I don’t have any experience with matte black appliances, so I can’t offer much there, but I think I’d prefer the paneled refrigerator regardless of range finish. It’s not that it’s a lot of maintenance, but it’s kind of annoying when I’m taking a photograph with the fridge in the background and I have to pause to clean the fridge because I notice smudges near the handles. And spot cleaning won’t do—both panels (I have a 48” S-Z) have to be cleaned...and they’re huge. Same thing with the dw, though it’s not huge. (Actually, same with the wall ovens...and the range...and the coffee maker...and the countertop oven...) Will your dw be paneled?

I just realized I do have a matte black appliance: my KitchenAid stand mixer. And it’s the one thing that doesn’t require any fingerprint smudge attention! Btw: what do you use to clean your SS? I’ve just been using regular Windex since I saw Martha cleaning her fridge with it and it’s the best thing.

BTW double check the specs on quartz for a backsplash behind a gas range. Some people have run into trouble there. It's worth checking on.

Black. It will be a fine design statement and easier to keep clean to boot. No fingerprints.

IMO stainless is so easy to care for a good micro fiber cloth some hot water with a bit of vinegar wipe in the direction of the stainless grain and done. I have a huge amount of stainless in my kitchen including some stainless drawr cabinets on either side of my stainless range it takes me exactly 5 minutes to clean off all the mess there might be. IMO matte black will show every fingerpring too and the grease will make that even more noticable . BUt I also don’t like fridges with panels to match cabinets I like a kitchen to be a bit more industrial I guess since I am a chef I am used to commercial spaces .I do agree quart can be an issue especially behind a hig BTU gas range so maybe think stainless behind the range

And I'm the opposite of Patricia. My kitchen is open to my living room so I prefer my appliances to be disguised. Go with the matte black and make a statement. Then panel your fridge. The truth is while it costs more to panel the fridge, the actual fridge is less than a stainless one so the cost is a wash.

And Zalco is right. I don't think you can do quartz behind the backsplash of the stove.

Matte black with brass would be gorgeous.

I don’t have experience with matte black appliances, but I do have a colored range with a stainless fridge and other stainless appliances (of various brands). My range is graphite grey, I’ll include a couple of photos so you can how my kitchen turned out. We are planning to eventually replace the current counter depth fridge with a subzero, one day... hubby designed and built all of our cabinetry, so he designed that fridge cabinet so that the shelf can be removed and a subzero will slide right in. We will most likely stick with stainless steel, but only because hubby doesn’t really want to build a panel.

FWIW, I adore not having such a large appliance covered in ss. The painted finish is much easier to keep looking cleaner imo.

I think black would be a fabulous. Then slide in a subzero with integrated panel to make it go away and let that beautiful stove be the star of the show!

Skmom every time I see your kitchen, I smile. Gotta love that island and the orange chairs with the blue.

Thanks so much cpartist, I love your kitchen and it makes me smile when I see it too! (Oh my gosh do I ever love your countertops!)

I'd go with the black, imho. I have the Cornufe in SS with white inset (but chrome/ss/nickel accents) and while I really like it, sometimes I do wish I went with a color (I did blend the hood in a color match to the counter). But if you do choose the matte black, I'd panel the fridge or even consider the SS if you don't have dark counters -- a black matte fridge might really look like a black hole (where as the range alone will look like a beautiful accent).

Here's a photo to get an idea of what my combo looked like:

Black sounds more interesting but I’d choose based on aesthetics. The difference in cleaning the fronts of the two stoves shouldn‘t be enough to influence the decision.

I have a yellow stove. Parents have ss. There is no advantage to either as far as cleaning goes.

You all are so wonderful. My first post here and can't believe all of the helpful input.

Far below is a photo of the matte black range. It has both stainless and brass accents.

