Every modern home has quite a few appliances in it and their number is growing as smart homes are increasing in number. According to predictions, the industry supplying this tech will generate a revenue of $32 billion in the US and $13 billion in China by 2021. Other countries are also quick on the uptake, for example, the UK already has at least one connected device in 52% of all households.
So, there really can be no home without appliances today, but many homeowners know how hard it can be to fit those into your interior sometimes. You’ll need to get creative in order to do this, especially if you don’t have an opportunity to design from scratch and literally build the interior around appliances. Note that even if you do have this opportunity, smart tech becomes outdated fast, so you’ll have to replace it before you need to remodel your home. Therefore, the issue of fitting appliances into your design will touch everyone, eventually.
Can Appliances Enhance Your Home Interior Design?
The good news is that manufacturers recognize the important role of appliances in a home today and thus strive to make their products not only functional but also stylish. You can find a variety of appliances designed to fit specific styles, from retro kitchens to futuristic entertainment centers and washer-dryer combos made in a variety of colors to become beautiful centerpieces of any laundry room.
Fitting these appliances in your interior is easy because they are literally designed to fit. You can buy them as decorations that have practical value and enhance the usability of your home.
However, the problem with this is that such appliances are more expensive than their counterparts with the same tech specs but much simpler designs. As the high-quality appliances of today aren’t cheap by default, paying significantly more for design only might be impossible or many people. If you are one of them, you will have to either find ways to cut the costs of these high-end units or to learn how to redesign the “plain” ones. Both can be done if you apply a bit of creativity.
How to Cut the Cost of Stylish New Home Appliances
There are two things you need to consider when looking for ways to cut the cost of appliances. First is, of course, the buying price, which is your main concern at the moment. However, you also need to remember about appliance maintenance. Even the best tech can fail and while you might be able to buy a top-notch appliance on sale, you might not be prepared to pay upwards of $1,000 to fix one of its major components.
Your options for cutting the price of stylish new appliances are rather straightforward. You should look for discounts and special offers whenever you can. Look for stores that sell out their stock due to closing or some major changes. Search both online and brick-and-mortar shops and be prepared to spend quite a bit of time sorting through the options.
You can also consider buying pre-owned appliances from Craigslist or eBay. But be careful if you do this as those items might have some faults that will cause them to break down soon. So, you’ll be forced to spend the money you saved on the purchase to get the thing fixed.
However, even here you have a chance to cut your costs. There are home warranty plans you can use to cover your appliances so if they break down, the company covers all or part of the repair costs. There are over 180 companies like this, so you have many options and plans to choose from.
Note that not all of these companies are reliable and they are known to try and go back on their promises denying the customer’s claims, much like insurance companies do. Therefore, you should choose trustworthy providers with good reputations. You can find this information from independent reviews. Check the 2-10 review by experts to see what kind of information to look out for. In this particular case, you immediately see that the company is an industry veteran, which means that it’s not a scam that will collect your premiums and disappear. Also, you see that it’s accredited with the BBB and has a good rating as well as hundreds of positive customer reviews.
Home warranties cost about $500 a year and they don’t help you buy fancy appliances cheaper. But they can help cut the maintenance and repair costs. This matters because paying for the appliance in the store isn’t the end of the money you’ll spend on it. And cutting your future costs is as important as buying with a discount.
Tips on Making Not-So-Stylish Home Appliances Fit Your Décor
If even in spite of your best efforts you can’t get stylish appliances to fit your interior, or if there aren’t any models to match your specific design, you can either decorate “regular” appliances or do your best to hide them.
Whenever you can. Place appliances inside cupboards to keep them completely out of sight. But if this isn’t possible, you can try:
- Paint the appliance using regular spray paint.
A coat of bronze paint, for example, will make a plain blender fit into a country-style kitchen. It will look quite well next to copper pans and skillets. - Use decoupage to make your appliances unique.
Decoupage has many applications in home design, and decorating appliances is one of the least common among them. However, this is your chance to cover these devices with beautiful and unique designs. Note that not all items can be decorated with this technique. Decoupage is most often used in antique and “shabby chic” interiors. - Decorate your appliances with vinyl adhesives.
Today you can purchase adhesive vinyl with a variety of designs or even order your own unique prints. This is a very cheap and fast solution for decorating appliances. It won’t work for every design, however. For example, vinyl adhesives with antique prints will look very cheap even if they are of high-quality. Decoupage is a better decoration technique to use in this case.
There, you have it. Appliances must be a part of your home and they can become important parts of the room’s design. Either buy fancy designer models that fit stylish interiors or upgrade them yourself. But remember that the most important thing is to create an interior where all elements are tied together with a common theme. This kind of room will look cozy and complete.
