By Claire Reilly in Melbourne

While there are plenty of huge, commercial-grade air conditioning units on show at the Air Conditioning, Refrigeration and Building Services Exhibition in Melbourne this week, there is also an emerging trend to be seen in domestic appliances as brands move towards stylish designer units.

Fujitsu, Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric and LG were all showing off new models with sleek shapes and finishes, designed to bring a bit of style to the traditionally white and boxy shape of split system air conditioning units.

Fujitsu and Daikin have both opted for smooth curves and a streamlined finish to their units, removing all the excess buttons, vents and lights in favour of ultra-minimal design.

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Over at the Mitsubishi Electric and LG stands, it was all about different finishes to offer consumers a different option to the ubiquitous white.

Mitsubishi Electric had both glossy black and silver models on display, which the company’s national product manager, Raja Gounder, said were designed to offer aesthetes more of a choice in the home.

“If you have dark walls, the black unit doesn’t stick out as much as a traditional white air conditioner,” said Gounder. “It has a new and modern look for modern houses.

“The silver model has also been designed to fit into rooms such as the kitchen, where there are lots of stainless steel appliances.”

It was a similar story at LG, where the company had a mirror-finish air conditioner from its Art Cool series on display. Offering the same features as LG Art Cool Stylish air conditioners, commercial marketing manager Rania Gebram said the model had proven quite popular on the retail floor.

Fujitsu’s Designer Range wall-mounted inverter model.

Daikin’s new European-designed air conditioner has a matte finish that is designed to blend seamlessly with the walls of a room.

Mitsubishi Electric Australia has a glossy black model designed for dark walls and a silver model to match stainless steel appliances.

LG’s Art Cool range includes a sleek mirror-finish model.