Chapter
White appliances are gone and black appliances are coming.
- 2008 year – Home Appliance Trends in South Korea
The words are white appliances,
but the products we use are not white appliances. It refers to products such as refrigerators and washing machines. This is a unique phenomenon unique to Korea. It is an expression commonly used all over the world because refrigerators and washing machines are white products, but it seems that something different is needed in Korea.
Why did we end up using home appliances with pictures of flowers and butterflies instead of white appliances? From 2006 to 2007 through 2008, flower paintings and butterfly paintings have evolved in various ways, and their colors and materials are becoming bolder. The reason comes from the fact that home appliances are not simply useful machines for life, but an element of the interior. Son Jeong-yeon (Japan DIC Color & Design), who is in charge of color consulting for a domestic electronics company, said, “As houses in Korea are getting bigger and bigger, home appliances are being accepted as an element of the interior to create a spatial image.” . In other words, home appliances should also perform the function of accessories to decorate the house. When someone comes to your house, you just need to be able to look at the refrigerator and say something beautiful. Since the kitchen is gradually changing into an open space, there is also the desire to put a plausible refrigerator in the kitchen just like putting a piece of art in the kitchen. To add to this, in the past, purchasing home appliances was male-centered, but these days, it has changed to female-centered, and their interest in ‘pretty things’ has brought about a rapid change in the market.
Why Flower or Butterfly design ?
Why did we end up using home appliances with pictures of flowers and butterflies instead of white appliances? From 2006 to 2007 through 2008, flower paintings and butterfly paintings have evolved in various ways, and their colors and materials are becoming bolder. The reason comes from the fact that home appliances are not simply useful machines for life, but an element of the interior. Son Jeong-yeon (Japan DIC Color & Design), who is in charge of color consulting for a domestic electronics company, said, “As houses in Korea are getting bigger and bigger, home appliances are being accepted as an element of the interior to create a spatial image.” . In other words, home appliances should also perform the function of accessories to decorate the house. When someone comes to your house, you just need to be able to look at the refrigerator and say something beautiful. Since the kitchen is gradually changing into an open space, there is also the desire to put a plausible refrigerator in the kitchen just like putting a piece of art in the kitchen. To add to this, in the past, purchasing home appliances was male-centered, but these days, it has changed to female-centered, and their interest in ‘pretty things’ has brought about a rapid change in the market.
Oriental motifs
Leading the Korean home appliance market in 2008 are products with patterns, whether plants or oriental motifs. If you look at the 2008 models released by major domestic home appliance companies such as LG, Daewoo, Samsung, and Winia Mando, you can see that they are continuing the trend that started in 2006. However, the methods and materials of expression have diversified. For example, LG Whisen added a wave pattern expressed in glass by glass sculptor Lee Sang-min, and used Swarovski crystals to express it like a sculpture. Samsung Hausen, along with Korean ceramics, made tulips with a watercolor-like feel on the surface of the refrigerator to reveal a more natural and luxurious pattern with HANARTS mother-of-pearl design. Following the refrigerator, the LG Dios light wave oven was created with a flower painting by the painter Sang-rim Ha, while the Samsung Hausen oven and washing machine were born wearing Andre Kim’s colorful patterns. Winia Mando’s Dimchae launched a product with a butterfly pattern using HANARTS mother-of-pearl.
Now is the time to look at the appliances for your home. For women, the most important criterion in product selection was design. This is because functions in electronic products are not 100% satisfactory. Don’t forget that one wrong electronic device can cause pollution in your home. It is necessary to carefully consider how well it will harmonize with other products already in the house.
