Americans spend $15B annually on kitchen appliances

Its no wonder every kitchen is unique. Whether you are like me and paid $850 for your ice box or more than $8500 for your sub zero, every kitchen has its own story. The Chicago Tribune features a The American kitchen has been an aspirational space ever since electricity and post-World War I prosperity commingled in a nifty new appliance called the refrigerator.

"There are scads of ads from the 1920s showing people in tuxedos and evening gowns literally adoring their fridge," said Victoria Matranga, a historian of industrial design and the design programs coordinator at the International Housewares Association in Rosemont. Then, as now, Matranga said, owning the right appliance flagged your social status by showing off your understanding of technology and progress, not to mention your prowess as a breadwinner. The kitchen also has long been not just a place where we tell stories about who we are, but also a highly functionalook back and forward to the world kitchen design. Full Story