Styling A Kitchen Around An Appliance

Appliances generally blend seamlessly into a kitchen without any effort on your part, but there are still a few key things to keep in mind as you work to create a sense of cohesion between your décor and appliances. We actually ended up filling our own retro kitchen with all mis-matched appliances. The vintage stove we inherited from the previous homeowners is shiny chrome and white metal, our refrigerator is traditional stainless steel, and our new dishwasher is a stainless steel that has a hint of a warmth to it. Nothing matches, but we managed to make the set look intentional and cohesive simply by styling strategically. Keep reading for my best tips and tricks if you’re looking to make your own appliance collection feel like a natural fit in your space.

Metal Accents

Pick one metallic color that best matches the finish of your new appliance, then repeat that metal across the room to make your appliance look more intentional and integrated alongside the rest of the accents in your kitchen. This could be done with accessories like a recipe card frame, drink shaker, or even a utensil crock. I decided to incorporate rich gold accents since I felt like that tone complemented the warm-ish “Tuscan Steel” color of our new dishwasher.

Go Green

Don’t forget plants! I never consider a room properly styled until I add live (or faux) greenery. Trailing vines and potted leafy plants add texture, life, and color to the room and, if you pot them in metallic planters, they’ll also tie back to the finish of your appliance.

Soften Things Up

Finish the space with soft woven textures to help break up all of the solid surfaces and give the room an inviting sense of warmth. This could be anything from a woven fruit basket, to a washable rug. Even something as simple as draping a pretty patterned tea towel over the handle of your new appliance can help soften the look and add some personality to your space. The “tea towel over the handle” trick will also help draw the eye to your new appliance and make it a focal point.

Styling 101

Here are a handful of my best practices when arranging accents on any surface:

1. Create multiple small groupings of objects for a more relaxed vibe.

2. Use trays and bowls to corral smaller loose items so it looks less cluttered.

3. Don’t feel like you need to fill every single square inch! Negative space is good.

I hope that was helpful! I know from personal experience how stressful it can be to purchase a new appliance, and the finish color is a major part of that decision. Should you pick something to match your existing appliances? Or go with something really bold and plan to replace the others to match over time? Maybe you want to go entirely mis-matched like we did! Whatever you decide, just know that there is a way to make your appliance collection look intentional. Just think carefully through your whole-room styling, and your new appliance will feel like a natural part of the team in no time.

*I earn a small percentage from purchases made using the affiliate links above. Affiliate links are not sponsored. Rest assured that I never recommend products we wouldn’t use or don’t already love ourselves.