Designer Picks: New Appliances We Love

Rebecca Driscoll • Mar 20, 2015

One of the most important decisions you make when planning a kitchen that will really work for your family is which appliances to select. But how to choose?

We polled our design team to find out which appliances they’ve been recommending recently.

Senior Designer Anne’s Picks

Why? They integrate beautifully and have models that fit fabulously in small spaces.

 

Why? They are great performers and have color options that allow them to integrate well.

 

Why? They are also great performers and are beautifully designed.

Why?  This hood is one of my favorites because it comes in different colors and has such a classic shape.

Senior Designer Kristyn’s Picks

Why? These are ideal for 7’ – 9’ ceilings and can be up to 72” above a range. Great to use in spaces where you want clear sight lines. For example, they are a perfect choice for an island or peninsula that contains the cooking appliance and is open to an adjacent dining room or living room, or where the island extends into a seating area.

 

Why? Because moisture, heat and air are the best combination! Moisture, heat and airflow work together to create tasty results while preserving foods’ natural nutrition. You can select a cooking mode that’s ideal for your dish and the oven’s unique digital technology senses the amount and size of the food and automatically adjusts all the details of cooking.

U-Line & Perlick Drawer Refrigeration

 

Why? Adding additional refrigeration under the counter is a great space saver and often a must-have for families.

Senior Designer Chelly’s Picks

 

Why? This fridge is exciting because there are now more options on the market that have dual compressors and LED lighting. And that black interior is pretty cool!

 

Why? I love induction! It’s clean, responsive and energy efficient. Miele cooktops offer a distinctive non-contact method of heating using magnetic fields to transfer energy directly to cookware. They offer the benefits of a gas flame without introducing excess heat into the working environment. Their new induction range is also exciting and great for small kitchens.

Why?  Not only does it let you cook like a pro, it’s available in 750 colors!

 

Why? Hands down the best dishwashers out there! They are quiet, reliable, innovative and pretty. Rumor has it that they are working on their line up and soon their higher model features will be integrated in the lower classic and crystal models.

Why? Big Chill appliances (fridges, stoves, ovens, hoods, microwaves) combine modern day amenities with a vintage aesthetic that can play up the retro feel of a space.

Senior Designer Anne also loves Big Chill:

They are fun as they do not need additional work to look good in a kitchen!

Design Assistant Marty’s Picks

Why?   It has settings for a speedy dry (14 minutes), gentlest dry and steam dry to get rid of wrinkles so you don’t have to iron!

 

Why? These are great for those who do not want a full-sized fridge.

Junior Designer Trisha’s Picks

 

SMEG Retro Refrigerators

Why? A smaller, but still awesome, option.

Junior Designer Kat’s Pick

Blomberg Refrigerator

Why? I love their tall, skinny refrigerators. They take up less floor space but give you lots of storage with height. These last for years and are a bargain compared to other brands. The freezer on the bottom puts most foods at eye level.

And of course, who wouldn’t want one of these?

La Cornue W. Freestanding Induction Stove
La Cornue
In the words of designer Kristyn Bester:

“The most beautiful appliance I’ve ever seen!”

We agree.

Looking for more design inspiration for your kitchen? Join us for our Kitchens that Work Design Workshop on May 18th . Get the details and RSVP here by May 15th to attend FREE.