I think you all sold me on the matte black range with the paneled fridge/dishwashers. My husband will be happy. lol

I currently have a 48" SS Kitchen Aid fridge, 36" KA range, Walls Ovens & Dishwashers which I love and clean with Weiman and a good microfiber cloth with no issues but I'm looking to go with a different look in the next home. My current range has a SS 8 inch back splash so having a slide in range will be different as splatters will get on the wall.

As far as the back splash, which now you got me all worried about; I'm thinking a quartz counter top and matching back splash? Is there an alternative to quartz, tile, porcelain?

We are doing stacked white inset cabinets like the photo below and wide plank french oak floors (I even have those lights for my island) and looking to do the back splash like the second photo.

Can you tell me why the marble is a bad idea? Perhaps I should just go with subway tile?

Gorgeous! Love the black, well also the SS or any color really. Haha So jealous of you that have or getting a La Cornue!

If it were me and I was doing a quartz worktop I would choose the same instead of a marble for the backsplash. Wouldn’t want to take the risk of marble not matching the quartz right next to each other if I understood your question correctly. I personally love the look of a slab backsplash. Sadly don’t have one myself, I have marble subway. I think it is beautiful and luxurious without all the busy grout lines. Also lets that beautiful range IMO shine.

I also think you made a great choice for paneled cabinet fronts for your appliances. I did do this and have done so in previous houses for years. I personally don’t like seeing appliances in a kitchen. Will be interested in progress. Hope you keep us updated with photos.

Others were saying that a quartz slab backsplash could be an issue with the slide in range, high output flame. Is there discoloration issues?

That is a point Jksjkc. I know quartz is more vulnerable to heat and you can’t put hot pans on it. I also know that with a range like this you need some sort of heat protective material behind a tiled backsplash. I apologize, I really don’t know that much about it. I bet the Cornue dealer may be able to advise you on this. Also not sure about marble but perhaps you could find some beautiful slabs of white granite? This would be more durable I would think vs ordinary tiles then you could have it fitted on the right heat resistant material before the slab or tiles if you choose.

I also apologize for not reading all the posts properly!

What a gorgeous range!!! As far as the backsplash is concerned... yeah, they’ve been posts about quartz in particular discoloring from the heat output of the burners. Technically, you’re supposed to have fireproof materials behind these heavy duty ranges... even though hardly any photos EVER show that and kitchen showrooms never seem to tell the consumer about that. We didn’t even know about it when we did our kitchen... and while I do have concrete backer board under my tile, I’ll admit that’s really the only precaution we thought to take (and it wasn’t even from a fire safety standpoint, we just thought it was a good idea since we had so much tile on the wall and we had to get into the walls anyways to run plumbing and gas) Apparently, the issue isn’t about the wall catching fire from the actual flame... it’s more about heat transfer if I understand it all correctly. I think a stainless steel backsplash is the most recommended for safety. (But yeah, the quartz in particular is prone to discoloration as a backsplash behind a cooktop or range!)

In the past number of years since quartz has become more popular, there've been a number of threads in the Kitchen forum about quartz backsplashes discoloring/scorching badly, and even cracking, when used directly behind gas ranges and cooktops. That's because a major component in quartz is polymer resin; as Wikipedia helpfully points out, "The terms polymer and resin are often synonymous with plastic".

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5101113/engineered-quartz-as-a-backsplash#n=4

I have a cobalt blue BlueStar range, Formica on the perimeter countertops, marble on the island, and a stainless steel backsplash behind the range.

Yikes! What about porcelain? I assume porcelain slabs made to look like calacatta will work with high heat?

I found porcelain slabs. I'm reading porcelain can withstand high heat. I'd have to see if it matches well with a quartz countertop. The photo below is porcelain but looks like calacatta to me.

I currently have solid grey quartz counters on the perimeter of my kitchen (never knew it couldn't handle high heat) , light granite on my island and butler's pantry, and a baker's island with wood top. The wood is beautiful but dings easily.
sounds busy but it all jives together.

Some of my favorite baking dishes are porcelain (Pillivuyt) : ) .

