Peter Grey wrote:
Hi all,

We're having our kitchen redone and having all the appliances replaced. All
the refrigerators we like have either a stainless steel front or have a
wooden front to match the cabinets. I like the magnet-on-the-refrigerator
way of posting notes, my kid's art projects and the like. I proposed that
we make a wooden frame to hold a thin piece of steel powder coated the
proper color, but my the contractor seems to think powder coating is easily
scratched. I'm used to powder coating race car parts, but haven't viewed
the parts with an eye towards long term cosmetic appeal.

Powder coating has always seemed durable to me. Does it seem the wrong
choice to you guys? What about "enameling" the front piece? Any other
suggestions about how to finish a piece of steel so that it's scratch
resistant, glossy and is available in colors that can be matched to a color
chip?

Glass.
2mm glass on top of a steel plate may work.
Simply glue on.
You can even place a photo/poster under the glass.
You may need slightly stronger magnets to work through the glass.