Many kitchen ranges got a big workout this week. Remodelista has put together a nice collection of some hot (pun intended!) ranges for your viewing pleasure. Color is seen in this collection too. Can you live for 20 years or more with a lime green range?
Think twice about that one.
I've used cobalt blue, marroon and recently khaki (very nice) on Viking ranges in kitchens I've designed. There IS so much more out there than stainless. To warm up your kitchen a bit, reducing that stainless-steel-everywhere look, you may want to consider, if not a color-color, then think about cream, khaki, brown, neutrals available on ranges, having more staying power (and probably much better for home resale purposes) than a strong color.
This is not to discourage you from choosing color, if that's been your pro range dream. Then, embrace it! Just don't tire of it in five or ten years...that would be a bad thing.
The other great news about this neat collection is seen in the varying styles and configurations of these ranges. There is a whole lot more choices available now than the "typical" style professional range we're so used to. I enjoy seeing these creative alternatives.
And, some of the prices are not much more, or even less, than we're used to. Can it be that there is life beyond Wolf, Dacor, Thermador and GE? Maybe they're the meat and potatoes, and these "alternative" ranges are the spices...