Colour Is Coming For Your Kitchen

The era of personalisation is upon us, with tastemakers opting to add their unique twist on everything from monogrammed handbags to custom-blended skincare. The collective shift away from a one-size-fits-all approach extends into every area of our lives — not least, our homes.

As the beating heart of any house, no space is deserving of such a worthy upgrade quite like the kitchen. Gone are the days of whiteware and appliances available in classic black, white or stainless steel, with many brands diversifying their offering to include trending hues that enable us to personalise our space to reflect our unique interior style.

One such brand is Samsung, whose new Bespoke French Door Refrigerator is sure to brighten up boring kitchens across Aotearoa. Following the success of its French Door refrigerator range in 2021, the stage was set for Samsung to reveal its new 2022 French Door Bespoke campaign, the brand's most high-profile, design-led fridge yet — with four stylish colourways, including on-trend blush pink.

While the inner workings of each are mostly the same, it’s the element of customisation that sets this year’s offering apart — coupling Samsung smarts with bespoke customisation to appeal to those wishing to break free from the trappings of a traditional monochrome colour palette within the kitchen.

While most fridges are selected for their practicality over their personality, the Samsung Bespoke range switches the narrative by offering discerning tastemakers French Door Refrigerators that can be matched to any kitchen interior style, not to mention inject some Instagram-worthy appeal.

In the same way that food adds flavour to your life, so too, should your kitchen add colour to your home, and what better way to do so than with your most central kitchen appliance?

Where kitchen redesigns are concerned, the launch brings with it a fresh opportunity to consider a refrigerator as the stylistic cornerstone of the kitchen, with decisions made about its appearance helping to shape the rest of the space’s aesthetic.

Available in four different shades in either contemporary glass or stainless-steel finishes, the indecisive among us will appreciate the ability to mix and match the interchangeable panels which can be switched out to install a new colour as often as needed.

Its lively colour palette extends to design-led hues to appeal to a multitude of tastes with pink, navy and white in the ‘glam glass’ finish, and white and charcoal in the touch-me sateen-like surface of ‘cotta metal’.

Designed to blend in (or stand out), the design of the Bespoke French Door Refrigerator is equal parts sleek and attractive, while its flat-front doors and recessed handles lends a seamless, built-in look that won’t appear out of place when situated next to other appliances or cabinetry.

As you can expect with all Samsung appliances, the range boasts premium features like Alexa and Google Assistant to fit your lifestyle. But the story doesn’t end there, with Samsung teasing that its Bespoke offering will eventually be rolled out across its entire Home Appliance category, meaning now more than ever before will you be able to express yourself through an entirely different avenue — your appliances.

ASK THE EXPERT

Interior design studio art director and stylist Amber Armitage makes a strong case for adding colour to your kitchen.

What do you believe a person’s interior design style says about them?

We all have different avenues to express our individuality and creativity, and those who choose to do it through their interiors can say a lot about that person. The use of colour (or lack of it) can reflect what someone needs from their home- something bold and colourful that brings them joy, or something calm and tranquil where they feel relaxed. Our interiors have the power to affect our mood, the way we relate to each other in that space and our general wellbeing, the more you lean into that the more you get out of it.

What advice would you give someone who may feel a little hesitant to get experimental with colour in their kitchen?

I would say that the kitchen is a great place to start with a bit of colour because it is a space in the home that should be filled with life and energy. Choose a colour that inspires you to be creative with your cooking, that fills you with energy and draws you into that space. We spend so much time in the kitchen that we should have a backdrop that (dare I say it) sparks joy.

One of the impressive features of Samsung’s Bespoke French Door range is the ability to mix and match panels. What case can you make for a mismatched panel design?

I love the freedom that this feature allows you to customise or colour block the kitchen. The fridge can either be the pop of colour you can change depending on your mood, or it can seamlessly tie in with your existing colour palette. You can also now split the fridge from being a strong vertical element in the kitchen to a horizontal one by having the top two panels in one colour (say white) and the bottom two in a bolder colour (maybe pink) to match the cabinets. For the super bold, you could choose to have four different colours, utilising the fridge as an artwork and pop of colour. And if you don't like it after a while, you can quickly pop off the front panel and change it up.

The Samsung Bespoke French Door Refrigerator range is priced from $6899 and is available in 4-Door and Family Hub models from selected online retailers and department stores including Harvey Norman, Noel Leeming and Kitchen Things. Panels are sold separately, and are priced from $129 each. For more information, visit Samsung.com