Portland's Architecture

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By Anne De Wolf • 15 Sep, 2023
Since the easiest way to know the different styles is to understand the art, fashion, science, and industry of the times when they were built, you’ll also understand how Portland’s diverse architecture has told, and continues to tell, our collective story. History deepens experience. You’ll never see Portland through the same eyes again!
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By Marty Hegg • 01 Sep, 2023
The next time you’re in the Mt Tabor neighborhood, hiking in the park , picking up plants at Portland Nursery , or ordering take out from Ya Hala , make a detour and drive up SE Belmont Street between 55 th Avenue and 58 th . Better yet, park the car and take a stroll. In the middle of the long block proudly sits the Jacob H. and Etna M. Cook House , built in 1892-93 and looking as handsome as ever. This historic home has journeyed through thick and thin, and current owner Lyrin Murphy is the reason it’s so beautiful today. Originally built as a Victorian in 1892 for Alexander and Maria Warner, it was one of several Victorians with small farms and orchards at the base of Mt. Tabor. They sold the home in 1904 to Jacob H. Cook, a local businessman and lumberman, and his wife, Etna. In 1909, the Cooks completed a major renovation of the home, transforming it into the Neoclassical style we see today. This was a trend amongst socially elite Portlanders, drawn to less-fussy, more open Colonial Revival, Neoclassical, and Craftsman designs, perhaps inspired by travels and exhibits at the 1905 World’s Fair in Portland . They often entertained in their home, hosting dance parties, luncheons, club events, and out-of-town guests. Their large-scale remodel helped push the area into upper-class status in Portland. Some prominent exterior changes were adding the main façade’s massive portico with Tuscan columns, a full-width porch and 2 nd floor balcony, and a smaller balcony at the 3 rd floor.
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By Marty Hegg and Peter Herring • 05 May, 2023
The Italianate brick building – NW Portland’s second oldest remaining commercial structure – has had its share of ups and downs. Captain John Harlow, a Maine sea captain and co-founder of the City of Troutdale, built it as the Grand Hotel in 1882, hoping to cash in on the coming transcontinental railroad station, just blocks away. High hopes were soon lowered, as Grand Central Station (now Union Station) was delayed for fourteen years.
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Portland's Architecture

A Century of Style: Portland’s Architecture from the 1850s to Today

By Anne De Wolf • 15 Sep, 2023
Since the easiest way to know the different styles is to understand the art, fashion, science, and industry of the times when they were built, you’ll also understand how Portland’s diverse architecture has told, and continues to tell, our collective story. History deepens experience. You’ll never see Portland through the same eyes again!
The Walter

The Walter: A Labor of Love

By Marty Hegg • 01 Sep, 2023
The next time you’re in the Mt Tabor neighborhood, hiking in the park , picking up plants at Portland Nursery , or ordering take out from Ya Hala , make a detour and drive up SE Belmont Street between 55 th Avenue and 58 th . Better yet, park the car and take a stroll. In the middle of the long block proudly sits the Jacob H. and Etna M. Cook House , built in 1892-93 and looking as handsome as ever. This historic home has journeyed through thick and thin, and current owner Lyrin Murphy is the reason it’s so beautiful today. Originally built as a Victorian in 1892 for Alexander and Maria Warner, it was one of several Victorians with small farms and orchards at the base of Mt. Tabor. They sold the home in 1904 to Jacob H. Cook, a local businessman and lumberman, and his wife, Etna. In 1909, the Cooks completed a major renovation of the home, transforming it into the Neoclassical style we see today. This was a trend amongst socially elite Portlanders, drawn to less-fussy, more open Colonial Revival, Neoclassical, and Craftsman designs, perhaps inspired by travels and exhibits at the 1905 World’s Fair in Portland . They often entertained in their home, hosting dance parties, luncheons, club events, and out-of-town guests. Their large-scale remodel helped push the area into upper-class status in Portland. Some prominent exterior changes were adding the main façade’s massive portico with Tuscan columns, a full-width porch and 2 nd floor balcony, and a smaller balcony at the 3 rd floor.
The Harlow Hotel

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The Italianate brick building – NW Portland’s second oldest remaining commercial structure – has had its share of ups and downs. Captain John Harlow, a Maine sea captain and co-founder of the City of Troutdale, built it as the Grand Hotel in 1882, hoping to cash in on the coming transcontinental railroad station, just blocks away. High hopes were soon lowered, as Grand Central Station (now Union Station) was delayed for fourteen years.

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Site Measures - part 1

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Building Trusting Relationships by Design

By ARCIFORM • 09 Jul, 2022
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