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Property/DIY

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Original poster

Cream or black range oven?

32 replies

renovatinghouse · 07/03/2013 23:04

Hello! I am doing my kitchen and cannot decide the color of the range. It is a Rangemaster Professional Deluxe. The cupboards are off white shaker style and the floor is oak. Countertops will be cream-like quartz and oak for the island. Walls will be some off white (I believe called Clay or something like that from Littel Greene). The fridge is stainless Steele as well as the extractor fan.

I like the black range but architect and DH think it will stand out too much in the kitchen, as it is big, so I cannot decide. They prefer the cream whick i am not too keen on. Any opinions/experience greatly appreciated!! Thanks!!!

OP posts:

HazeltheMcWitch · 08/03/2013 01:30

Cream!

I think it just gives you more options for future decor. Black does look very monolithic.

Original poster

renovatinghouse · 08/03/2013 01:31

Thanks Hazel! that's what my husband says, maybe he's right : )

OP posts:

Original poster

renovatinghouse · 08/03/2013 07:04

Anyone else?

OP posts:

Joycey29 · 08/03/2013 07:13

I would go cream.
Exact same issue with our current kitchen. We've gone for cream cabinets, wood floor and then spent ages on the choice of range.
We eventually bought the same model as you in cranberry as the black was just too much of a contrast. Cream was our second choice - so if I were you I d choose cream

7to25 · 08/03/2013 08:02

Black
(or any other colour)
I don't like the cream/off white clash. One will make the other look dirty. I think this may also be a problem with your countertops.

Original poster

renovatinghouse · 08/03/2013 11:04

Thank you Joyce and 7to25. Yes, my main problem with the cream range is that not all the colours in the kitchen will be in the same tone, so I worry that they will not match - apart from he fact that don't like the cream tone too much. Ah, don't know what to do! I love the cranberry one! As you can see, I can never take a decision and am not good at house design. Whatever I do, I am sure I will regret it later and I want the kitchen to be perfect. Thanks for your opinions!

OP posts:

Fallenangle · 08/03/2013 11:13

All ranges were black for the first eighty years after they were invented then cream was introduced, i believe in the forties, to make them look more modern. In all that time they were matched with every colour going. Either should go with any decor. Cranberry will definitely limit future choices.

Luckyluckyme · 08/03/2013 11:21

I have cream kitchen cabinets and I've ordered the exact same model in cranberry. I love reds though.

I didn't want to get a black one for the same reason as you but I didn't want to get the cream either as it wasn't the same shade as the kitchen and I hate seeing cream ranges with off- white or cream kitchens that are not the same shade and just look like the owners were trying to match the colours but got it wrong.

Or am I just old fashioned?

Dfg15 · 08/03/2013 11:25

I've got a black cooker, I love it - BUT it shows up every speck of dust that lands on it. I have to (should!) wipe it over every day to make it look clean. I wish I'd gone for a cream or white one.

AgathaF · 08/03/2013 11:29

Black, cranberry or stainless. Not cream or white - too many clashes of cream and off white.

FishfingersAreOK · 08/03/2013 12:26

Agree with Agatha that you have to be careful not to have too many creams/off whites fighting each other. We have off white shaker, smoked oak floor and a black range. We have an Esse and the cream one was too buttery/yellowy to have considered. Did not want to go for coloured as wanted to stay neutral for future choices.

However we do have black worktops - so these kind of flow with the range IYSWIM.

I think you need to decide if the range being dominant is what you want. It will be a big monster anyway, cost a fortune and I am guessing you kind of want it to be the "heart of the home". That is what we wanted anyway - almost for it to be the focal point of the kitchen. And it is. But it ties in with our (bland) colour scheme as well so is focal without being "shouty".

I seriously think you should take an hour, shove "Rangemaster shaker kitchen" into Google and just browse the images tab. Go for YOUR gut instinct. Do YOU like the cream or the black? Or another colour? What makes you think "yes, that is the look I am after". What makes you think "meh". If not much comes up add "black or "cream" to the search. Try adding "cream worktops" in as well.

