To me, form follows function. The reason my stove and frig match is because I just replaced them at the same time. I don't have a dishwasher or disposal and don't care if the microwave matches. My washer is avocado green (about 35 years old) and the dryer is white (cheaper). Doesn't mean a thing to me.

To some, a kitchen or a house for that matter, is a showplace. To me a house is a roof and four walls in which to be comfortable. Appliances are tools to do a job. Whether my circular saw matches my drill makes no difference.

For some, it's a big deal. It's all in your priorities.

My fridge is stainless, my range is black, my OTR microwave is stainless and black, and dw is stainless and black.

Stainless is very neutral and goes with just about anything. If you mix black and white or bisque, it may drive you crazy. What do you have now?

I think it's what YOU can handle. Cynic says "form follows function" and that is rational. However in my kitchen even my canisters, ladles, etc have to match my appliances or I would go mad. I even painted my paper towel holder so it would match my appliances.

Our appliances don't match, at least not by brand. They are all stainless but brands are all over - LG, Thermador, Frigidaire, Panasonic. We wanted the right tools for each purpose.

Cheryl

OK, I've stopped grinning now. My appliances absolutely do not match.

Let's see, I've got a white Crosley stove, an almond GE diswasher, a white GE microwave, a used "bisque" colored Amana refrigerator. Even my countertops don't match, most of them are dark orange formica but one portion is brick red tile.

My flatware doesn't match, it came in "lots" from Sam's Club as I needed replacements. I don't have more than 6 cloth napkins in the same pattern, so I mix and match at family dinners. I have assorted pots and pans and knives from Chicago Cutlery to Cuisinart to Wusthof.

I guess you've figured out that I don't care if anything matches? I am much happier, however, when they work.

Annie

It would drive me a little wacky. But that is my Type A personality. I have black and stainless appliances. The black cook top drives me crazy because it always looks dusty.

The only time everything has to match is when you are doing a complete make-over. After that, you can add or replace as you like, making sure that what you add is compatible or complimentary, but it doesn't have to match exactly because you have moved to the point of evolution in your design, providing that you value function. My kitchen is a mix of stainless steel and black, and I would prefer for the black appliances also to be SS, but I'm okay with the combination. My counters are black granite, and so that makes it okay. My laundry area is attached to the kitchen, and my washer & dryer are both white, but they are not adjacent to anything in the kitchen. I got a new dryer when we moved, and I could have paid $100 extra to have a stainless steel rim on the door of the dryer, but I decided that it was not worth it, just to try to match something in the adjacent room. It would have looked prettier, but I really try not to look into the laundry area too much. At least it is not in the middle of the kitchen, like I have seen in a few other houses.

I think that matching appliances reached its peak in the 1980s and that there has been a slight relaxation since then. Today, the emphasis is on how well an appliance functions, and that should be your top priority, and you should still be able to find appliances that will work with your overall color scheme. If you still have doubts, post some pictures of your kitchen.

Larsw

All of my appliances are white, but not the same brand. I say whatever works best for you.

Sue

They all have the same look (black and brushed stainless), but not the same brands. Ironically, the handles are the same even though the brands aren't, which makes them appear to be the same.

When we bought our house new-built in 2006 they were not all the same. We exchanged the new wall mounted microwave in the new house with our old Sharp Microwave/Convection Oven (I couldn't live without it) and put the new microwave in our townhouse when we sold it. The new house didn't come with a refrigerator, so we chose it - a side-by-side WITHOUT an ice or water dispenser - which was tough to find, but exactly what we wanted.

Hubby is a CKD (Certified Kitchen Designer) and VP of a cabinet manufacturing company with 38-years in the business. He'll tell you that it is the exception, rather than the rule, that all the appliances are the same brands.

-Grainlady

There are two parts to this question:

As in all the same brand...

If you were to go over to Appliances where $15-20K and up appliance budgets are not uncommon, you'd get a resounding "no". There, people are like Cheryl (above) and want what they feel is best for them. With many of the brands it would not even be possible to buy a matching set. Liebherr is a favorite fridge, but that's all they make. Capital, Bluestar - you're not going to find anything beyond cooktops, ranges, ovens and hoods. Miele makes some great products, but no range.

