By Lauren Shanesy, Builder

Dark, bold colors have been slowly growing in popularity as contemporary design becomes more popular. Now, manufacturers of kitchen appliances are expecting that black stainless-steel finishes for kitchen appliances are going to be the most popular trend among consumers as the new year begins.

According to the “Houzz 2016 Kitchen Report,” Millennial buyers in particular gravitate toward black stainless-steel finishes. Nine percent of those ages 25-24 who remodeled their kitchen in 2016 chose black stainless-steel appliances to match their desire for a contemporary kitchen, a design style that saw an increase of 3% in demand compared to the previous year.

“We really believe that black stainless steel is the next look,” said a representative of Electrolux at the 2017 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show last week in Orlando, Florida. While the price runs a bit higher than traditional stainless-steel appliances, the company has introduced a black stainless-steel finish option to all of its Frigidaire products.