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Friday, Sept. 23, 2005 | ||
Shining onStainless steel appliances make a comebackBy CINDY HOEDEL Call it prison chic. Toilets and sinks clad head to toe in stainless steel are the latest thing in luxury bathrooms. Is this the latest ramification of Martha Stewarts stint in the pokey? The stainless bath fixtures are shiny showroom darlings, but theyre hardly giving porcelain a run for its money. Weve only sold one toilet and one basin so far to the same person, said Tony Shapiro of Dorfman Plumbing in Kansas City, Mo. Theyre very hot on both coasts, but this area is pretty conservative. But kitchens are another story. Designers say stainless steel is enjoying a huge surge in popularity. Appliances are the most popular application for the shiny, industrial finish, but countertops and backsplashes reminiscent of space age 50s kitchens are also coming back. People are turning to stainless steel instead of committing to a color, said Sallie Kytt Redd, a Lenexa, Kan., interior designer. Stainless steel has been a fixture in high-end appliances for decades. Whats new is the selection of stainless steel models offered by mass manufacturers such as GE, Frigidaire and Whirlpool. The stainless steel option in those brands generally costs 15 percent to 20 percent more than standard black, white or bisque finishes. With stainless steel refrigerators and ranges starting about $700, the sleek, high-design look has suddenly become affordable. When Julie Treacy of Shawnee, Kan., built her house seven years ago, she went with white appliances in the kitchen because the cost put stainless steel out of her reach. But now, as part of a kitchen remodel, shes replacing them all with stainless steel. Im excited. The stainless steel looks great with my granite countertops, Treacy said. Redd said her clients often think stainless steel is harder to take care of. She believes that is a misconception. Stainless steel is extremely durable, with a life expectancy of 100 years or more. It is also extremely resistant to stains, chips and rust. Stainless steel does show fingerprints and water drops, which is probably behind the hard-to-clean rap. How much of a problem that is depends on your habits, Redd says. With a refrigerator, she said, If you tend to use the handle, its not an issue. But if you push the door closed with your open hand, that is going to show. There are options even for the all-over touchers: Brushed finishes dont show prints as much as mirrored ones. While ranges and refrigerators in stainless steel have long been considered glamorous, the same cannot be said of sinks. Porcelain is the material of choice for most homeowners, but Redd said she often recommends stainless steel sinks for people with busy lifestyles. Porcelain is china over iron. It has no give to it. If you drop a can in it, it will chip, Redd said. Todays porcelains seem to be easier to damage than in the past. If you drop a piece of everyday pottery in it, its going to break (the dish). Artisan Metalworks in Kansas City, Kan., fabricates architectural elements and decorative accessories out of copper, zinc, galvanized steel and other metals. Lead artisan Randall Hutchison said the company has eased into stainless steel the past year in response to demand from customers. Its definitely making a comeback, Hutchison said. Its partially a look its shiny, its tough, and it lasts forever. Recently Artisan cut and measured stainless steel backsplashes for a do-it-yourselfer client to install. Another client had a kitchen island made in stainless steel. The companys showroom has samples of stainless steel countertops, backsplashes and fireplace surrounds. One advantage of stainless steel as a countertop choice is that it can be custom cut and fitted like a sleeve over an existing counter, Hutchison said. The raw material price of stainless steel has nearly doubled in the last two years, due to heavy demand in Asia for the scrap and virgin metals that go into its production. The square-foot price for a stainless steel counter by Artisan is $30 to $60 per square foot; the installed price runs $60 to $75 per square foot. The company has also made stainless steel handrails for a staircase, speaker box covers and kickplates for a home bar.
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