On Monday, Whirlpool introduced a new premium exterior finish
that they call "White Ice." With clean lines, silver accents and
streamlined controls, the new collection's refrigerator, range,
dishwasher, and microwave are a departure from the flash and glitz of
stainless steel and its many lookalikes. In fact, the combination of a
white finish, stainless handles and mirrored glass appear to have a lot
in common with Apple's popular design language. White Ice gives your kitchen a clean slate.The
streamlined new look combines with simplified features that Whirlpool
says will make the appliances easier to use. "In addition to the
intuitive technology, the line takes a fresh look at appliance design
and features flawless exteriors that add beauty to any home," said Pat
Schiavone, Whirlpool's VP of Global Consumer Design.
Because the
whole suite of appliances have such a unique style that's exclusive to
one manufacturer, it's a safe bet that Whirlpool is hoping customers
will upgrade their entire kitchen instead of taking a piecemeal
approach.
Whirlpool seems to be aiming their new finish at
customers who have grown weary of stainless and its numerous imitators.
Indeed, the manufacturer says the new finish is "signifying a shift in
the culture of home appliances." Because it's essentially an update of
the classic white exterior, White Ice may appeal to consumers who are
bored by stainless but also don't want their kitchens to look dated. For
Whirlpool, it's an attempt to appeal to homeowners in a bottomed-out
housing market, where renovating is less about increasing resale value
and more about appealing to an individual's own tastes.
Before the recession, investors looking to flip a house for profit
wanted to install upscale finishes that could cheaply and easily update
the look of a home. So from the HGTV-era onward, the most popular
kitchens have combined granite countertops along with stainless steel
appliances. Go to any home improvement store and you'll be sure to see
rows upon rows of fridges and dishwashers with stainless steel and
stainless-style exteriors.
It wasn't always that way, and all it takes is a look at classic sitcoms to see how far kitchens have come. If I Love Lucy were in color, the Ricardo's kitchen likely would've had pastel finishes alongside white and stainless. Along with shows like Maude and Soap,
the '70s and early '80s brought in earth tones, like avocado, harvest
gold and almond. Later on, white and bisque became popular -- even on
the upscale appliances that Geoffrey tended to in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
In addition to the modern White Ice, there are several other
alternative finishes available on premium appliances. Smeg, an Italian
company, builds retro-looking fridges that could easily be mistaken for
your grandmother's Norge. They're available in a whole rainbow of
shades, from bright yellow to deep purple. AGA, a British manufacturer,
puts hard vitreous enamel surfaces in a variety of different colors on
their ovens and dishwashers. Whirlpool's own Amana division also
introduced a series of colorful refrigerators in 2009, including an
exterior called Green Tea which features a floral motif.
The new White Ice refrigerator, range, dishwasher and microwave will
be on display at New York City's Rockefeller Plaza this week for House Beautiful magazine's Kitchen of the Year event.
