Stainless. Maybe it'll grow on you.

For comparison:

I have dark cherry, black appliances and a light granite. Here are some photos during construction.

duplicate

This post was edited by debrak2008 on Mon, Aug 26, 13 at 9:32

I absolutely love your cabinet color. It's just what I'm hoping to do in my kitchen. I personally would go with stainless, but I like stainless. If not stainless, I think black would be your next best bet. But it also depends on your choice of countertop. What color are you planning? If you're going with white counters, maybe white appliances would be best. I do agree that white will tend to stick out more due to the contrast with the dark cabinets.

In our previous home, we had cabinets that were a similar color to yours. With them, we paired

Bamboo floors
Stainless appliances
Crema Bordeaux granite on the perimeter
Antiqued Black granite on the island
Tumbled marble in a versailles pattern on the backsplash with random glass accents

We loved that kitchen for the 7 years we lived there after we completed the remodel!

I like either stainless or black with stained cherry. Black appliances with a dark counter and wood cabs can be very elegant, IMO. My friend has very dark cherry cabs and verde butterfly granite with black oven, cooktop and DW, but she used SS for the enormous twin F/F because she felt it would be too imposing in black. And it all works.

Wow! Thanks so much for all the feedback and the pictures. They help so much as I have trouble "seeing" what something looks like in the abstract.

Of the photos shown, I like the white appliances the least. I like the black better, but I have to admit the Stainless looks okay too. Might have to think about both of them a little more.

Not really in an area where there are granite sellers or installers, so am probably looking at laminate.
One of the countertop colors I am looking at is Antique Mascarella.

Thanks again and any additional feed back will be appreciated.

Although I tend to have a strong preference for white appliances, I have to admit that I think stainless would be the nicest look with your cabinets.

I vote for stainless or white....I think black appliances show everything more than white or stainless and are harder to keep clean...plus with dark cabs and black appliances to me it just looks too gloomy. I like your cabs and granite choice...they will be very pretty together.

In defence of black appliances...
I have all black appliances. Refrigerator has a slight texture and I have to remember to wipe it as it never looks dirty. Range is easy to wipe clean. DW is a matte black that again never looks dirty. MW is very shiny and does show some finger prints.

One reason I would not get SS appliances is that to me IRL they always look dirty. I have seen them in stores and in homes and rarely do I see one that appears clean. I do have a SS range hood and I have issues with fingerprints by the buttons.

Everyone will have a different opinion based on their own experiences and their personal likes and dislikes. Decide what works best for you.

What color are your cherry cabinets? We have shenandoah cherry in bordeaux. I just realized in your title you said spice.

This post was edited by debrak2008 on Mon, Aug 26, 13 at 16:18

Personally, I think stainless steel will work the best. If you don't like the "fingerprint" issue that some people seem to have, then try the stainless look-a-likes that supposedly do not have fingerprint problems. We don't have issues unless we don't wipe down the appliances every week or so. But, we're not fanatical about everything being spotless - I consider us middle of the road in terms of tolerance for specks of dust and fingerprints. If you are more fanatical about spotlessness, then SS may be an issue for you unless you get one of the other gray finishes.

This is our kitchen...

I like how the SS doesn't "stick out" - it sort of recedes into the background and lets the cabinetry and, to some extent, the counters take center stage.

I went with SS, but my kids all grown and I don't know how long I'll live here. Otherwise, I'd go with white, and use a light CC to bring it together. Actually, bisque would be first choice.

I would go with a SS range and paneled DW and fridge if that's feasible. If not, I'd go with black.

Thanks everyone.
Herbflavor - The Whirlpool Ice collections are great looking! I appreciate your suggestions re flooring and counter as well. Lots of good ideas.

EAM44 - Love the visuals. I admit the Stainless look very nice. My experience with SS has been all the fingerprints at the showrooms. Never been around it in real life.

Debrak I really appreciate your experience with black appliances. Yours look great in your space and its nice to know you don't think they are hard to keep up.

Pricklypear - You are right, the counter top color is going to be a big factor, isn't it? Another SS lover I see.

sjhockeyfan - Love that kitchen. Again, stainless looks really nice. I thought if I went with wood floors, I would have to make it match, but I like your bamboo. An all round cozy kitchen. No big contrasts anywhere.

Ginny20 - I can understand your friends reluctance to do black for the F/F twins. The fridge is the hardest for me to visualize. It seems huge no matter what color it is!

Writersblock and joaniepoanie - I have always liked white appliances myself. But I had white cabinets for 19 years and before that oak. Never had cabinets this dark before. Stainless might be the way to go. (And thanks for the vote for the counter top color!)

Buehl - Love your kitchen. I was thinking about a darker counter like yours but then the black appliances would probably be too much. I am certainly not a spotless house keeper, and don't normally worry about dust or fingerprints. Just don't want them to be up front and center. Sounds like you and several others do not have that problem with your SS. Maybe my ignorance is blinding me to the benefits of SS.