...and finish.

The mere fact that you're asking shows that you are like most people and care to a degree about aesthetics. I agree with Pam (dedtired) that stainless is neutral and can work with colors. Of the appliances you're replacing, I think a cooktop and OTR microwave are the easiest to mix with the rest of the kitchen. Black is almost standard for glass cooktops, the MW can be either the same color as your oven and DW or stainless, which isn't all that much of an upgrade.

With the exception of the 2 fridges(1 white Amana and 1 white Kenmore), the major appliances(and some small appliances) are in the same color/metal range. Black with stainless or chrome. Brands are all different. We bought what served the way we cooked and what we saw were good quality after researching them. Bosch DW, Kenmore Elite micro/convection combo, a reconditioned 1910 Glenmore range and oven monster, Capresso coffee maker,2 KA stand mixtures,etc. All are black and stainless. As we replace appliances we are going to those colors and metals because of their naturalness as stated in previous posts. They go with just about any decor. One brand we will not buy for appliances is GE. The quality is not good. Wayne used to work for them years ago. Even with the employee discount we still receive, we don't purchase them. NancyLouise

I should have mentioned that my appliances are different brands -- Kitchenaid fridge, GE mw, GE range and Bosch dw.

No. When I remodeled my kitchen in '04, I kept my almost new Kenmore DW, black and shiny, and when it breaks, I'll get dishdrawers. I got a new KitchenAid fridge, stainless. I got a new MW, cooktop and oven, which are black, Dacor, but if I have to replace the MW, I'll probably get another brand. Since they are all separate appliances, having them match isn't really a big deal.

Get what you like.

Kitchen is the most expensive and important part of a house. Except for those who want a kitchen for show offs and never cook in one, everything in a kitchen must function well and function in a way that is convenient to your own particular way of cooking.

"Form follows function ", I agree, is for most people the starting point when conceptualizing a new kitchen.

"Matching" is a design style and approach; it is a very difficult approach. "This will match that, and that will match this" will end up for you the most boring chromatically challenged kitchen, like a painting by numbers.

"Non Matching" is another design style and approach, equally valid and difficult. If done appropriately, it expresses more about your personality than the kitchen appliances' designers' design skills, and the end result can make your house vibrant and inviting.

dcarch

Ahhh thank you. What good thoughts you have all shared.

My appliances are currently builder grade Frigidare whites. They have served us well for 12 years. When we replace, we want to focus on upgrading function because we like to play in the kitchen. From a design and decor perspective, black or stainless would look better with my cabinets.

I kept thinking if I got different brands because I liked various features it would look wonky, especially with mixed finishes. Last night I told myself it wouldn't be for the rest of my life. Icansave up and buy the other appliances eventually.

Y'all helped me realize function is more important in the long run. Duh. LOL

Now I can research over the range microwaves and induction ranges with more freedom and pleasure.

I may be late to the party, and I generally hang out with the home decor bunch, but I recommend the appliances match in color and finish, though brand is not necessary....esp for resale value. If you want to switch colors and will only get part way there, you can buy appliance paint and paint out the non-matching ones. Also there are dishwashers that have front panels that can be flipped or swapped out to get the color to match.

We went with black, I tried to avoid stainless as much as I could, buried the MW behind nesting doors so it can be any color and I don't care. The fridge and the DW are faced with panels that match the wood cabinets so they blend in.

Here is a link that might be useful: How to repaint appliances

While I have matching in color, I did select the appliances for functional value. I replaced a small builder grade wall oven with a Thermador Triple Oven and I LOVE it!
Then I replaced base cabinets with a Whirlpool slide in oven in order to be able to cook large and multiple dishes. The Breville Toaster Oven is for everyday, the triple oven is for guests, and the large slide in is for parties. So I did consider function as well as form.

The dishwasher is Asko, chosen for it's quality and functional features.