The newer sintered porcelain and other large format products really are a great choice, especially for walls. I'd still be careful mixing the real next to the simulated -- take samples with you to a slab yard and study them hard in all types of light. Sometimes similar is worse than completely different -- when mixing engineered vs. natural.

I have marble subway behind my CornuFe and its lasted well for six years now. The big risk in my case is greasy smoke, unlike with quartz, where the heat will get you. I have quartz on the counters but the side throw off of the side burners is pretty limited. The highest output burner of the CornuFe 90/110 is in the center and at least for me, it's only 17.5K so it is no nearly like a Bluestar.

Can you post photos? I am trying to visualize a slab with three other slabs of three different materials.

@wmsimons85 do you mean my current kitchen where I have 3 different counter tops?

I was looking to put a calacatta on the counter tops and walls of the next kitchen.

Duhh!!! I am so sorry. I have been caught out, I still haven’t read all of the posts!! I thought the surfaces you were describing were in the kitchen you wanted this backsplash.

If it were me and so sorry if this has already been mentioned or addressed :). I wouldn’t mix a natural material with a false one right up against it.

The biggest problem I see for marble is the etching on the worktop. If you have come to terms with that because it’s so darn beautiful, I personally would install it for the backsplash as well. I would speak to La Cornue and find out their opinion on being heat resistant first. They may be unusally careful and suggest the wall have a layer of some special material between the marble and drywall in order to be more heat resistant but I don’t know at all. Calacutta could be totally heat resistant and with sealing totally smoke stain free for a backsplash, again I don’t know.

But I would go with the same thing on the worktops or a simple subway. Whatever you decide with that stunning range alone it will be a showstopper.

I have Carrara marble subway tiles behind my stove and they are spotless. No problem at all. But I don’t have a professional high heat range.

I didn't want marble calacatta for the counter tops, I really wanted a calacatta quartz because I heard real marble is too porous. However I guess I need to rethink using the quartz slab as the backsplash.

The quartz makers should make porcelain slabs to match the quartz so it could be functional and beautiful.

Have you considered using porcelain on both counters and backsplash?

Do they make porcelain slab countertops?

Yes. But I would investigate. Some have bad reviews as I recall. But that would also apply to the backsplash as well I assume.

Countertop materials are a surprisingly difficult decision. There are a lot of compromises between form and function:

• Granite: heat resistant, scratch resistant, stain resistant if you pick a darker and harder variety, otherwise risk of stains. Small risk of chips when using zero-radius edges; can be repaired. Overall, a great and very functional material, but can look dated.
• Marble: heat resistant, mostly scratch resistant, stains easily. Small risk of chips when using zero-radius edges; can be repaired. Great material for a backsplash, but for countertops you need to be careful about stains.
• Soapstone: heat resistant, scratches easily, stains easily. If you don't mind the looks of a "living" material, soapstone is gorgeous and highly functional. It'll develop a natural patina that some people enjoy a lot.
• Quartz: sensitive to heat, scorches and cracks if exposed to high heat, mostly scratch resistant (and can be repaired), very low risk of chips. Many colors. Modern look. If you are careful about not resting hot pots on the counters, and if you order a heat-shielding backguard for your stove, then many people are happy with quartz. On the other hand, if you order a high-BTU stove with an island trim, then you absolutely cannot use quartz. It's virtually guaranteed to get damaged at some point.
• Stainless Steel: heat resistant, stain resistant. This is another "living" material. It'll develop a natural pattern of scratches, if used as a countertop. If you don't mind that, it's a very nice and easy to use material. Also, it'll show fingerprints unless you polish it after each use (and who does that!). As a backsplash, scratching and fingerprints can be avoided, and in fact stainless steel is a popular heat resistant backsplash material; make sure to use heat resistant material behind the stainless steel though (cement board and metal studs are recommended). The factory-new finish can always be restored with a Scotchbrite pad, but few people would do so regularly; so, get used to the scratches.
• Copper: in many ways, copper is very similar to stainless steel, but in addition to a natural pattern of scratches, you'll also get natural variations in color.
• Sintered Porcelain: heat resistant, scratch resistant, stain resistant. Available in many modern finishes. Looks amazing. If it wasn't for a tendency to chip or even crack, this would be the ideal material. Can be used for backsplash, where the risks of mechanical damage are lower. Be aware that the finish is only on the surface, so unlike natural stone any cut edges will have a monochrome color. Also, avoid any tight corners. All corners should have at least a ¼" radius, and edges should be rounded over to reduce the risk of chipping. If you can live with these limitations, you'll have a beautiful material at hand.
• Porcelain Tile: heat resistant, scratch resistant, but can stain more easily. This is particularly true for grout lines. Tiles are popular for backsplash but don't make the best countertop material.
• Laminate: Affordable, stain resistant, many popular patterns, looks cheaper than other materials, sensitive to heat, more scratch resistant than most people think, but over the years will show wear and tear. I have never heard of laminate for backsplash; the lack of heat resistance would probably be the biggest issue here. But for countertops it isn't a bad choice, if money is a limiting factor. Modern high-quality laminate can look very nice without breaking the bank. Expect that you'll want to replace it though at some point. But even then, you should still get at least 10 years of use out of it.

