Refrigerator Shopping

Fridgidaire ad from 1965

My guy and I are currently shopping for a refrigerator for our new home. We're looking for an Energy Star compliant fridge but we're on a budget and we can't afford the lovely updated vintage style appliances available at Big Chill.

We've been disappointed with the limited options available at local retail outlets. We're forced to choose between white, beige, black or faux stainless steel refrigerators which are the only color options available in our price range. The lack of functional and appealing design combined with the lack of color options makes the experience of buying a refrigerator a frustrating experience and it's also limited our kitchen renovation plans.

In an effort to expand our options we've been looking at DIY refrigerator panels made by Frigo Design. They offer a variety of color finishes but most of them are really bold and bright primary colors without much subtly. In other words, they don't really have what we're looking for and the panels are not cheap.

Westinghouse used to be a leading manufacturer of home appliances and in 1968 they were incredibly forward thinking. Below is a commercial I found on Youtube for their "Match Your Mood" refrigerator panel options that allowed buyers to customize their home refrigerators to match any mood or environment. I really wish some smart company offered a similar option today.