I had to do this with flooring choice for our downstairs. Googled "white shaker, black range" and just scanned the picture to get a feel. Also did the tearing out of the magazine thing. Doesn't have to be "perfect" for you to say "yes" to an image if you like - but just a gut feel. Then you will probably find a pattern fairly quickly. If it is the cream then can you take a door/worktop sample to the range showroom to make sure they all "go"?

Don't rush it. Seriously a day or two extra will not kill anyone. They are pricy. The whole kitchen is not cheap.

And enjoy.

Lecture over.

Original poster

renovatinghouse · 08/03/2013 15:47

Thanks Fallen, I did not know that all ranges were initially black, I thought it was a modern thing.

Lucky, if you are old fashioned, I am too! that's exactly my worry, that the different shades will not "go" and it will all end looking a bit bland. But I am afraid the cranberry will be too much red for my husband.

Dfg: really? that's good to know because we are not very good at cleaning every day or every other day. And I am an extremely messy cook.

Agatha, thanks, that's my gut feeling for now : )

Fishfingers, thank you, that's a good idea. I have already looked at lots of images in google of kitchens with ranges but will do again adding additional variables. You are right, we have spent a lot of money in this renovation but teh kitchen is what matters the most to me because I love to cook and I want it to be the center of the house, and like you said the range to be the heart of the home. It's true that I should decide what I like and not always leave husband to decide. I am usually a very confident person in my professional life, but in family matters I think that most of the time I end up agreeing with everything my husband says, and he tends to have strong opinions.

Anyway, thanks to all, really helpful!!!

OP posts:

FishfingersAreOK · 08/03/2013 16:33

And once you decide, pop back here and we can all give you total, irrefutable arguments which back up your choice to use with your DH.

Or just say "it is my kitchen and I want the purple spotty one. So we are having the purple spotty one!". And then stamp your foot, stick your tongue out and say "so nerr". {grown up emoticon}

Original poster

renovatinghouse · 08/03/2013 18:45

OP posts:

amazonianwoman · 09/03/2013 22:58

A bit more expensive, but I love the SLATE coloured Falcon range

amazonianwoman · 09/03/2013 23:01

Or this one in slate, closer to the price of the Rangemaster.

AgathaF · 09/03/2013 23:02

That Falcon range is beautiful.

blueshoes · 10/03/2013 00:02

My new kitchen is very similar to yours except we have black countertops. Like fishfingers, we went with a black range. Also chose black knobs and handles on the kitchen cabinets. Had a sage green tiled backsplash to give a little colour lift with framed botanical prints on the walls and huge ships clock for interest.

I think you should go for a contrasting colour (not necessarily black) for your range. Otherwise the kitchen, which sounds big, can look a bit bland with just shades of cream, offwhite and oak.

Original poster

renovatinghouse · 10/03/2013 12:01

Amazonian: Thank you, I will definitely check the Falcon, it looks beautiful.

blue: Thanks for the suggestion, your kitchen sounds very nice - we were actually looking at having coloured tiles for the backsplash. One question, is it difficult to clean the grout from grease, food, etc that may get in there? or that is not an issue? Thanks!!

OP posts:

HappyGirlNow · 10/03/2013 12:23

Black or charcoal - definitely not cream! It'll look odd and insipid with a cream cooker.

FishfingersAreOK · 10/03/2013 12:54

waves at amazonian

amazonianwoman · 10/03/2013 13:43

Waves right back

Honu · 10/03/2013 16:10

We have white units, off-white floor, oak main doors, worktops brown/black/beige/yellow/etc granite. Have black range cooker, looks great, was also tempted by other 'proper' colours. Cream definitely last on list - would have looked too wishy-washy.

Ladyemem · 10/03/2013 21:51

well i have stainless steel range but wish id gone for cream. not black

blueshoes · 10/03/2013 23:21

Hi renovating, about cleaning the grout, our kitchen is so new (2 month's old) that I cannot really answer that but so far, no problems with cleaning and it is not a day-to-day issue. We also had a tiled backsplash in our last kitchen. Over time - our kitchen was 10 years' old when we left - the grease does get in and darken the grout but I was not particularly religious about cleaning so that could be the problem.

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