We think it depends on whether your doing a high-end kitchen as Debbie mentioned, no one ever got offended by a mixture of Sub Zero, Viking, and Wolf products. However, if you are doing more of a middle to lower end job, then definitely try to use all of the same brand to provide continuity of the kitchen. Otherwise, it can look like they were replaced individually over time with whatever was on sale and detracts from the kitchen. Since this is a foreclosure and we don't know the condition of the kitchen, you need to be sure that your new appliances aren't an over-improvement to the kitchen unless the rest will be replaced down the road.

Hope this helps...

I am going to also support the idea of buying what you like, regardless of brand. If you plan to resell in 5-7 years, then I'd suggest sticking with black or stainless steel (or stainless steel look) finishes; only because that is what is "in" right now. But, if you will own 10 years or longer, there is no saying what the style will be then, and you'll end up with a dated look no matter what you do, so buy what you want without any regard to the thoughts of others. Stainless steel shows finger prints worse - it's not that hard to keep it clean - I have 2 under the age of 5 and got new SS appliances in December. Stainless steel appliances tend to stand out more than black - black will just blend in. So, (my opinion here) if you're going cheap, so black. If you're spending money on it and you want them to be noticed, go stainless steel.

I also think it is best if you do keep the finishes the same and try to have the styles mimic each other so it is pleasing to the eye. However, depending on the layout of the kitchen and other stuff, I've seen a mix of black and stainless appliances in a kitchen where you didn't even notice it, since you didn't see all of them at one time - and it looked fine. Personally, I still wouldn't do that, but you can get away with it.

Personally, I found there were so many different styles to choose from, I was really overwhelmed and decided it was best to narrow my choices to one brand. That is the only reason I did that.

If you look on line, there are web sites that will help you sort through your choices. Most stores simply don't have enough room to have a lot of appliances on display. GE has a good web site. That's how I picked mine. Then I called/emailed several local dealers and negotiated the best price - it was significantly less than the "suggested retail" on the web site.

One last thing - I am not crazy about my fridge. We like the double door with ice maker and water dispensers on the outside. I spent a lot of money to get the smaller, counter width fridge. However, I like to put an ice cube in my coffee in the mornings and opening the door to get a single cube is difficult and I spill ice cubes every day. Also, since I chose the fridge on line, I didn't realize the sides would be silver (not stainless steel) instead of black. Where my fridge is, one side is always exposed and so I have to look at that every day. I would have preferred it be black on the sides. Lesson - think of these things and try to see the appliances in person before you commit. My other appliances are fab, and we can live with the fridge - we don't have much choice.

If you're shopping on a budget, I have a client that would go into Lowes 5 minutes before they closed and start negotiating for the floor model- he replaced all his appliances for less than $1K. Apparently, by that time of the day they are pretty exhausted and just want to go home.

Hi Flwrsfam!

Yes, you may mix and match brands, but everything should match in color. Many high-end homes have different brands - perhaps a Viking stove and a Sub-Zero refrigerator - no need to use the same brands. Of course, today, stainless steel is most popular, but the choioce of color is up to you, and your budget.

So......go ahead and mix and match - just make sure to coordinate the colors.

Good luck with the new purchases!
Debbie Rose

I would think that if they were all of similar style that it would be fine to mix and match brands. However, if you do a mass buy with one brand name, you may be able to work out a better discount. The recommendation I get from all those people that insist on giving opinions suggest that working with the local mom-n-pop store may get your the better discount and service package rather than going with the large discount stores in this case.
Tim