Bookworm - My kids are grown and gone too and unfortunately grandkids live away and only get home couple times a year. Both you, pricklypear and herbflavor suggested a light counter if I go with white appliances. Back to that counter choice again!

Nosoccormom - While Shenandoah does carry the panel for the DW, it doesn't for the Fridge. And I don't think I could afford panel ready appliances anyway. That does help them blend in though. Thanks for your vote for black as second choice.

Well, can't say that I've made up my mind yet, but I am getting closer. Thanks so much for your help and any additional input is always welcome.

I also went with SS with my cherry cabinets. I am thinking of paneling the DW but so far haven't done so.
Love your cabinets!

We went with SS for our spice stained cherry cabinets. It wasn't in the budget to replace our black refrig and it runs just fine. We had all black appliances before and it would have been just too dark when mated with darker cabinets.

Not quite as dark as your cabinets - but here is a picture (finally on a computer vs phone)

I would go with black. Our cabinets will be almost the same color, and we are going black. The slide in range is stainless with black trim to tie it in with the black appliances and stainless range hood.

White appliances will be a mistake with dark cabinets. They will stick out like a sore thumb. IMHO, stainless appliances are far too difficult to keep looking nice.

Definitely not white.

Thanks A2gemini for your picture and input. You have such a nice kitchen! I really enjoyed watching you put it together. The stainless appliances really blend in and I love the wood floor. Keep wondering if I do a wood floor with my cabinets what shade to go with.

Gpraceman - Your kitchen looks great and I don't mind your black fridge at all. Don't know why it seems to "fit" the room better than the example EAM44 posted earlier.

krycek1984 - I like the idea of the stainless range with black accents. I have been wondering what it would look like to go all black and then have the SS range hood that is already purchased. And I tend to agree with you - I think white is too big of a contrast.

Unfortunately, my range and fridge are currently white and can't be replaced for a year or two. Maybe this winter (my idea) or in a few years (my husbands). So he thinks I should just get a white DW now. But eventually they will get replaced, and I think if I am changing colors I need to do it now with the DW. Also, although this is much less of an issue, we will be buying a new counter microwave which will go in the cabinet above the DW and I would like to match it as well.

Off to look at the Labor Day sales. Need to buy a DW this weekend if I can make this darn color decision. Thanks again for all the input.

I vote stainless. We have dark cherry and I think it looks good together! Kept my old black dishwasher cause it still works fine. It is harder to keep clean than the stainless!
First few obsessive weeks I cleaned the stainless fridge every day (with windex). Now I do it once a week. Hey-- this is a real working kitchen, not a magazine :)

I vote stainless. We have dark cherry and I think it looks good together! Kept my old black dishwasher cause it still works fine. It is harder to keep clean than the stainless!
First few obsessive weeks I cleaned the stainless fridge every day (with windex). Now I do it once a week. Hey-- this is a real working kitchen, not a magazine :)

Deleted extra post

This post was edited by heidihausfrau on Fri, Aug 30, 13 at 17:48

If you don't like SS, and I can't blame you, how about replacing the range now with black or maybe SS with black, get a black DW, and paint the fridge with blackboard paint until you can replace it?

heidi - Thanks for the photo of your kitchen (looks great) and your vote for stainless. Also your experience with a black DW. Did you have a black fridge before? If so, how was that to keep clean? I agree the kitchen should be for working in and mine certainly is NOT magazine worthy!

nosoccermom - Hey that's an interesting idea! Yes, I don't think I would mind a Stainless range if I got one with a black top and window (which many seem to have), but that fridge is a real problem. Maybe I will do a little research into using blackboard paint and see if it is even feasible.

Taking a 3 1/4 hr drive Sat to the closest "bigger" town for shopping. Want to see a few of these DWs in person. Only have a GE dealer in town with a small showroom. Hope seeing the appliances in person in the different finishes will help me out with the fingerprint issue. But all the pictures posted here have really helped me out with the matching issue. Just wish I had my countertop picked out. That might help drive my appliance color.

Thanks again. All input is welcome and informative!

If you plan to replace the other appliances downstream - go with your new color choice and live off color for a year or 2. I did that and glad I went that route

My wood floor is the original floor and had a dickens of a time figuring out cabinet color - so, I feel your pain!

Thanks A2gemini. If I am changing color, that's what we will have to do - replace them over time. Nice to hear that other people have actually done that! Got to recover from some of the other costs before replacing appliances that still work well.

I am terrible with colors and shades so am still debating about the floor - and the appliances! My plans for the weekend got upset, so didn't get to go look at appliances like I had hoped. So, still churning the DW color around in my mind. Hope I have a mind left after all these decisions!

If you get a DW that is panel ready - you can swap it downstream. I am thinking of doing that - my DW is SS but figured out I can add a wood panel - the color would be off for a short time period until the DW panel oxidized to the rest of the cabinets.
Hang in there - I wish I could say decisions get easier - but I am sure you know the answer to that one :-)