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A continuing compendium of tips and tricks from Home & Garden Television (http://www.hgtv.com/):
Want the kinds of ovens, ranges, microwaves and vent hoods that the pros use? Get ready to love stainless steel. Top designers offer ideas for incorporating stainless steel without veering into sterile territory:
Want the kinds of ovens, ranges, microwaves and vent hoods that the pros use? Get ready to love stainless steel. Top designers offer ideas for incorporating stainless steel without veering into sterile territory:
••Designers agree that stainless steel is gorgeous as a focal point or a fine enhancement as an accent, but should never be used in both capacities.
''A little goes a long way when you're designing with stainless steel,'' said Michael Schwartz of 2S Designs in north suburban Grayslake. ''You wouldn't want stainless counters or small appliances in the same design with large pro-line stainless pieces, unless you were going for an over-the-top industrial design.''
''A little goes a long way when you're designing with stainless steel,'' said Michael Schwartz of 2S Designs in north suburban Grayslake. ''You wouldn't want stainless counters or small appliances in the same design with large pro-line stainless pieces, unless you were going for an over-the-top industrial design.''
••You can soften the cold shine of stainless with granite and ceramic, says Karen Sciascia, designer for A Matter of Style in Cheshire, Conn. In a traditional or contemporary kitchen design, Sciascia favors cream-colored granite counters to offset the cold shine of stainless appliances. ''The mica in the stone really picks up the soft gray color in the stainless,'' she says.
••Wood is always a welcome foil to stainless, particularly over pro-quality cooktops. ''A stainless range like a Viking is a very commercial, very professional-looking appliance,'' said Sciascia. ''Pairing it with a wood hood is a beautiful look and really warms the appearance of the stainless steel.''
••Sciascia avoids stainless-steel refrigerator doors because they're so big. She steers clients to wood-front panels for large fridges, like SubZero all-fridges or all-freezers.
••Given the demands placed on the ventilator for a high-caliber stainless range, you may also need to provide a louvered vent to an adjacent space for ''makeup air'' to replace the hot air circulated out.
"When you're dealing with pro equipment like that, you should consult an HVAC specialist to see if you need to do anything special with the air,'' said Mark White, a certified kitchen designer for Kitchen Encounters in Annapolis, Md.
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