s or 1930s flat panel, honey-colored birch cabinets with a maple floor and new soapstone counters coming after I make my range decision.

Figuring out what to replace the range with is difficult enough and is a topic for another post, but I am realizing that I will have many more options if I go with stainless rather than white. I am thinking of a pro-type 30" or 36" range. The range is on a different wall than the other appliances (perhaps 8 feet away) and has a white, subway tile backsplash behind it that goes up about four feet. I really don't like stainless and will never replace my other appliances with stainless, but I would certainly open up my choices if I didn't just limit myself to white when looking for a range. Or, I've also perhaps thought about the semo-prp look stove in black maybe.

Does anyone have any thoughts? Or, has anyone seen something similar? We'll sell someday, but re-sale is now at all what I am thinking about now.

Comments (9)

  • amck2
    11 years ago

    Just an opinion, but unless you are very serious about the period look, I think a stainless range would be fine. Many of the pro style ranges are utilitarian/classic in style and shouldn't detract from other elements in the kitchen.

    I'm agonizing over what to choose for my new range. It's hard enough to find one that has all the features I want, without those I'm trying to avoid. I can only imagine the challenge if you limit your choices to only white.

  • beekeeperswife
    11 years ago

    I always think of stainless as a neutral. I think if you are mixing black with white then there is more of a concern. But you know how people are, they only need to see stainless and they think it means professional. So, having a stainless stove is certainly a plus in the mind of most buyers, I think.

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    11 years ago

    I'm not wild about stainless, but I do think it can be a nice accent in a white kitchen. Just be aware that it will make the range more visually important than if it were also white, but it should look fine.

  • jwvideo
    11 years ago

    A couple of thoughts on this.

    If you have not already done so, you might ask this question over on the Kitchens forum where there are more "design mavens" than here.

    Second, you might think about mitigating the "stainless" of the stove by having the oven door painted/powder coated in white. Several brands of pro-style ranges can be ordered with colored doors and kick panels, Viking and Blue Star being brands that come readily to mind. (I'm not sure, but I think Blue Star will also paint the side panels if you want that). With other brands, you can take the door and kick-panel to an appliance painter. Auto-body and car customizing shops may offer this service.

    With a white door and kickpanel, you will still have a stainless finish on the the knob-panel, cooktop and any riser you have behind it. As writersblock says, the stainless cooktop will still have some visual importance, but the stove will still tie to the other appliances.

  • jwvideo
    11 years ago

    One additional thought.

    You mentioned considering a 36" pro-style range. If you have the budget for a dual fuel, you might check out the Aga Legacy. It is as expensive as many 36-inch pro-style dual fuel stoves (and more than some), but it certainly has an old fashioned look.

    Here is a link that might be useful: aj madison listing on AGA 36

  • julieste
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks. I do like the Aga look, but I can't justify the expenditure. The idea of having a stainless panel custom painted had never occured to me, but I did see some of the Viking and Berta.... (can't spell) ranges in colors. That is actually what got me thinking about black. Now I will have some othet options to consider.

  • sara_the_brit_z6_ct
    11 years ago

    If it's any help - I have a stainless steel oven beneath a stainless steel cooktop, surrounded by white cabinetry, white subway tile - and a white dishwasher.

    The dishwasher worked perfectly well, and I couldn't see getting rid of it - and now if it died, I'd still replace it with white.

    If you're looking to keep it period appropriate: remember lots of older kitchens had metal ranges (coal fired?) with white everything else, for cleanliness. So you'd be perfectly appropriate . . .

  • powermuffin
    11 years ago

    I have this issue coming up too. My house is 100+ years old. I have gone back and forth on a new range or a restored vintage range. You are right about white being a limiting factor in new ranges. I love the idea of taking a stainless range and having it painted. I think that I will check into that and see what type of expense it would be before I decide. Let us know what you decide.
    Diane

  • julieste
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    On houzz.com I found a couple of pictures with kitchens with some of the more upscale semi-pro ranges in white. Many of them have quite a bit of stainless on them, and they actually look quite nice. I'm thinking this might be a good choice maybe.