The side-by-side is a Kitchen Aid as it had the features that I was looking for.

Mine didn't for almost 30 years and it never bothered me. It was a mix of all colors and finishes as we replaced appliances over the years. When we did the remodel of the kitchen 6 years ago we got all SS. They all have the same SS finish and look but are not the same brand. I don't think that matters if they look alike.

Also to save money we covered our fairly new black dishwasher with SS panel. Since it was only a year or two old we could order a kit. Maybe you could do something like that if you get a new SS replacement. There is also paint out there that you can use on appliances to get that SS look. There are several companies that make it. Here is one of the major brands.
Clare

Here is a link that might be useful: Rustoleum Stainless Steel paint

annie calls it mix and match, but I call it "alternating the napkins". There's usually a theme.

LOL!!....Matching appliances? bwahaha!! There were a few years when I had an avocado green stove, refrigerator and dishwasher.
Then someone invented the microwave, but not in avocado green, so I got stainless and black. Then the dishwasher died and the new one came in black or almond...reversable front and tha almond matched my wall paper I was going to use, so I got an almond refrig....with panels reversable to white....and then the micro died....and then the dishwasher and you almost can't buy anything but stainless....
It all matched for about 2 years!!

I like that, rob. "alternating the napkins". I do that with spoons too. (grin)

Elery, bless his heart, bought me a set of white Pfaltzgraf so I'd have matching plates and cups when people come for dinner. I think it was $39.00 at Menards, discontinued pattern, LOL.

I like stainless a lot, although Elery thinks it makes places look like "commercial kitchens". His stove is a black and stainless GE with a black glass cooktop although it is a gas stove. He hates that black cooktop, it always looks dirty.

Annie

Oh Linda you reminded me I did have matching appliances in our first home--avocado green. I thought I'd never be rid of them. We were poor and nothing got replaced unless it died. Those appliances were like the energizer bunnies

I used to have a matching fridge and DW -- both in Harvest Gold. I loved that fridge and I still miss it.

When we remodeled our kitchen in '07, we kept the refrigerator (Whirlpool) and the dishwasher (Maytag). The refrigerator was about 14 years old at the time, but we just didn't want to spend another $2000. The dishwasher was about 9 years old at the time, and we had just repaired it. We did change out the 20+ year old double oven range, with a smooth-top (Maytag) and an OTR microwave (Maytag).

The refrigerator is still going strong though it is 19 years old. The dishwasher got replaced last year with a Bosch because the old one needed yet-another repair. We suspect that we may be replacing the refrigerator within the next year or so. We don't care what brand it is, but it does need to be BLACK. I don't care if the brand names match, but I DO want the colors to match!

Donna

I bought a new refrigerator, micro, and refrigerator, all different brands, but all brushed stainless. I still have my 20 year old dishwasher, and every time I use it I hold my breath. I will probably replace it this coming year, but after reading about all the problems people have with cleaning drips and smears, I hesitate to get the stainless front. Could get a black front - that would work but it would probably show marks also.

I'm almost thinking of getting the stainless, but leaving on that blue plastic stuff stuck to the front for shipping just to keep it clean as it's right in the spot where I stand to do all my baking. I may be putting my house on the market and would hate to have a gummed up dishwasher front. I don't have much company, and the blue front would be a topic of conversation!

I do have Kenmore Elite refrigerator and I love it and I can see a difference on my power bill. I could kick myself for getting an ice-maker as about the only time I use ice is to cool down steamed veggies, and packing cold foods to transport.

Ours match, but only because they are all white, not by brand. A couple of the smaller aps are black.

We actually have 2 el-cheapo refrigerators, 17 cu ft each I think, very basic model electric coil stove/oven, least expensive clothes washer I could find that had water temp and load size choices, 30 year old dryer, and including heating/cooling the house, hot water, our electric bill is rarely over $100 per month. I'm not convinced expensive appliances pay for the difference with added energy savings. *I'm* the dishwasher, 3 people live here, we cook all of our meals.