So, you really need to figure out what is important to you. For us, heat and stain resistance was the most important factor. We use our kitchen heavily and the countertops are sometimes used as actual work surfaces (e.g. when making pasta, bread or cookies). I love natural stone, so granite or soap stone would have worked well. But it wouldn't have matched nicely with the rest of the materials in this space.

So, instead, we used stainless steel. Despite the tendency to develop a pattern of scratches and showing fingerprints unless freshly cleaned, I am very happy with our decision. This is a working kitchen after all.

For the backsplash, we picked sintered porcelain. This gives us one solid uninterrupted surface. It looks very clean, is heat resistant, and trivial to keep clean. And as a backsplash, there isn't really an issue with chipping. Really a beautiful material and very happy with this decision. Not cheap though. I now know what so many people opt for subway tile instead.

How do you stain Soapstone?

I've heard of spotting from hard water on soapstone, but not stains per se since one of soapstone's most touted benefits is its non-porosity.

It's my impression that greasy foods would discolor soap stone unevenly. That's just part of the naturally changing appearance. So, it wouldn't bother me much. But it's something that you need to be aware of.

But then maybe I'm confused on soapstone maintenance. So, please feel free to correct me

We had soapstone counters for 5 years and are getting ready to do them again. I’m the first to admit that I’m not always quick at cleaning up any oil or grease deposits, and they have never left a permanent stain.

The only issue we had - and it wasn’t an issue for me - was a bit of scratching. I don’t think our slab was as hard as some others, and I’ll be checking with the fabricator on this.

We cleaned the counters with a sponge and dish soap and periodically oiled with food-grade mineral oil. The surface was honed or possibly leathered. They were very dark, almost black, with subtle grey veins and occasional glints of green.

I have Churchill Soapstone, pretty hard. Can’t think of a way to stain it.

When I remodeled my kitchen last year one of the best things I did was to panel the new SZ (36" + 24") and dishwasher. I like the look, but the bonus has been not having to deal with fingerprints and smudges all the time.

I have soapstone at my office in my reception area. It's beautiful, just not the look I'm going for in my next home.

We have a matte black Lacanche range and love the focal contrast between the range and surrounding white cabinets. We have no issues with wiping off finger prints and grease stains. You don't really touch the enamel that often when using the range and oven doors.

We also have a stainless steel fridge and THAT is a pain to keep finger print and smudge free.

Our range has a spacer that keeps it off the back wall about 2 inches. We had left over material from our marble countertop and it was just enough to use it as a backsplash. No issues with stains and keeping it clean.

Jksjkc- I just found this conversation and am curious to see how your new kitchen turned out??