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  • Five Tech Trends To Boost 2024 Wellness-Related Bathroom Design

    Five Tech Trends To Boost 2024 Wellness-Related Bathroom Design

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    If you’re planning on remodeling a bathroom in your home, particularly the one in your primary suite, you’re probably going to be incorporating some technology in the project. While that might seem counterintuitive, many of the top trends rely on smart home features to make your space more spa-like. These were highlighted in the recent 2024 Bathroom Trends Research Report released by the National Kitchen & Bath Association.

    This trade organization comprising 50,000 members, including designers, dealers, remodelers, installers and manufacturers, tracks what residential clients are interested in and what professionals are specifying. (In the interest of disclosure, I’ve been an NKBA member for close to two decades, but it’s merely one of several leading associations I source for research.)

    Homeowners’ desire to create spa-inspired primary bath retreats is certainly not a new trend. Neither is incorporating technology to enhance comfort and safety, but they are trending together in intriguing ways, as the 2024 report highlighted. Here are five of the tech trends enhancing wellness in homeowner bath updates.

    I returned to the same four design professionals who weighed in on wellness trends overall in last week’s trend piece, plus one additional pro, for their insights in emailed responses:

    1. Personalization Enhancement

    “Bathroom tech is becoming more centric in our designs and more readily accepted by clients when we can call out the benefits,” notes Brunet. In addition to increasing sales of digital shower controls and smart toilets, she also sees “TVs in mirrors or placed at the end of the tub for a good relaxing soak supported by entertainment or music.”

    Velasco’s clients are also personalizing their bathrooms with technology capabilities, she shares. “Heated floors, lighting, and sound systems in the bathroom integrating into the home automation system supplies an added sense of luxury and comfort.”

    Ireland’s clients are requesting features too, she comments. “These include motion-activated faucets, smart mirrors with fog-free technology, built-in lighting and electrical, as well as voice-activated sound and light technology.”

    Grubb reports that his clients are opting for technology-enabled windows, specifically, “Smart glass for privacy that can also switch.” When you want a fabulous vista, you select a view setting. When you need to block visibility from outside, (perhaps on gardening day), you opt for the privacy option. Floor heating is also a smart feature his clients are requesting; even Southern Californians want to avoid chilly feet!

    2. Smart Lighting

    NKBA reports that LED technology is now 100% of the lighting products specified for bathroom remodels. Some of that is driven by its energy efficiency, which helps projects meet updated codes, but LEDs also allow for features that enhance wellness, safety and comfort.

    Velasco says her homeowners are interested in its circadian and pathway illumination benefits for health and safety, respectively, but also its mood enhancement potential through chromotherapy. “Most of our designs can have different scenes or moods combining several types of lighting in the same space, depending on use and time.” These capabilities are tied into smart home systems that let you set and choose themes with a single click or voice command, like ‘Nighttime Relaxation’ or ‘Morning Start.’

    Brunet is specifying circadian lighting in her higher end projects, she shares, and programmable moods. “Systems allow for individual scenes or day/night events, as well as individual lighting options for tasks.” Smarter task lighting can support shaving, makeup application and more easily reading instructions on prescription medicine bottles. She also likes to include safety lighting in her bathroom projects for nighttime visits.

    Ireland calls LEDs “a designer’s dream!” What her primary bath clients are requesting is illumination for floors and cabinets, sensor and dimmer controls and multiple layers of lighting.

    Grubb is also maximizing the lighting capabilities in his projects. Beyond the layered ambient and task illumination he and his colleagues are using LEDs to help achieve, there are additional applications he’s designing into his lighting plans: “Other details can include lights in the shower niches and under a floating bench, strip light in the toe kick or underneath a wall mounted vanity on a motion switch for a night light and lighting inside of cabinets and drawers.”

    3. Smart Showers

    Enhanced lighting can extend into the shower for a wellness experience there too, Velasco says. “The integrated technology allows the user to program and automate different waterfall moods to receive a rainfall, cascade, mist effect, etc. The spa experience is enhanced when different lighting options are integrated into its functions.”

    Brunet’s clientele is bullish on remote shower starts, the Canadian designer reports. Ireland’s clients put smart showers in their needs versus wants category, she points out, noting, “They are unequivocally opting for smart controls as a necessity.”

    Grubb says he’s adding an extra exhaust fan for the shower area to improve ventilation.

    4. Smart Tubs

    The NKBA report says 47% of tubs will have touch pad controls, 25% will have voice activated controls and 24% will have mobile app controls. Velasco sees the latter being of particular benefit to second home projects. “Home automation allows them to monitor their property from afar, prepare for arrival, schedule maintenance, etc.,” she observes.

