How to Mix Steel and Black Appliances
Learning how to mix steel and black appliances can prevent your kitchen from being too sterile or too dark. Mixing the two finishes creates a modern look for most kitchens. Black and stainless can look great together, if you know a few decorating tips. Mixing black appliances with steel appliances can also help save money over buying all steel appliances.
While you may want all of your appliances to match, it is not always possible or practical. If you are replacing one appliance at a time, there will be a transition where you will have to mix black and steel appliances. Some homeowners will want to mix the two finishes to prevent the kitchen from being too dark with all black appliances or too sterile with all steel appliances. Mixing the two finishes can create a very modern look in your kitchen.
- Consider the appliance's trim. Most steel appliances are trimmed in black. Stainless steel ovens will often have back cook tops. Some steel refrigerators will have black handles. Black accents will help tie the two finishes together and create a cohesive look.
- Use black or steel in other places in your kitchen to balance the two finishes. Use steel or black to decorate above cabinets or for wall art.
- Use a faux steel contact paper to cover the front of a black dishwasher. It is inexpensive and will match the stainless steel appliances until the dishwasher needs to be replaced. You can also use the contact paper to line the microwave handle. This will help protect it, and will help it match the other appliances.
- Don't forget about light fixtures when you are decorating the kitchen. They are easy to replace or paint to match whichever finish you need more of to balance out the two finishes. After you purchase your first steel appliance, painting the light fixtures steel can help prevent the steel appliance from looking out of place.