Please welcome guest writer, Michael Elecho from ThinkCrucial.com.
Top 7 Home Appliance Trends This 2017
When it comes to adding or maintaining value in your home, there’s nothing quite like a new set of appliances. From a new washer and dryer set in the laundry room to a new kitchen set, the appliances in your home have a major impact on its atmosphere and value. There are several new hot home appliance trends that have hit in 2017; some enhance functionality, some make them look better, and some do both. Here are the hottest new trends in home appliances this year.
Smart Appliances
As more and more homes are connected to the internet, manufacturers are finding ways to embed connectivity into their appliances. Consider an oven that you connect to from your smartphone as you leave the office, telling it to turn on when you want it to. While previous appliances have been programmable to turn on at certain times, they could never account for a delay. One bad traffic jam and your dinner became so much inedible charcoal.
It’s not just ovens either. Washing machines and refrigerators can connect to the internet, keeping track of your supplies and notifying you if you’re running low on something.In some cases, it can even order replacements for you.
French Doors
French doors are an exciting choice in appliances that is making waves this year. And they aren’t just for refrigerators anymore. French doors are the newest trend in ovens now, and make it easy for cooks to get large roasts and birds in without leaning over a hot door. Additionally, if you get your French door oven mounted at countertop height, you also save yourself a bad back.
As an added bonus, French door ovens comply with the American Disabilities Act, so they aren’t just attractive and functional; they also add value to your home.
No More Pre-Rinsing
It’s a running joke that if you use an automatic dishwasher, you almost have to prewash them if you expect them to be cleaned properly. Those days are in the past, however, with new dishwashers featuring improved water jets, you won’t be able to tell the difference between hand washed and machine washed anymore.
Another huge advance in dishwasher technology lets new dishwashers be whisper quiet compared to days of old. Expect new higher end units to put out about 30-40 decibels or the equivalent of a whisper to a pleasantly babbling brook. Even less expensive units only reach about mid-50 dBs, or about the level of conversational speech.
Better Washing Machines
There have been a lot of technological advances in washer/dryer tech in the past couple of years. One of the most exciting is the ability to control your laundry on the go using your smartphone. Various apps let you monitor your laundry from anywhere.
Another fun advance in washing machine technology lets you do two loads at once. Pedestals are nothing new for washing machines. But where they used to be used as storage, they are now able to handle small loads of laundry on their own. Letting you get twice the work done in the same amount of time.
Dryers Innovate Too
Not to be left out, dryers are also at the head of a cool appliance trend this year. Stackable washer dryers are pretty commonplace, but the trouble has always been the controls. The controls either get crammed into one console, leaving you bereft of all the options you want, or the controls are nearly out of reach.
New dryer stackables have control panels that can move from the traditional top spot to underneath the dryer unit. That means that the controls are right at your fingertips when your dryer is stacked; if you choose not to stack them, then you can leave the controls in the normal spot.
And don’t forget that dryers have become internet connected as well. Just like their washer counterparts, you can control them from your smartphone using a manufacturer’s app.
Matte White
Matte White finishes have come back as the classic choice for kitchen and appliance renovation. Gone are the dark and uninviting cabinets of yesterday. The classic white finish makes workspaces brighter and more open.
Stainless steel has long been the dominant choice for kitchen appliances, but customers have noticed that traditional stainless tends to attract fingerprints if you so much as look at it. Matte White finishes don’t have that problem. Matte is also forgiving when it comes to scratches. A light scratch isn’t going to mar the surface of your new appliance as much as traditional stainless.
Tinted Stainless Steel
That doesn’t mean that stainless is going down without a fight. It’s been counted out before but has always remained a favorite. And if you’re really concerned about fingerprints, then this trend is right up your alley. Tinted stainless steel brings a splash of bronze or black to the smooth class of traditional stainless. Best of all, the colored varieties resist fingerprints much better than traditional.
Paired with a neutral gray cabinet and some dark hardware, black stainless is a classy upgrade. It’s also available on all the traditional kitchen appliances: refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers, microwaves, and wall ovens.
2017 has seen some awesome new trends, and we’re barely out of the first quarter. What new trends have you spotted that you’re in love with? Let us know in the comments below.
