In: Float Glass is the new Stainless

Not long ago, if you wanted to keep up with the Jones' in the kitchen the choice for appliance finish was simple: Stainless Steel. And the market reacted accordingly, with a strong presence of stainless steel and stainless-like finishes. Likewise, developers in the housing market considered stainless appliances the gold standard in amenities, when combined with stained cabinets and granite countertops. But stainless appliances may just have a new contender: Float Glass.

Recently, companies as varied as Jenn-Air and IKEA (appliances by KitchenAid) introduced appliances with float glass fronts. The slick, glossy finish is a chic, high-end look, and signals too the return of high gloss black, white, and colored kitchen cabinets. And while the Jenn-Air versions come with a bit of sticker shock (both the refrigerator and wall oven pictured are priced at $2949.00 each), the IKEA models (sadly, only available in ovens currently) are not only reasonable (priced at $649 as shown), but with widths as small as 24", are the perfect size for the
urban kitchen as well!