Manufacturers of modern household appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines and microwave ovens are taking a marketing cue from carmakers. Their products now come with a stylish brand identity recognisable through the range, instead of the uniform finish which used to be typical of what were known as white goods or whiteware.
For many years, designers paid little attention to the appearance of the host of electrical or mechanical machines which take care of cleaning and cooking. Home appliances now have a higher profile than used to be and a visit to the recent IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin highlights just how much things have changed.
Take German makers Siemens. The company is seeking to banish domestic dullness with its iQ700 family ofkitchen appliances. They share a sleek black front, stainless steel highlights and a touchscreen interface.
The family identity is even carried over to automatic filter coffee machines and smoke extraction hoods, so that everything in the kitchen appears flush and modern.
Despite the model makeovers, ovens and refrigerators are still instantly recognisable as such - their overall appearance has not changed in decades.
"The longevity of the appliances means that consumers often miss out three to four product generations before they buy something new," said Gerhard Nuessler, chief electrical appliance designer at Siemens.
A growing number of people want their household appliances to be aesthetically pleasing. These days the machines are not viewed as mere workhorses since the kitchen is no longer purely a place of work, said Mangels.
Families come together in a large kitchen to eat in a comfortable living atmosphere. The kitchen can be the venue for a party and smart appliances are status symbols just like well-crafted furniture
Many makers still boast that their appliances can blend in with any kind of fitted kitchen.
Other producers like Gorenje or Smeg are offering fridges in a range of vivid colours - ocean blue was a hit in Berlin.
"Design is being driven by new technology and use of innovative materials," said Nuessler.
Touchscreens are also now a standard fitting for all manner of kitchen aids.
But there are limits to how far manufacturers can re-invent appliances. Whiteware has to remain cuboid to fit in a kitchen.
Samsung's blue door exemplifies the limits of pushing the washing-machine design envelope. It has to remain translucent.
"Various tests have shown that consumers do not take very well to front-loaders without glass doors," said Nuessler. The shape is familiar and users feel reassured as long as they can peer through the window and see the washing water sloshing around.
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