    It’s likely that leak and overflow protection are also built into the smart home systems enabling this capability, with shut-off features to reduce water damage when there is an issue. That is particularly helpful for ski cabins and other properties with frozen water potential.

    “By far, the desire for remote control features that allow the bath to be started from another location” is high on Bethke’s client want lists, the Phoenix designer shares. “People did not use their tubs because of the time it took to get them to temperature and fill [them], but technology is now giving the consumer access to do this from their car or the golf course or from the comfort of their living rooms.”

    5. Smart Toilets

    The NKBA report cites a strong 60% penetration of smart toilets in residential bathroom projects. Bethke definitely sees this in her practice, she says. “The highest items in demand in a ‘Washlet’ experience are the heated seat and the dryer,” (using the Toto bidet seat brand name generically). “It is no longer an item you hide away, they are here to stay,” she declares.

    Velasco’s clients are also interested in smart toilets. “We find that self-cleaning and bidet options add comfort and dual flush is a great help for water saving.”

    Brunet’s Canadian clients are enthusiastic about smart toilets too, she says. The features they’re most interested in are “ personalized spray wand, stainless steel cleaning wand, heated seat, lighted base (for nighttime visits), hands-free seat cover, digital flush wall control, hands-free flush control and individual preference recall.” Grubb cited the same features for his clients located thousands of miles away in Southern California.

    ‘The features most in demand with my clients are heated seats, motion detection self-flush and auto-wash, as well as a built-in bidet feature,” Ireland observes. “Although smart toilets have a higher price tag, they provide luxury benefits that my clients appreciate, especially those who are elderly. It just makes the overall experience so much easier for them,” she notes.

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    Jamie Gold, Contributor

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  • Five 2024 Wellness-Enhancing Smart Home Trends For Your Kitchen

    Five 2024 Wellness-Enhancing Smart Home Trends For Your Kitchen

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    Many of the amenities found in the latest kitchen trends are empowered with smart home technology. Here are five described in the influential 2024 Kitchen Trends Research Report recently released by the National Kitchen & Bath Association. I wrote about eight of the report’s sustainability-related observations last week. The role of innovation in kitchen design and remodeling for adding wellness potential richly deserves its own coverage.

    As I noted in the previous piece, NKBA is a trade organization comprising 50,000 members, including designers, dealers, remodelers, installers and manufacturers, and produces annual studies like this one on design and remodeling trends. Those who specify kitchen products were included in this report. (I’ve been a member for close to two decades, but it’s just one of several leading industry associations I source for research.) I reached out to fellow designers who have had a chance to review the report and had them expound by email about the growing role of smart home technology in their kitchen projects.

    Before delving in, it’s worth noting what architectural designer Nar Bustamante in Sacramento shared in his comments. While he’s excited about the advances available in smart appliances, he says, there is a learning curve for some clients that may keep them from using the technology to its full potential. That being said, there are features that don’t take effort to set up or use, and can be very helpful to users, he points out.

    1. Resilience

    “Many appliances now have emergency power shut off monitors, leak detection, and Wi-Fi connectivity so we can now see how an appliance is performing from our phones,” comments Bustamante. The leak detection feature alerts the homeowner that there’s water where it shouldn’t be present that needs to be addressed. Some leak detection technology can turn off the water, (depending on the client’s plumbing system).

    “We’ve been taught to ignore a lot of these alerts, because they also commonly happen in ways that allow us to distrust technology,” the Californian observes. He notes though that since issues often occur when we’re not home, this will help prevent future incidents. That’s one alert category you definitely don’t want to turn off, given that floods and freezing damage are the third most common insurance claim. This is particularly true for vacation homes or rentals.

    2. Smart Refrigeration

    Refrigerators are a major component in the resilience conversation. “Key technology features will be safety related, including emergency power, leak detectors and food inventory technology,” the report predicts. Food preservation has increased in homeowner importance as food prices continue to soar, concerns about ethical and sustainability issues surrounding waste grow, and power grids fail due to extreme weather or other issues.

    Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina area designer Vicky Serany describes smart refrigeration as “the unspoken hero of our kitchens.” She’s impressed with what the industry has released thus far. “The appliance manufacturers have done a tremendous job working to keep our food preserved and safe.”

    After keeping the household’s food stocks preserved, convenience is another desired feature. “New refrigerator food inventory technology will help with menu recommendations and shopping,” the report notes. It adds that new and expanded refrigeration options provide flexibility for homeowners. About a third (36%) of homeowners want food these inventory technology and menu recommendations, it reveals. (This trend will likely skyrocket as more Generation Z digital natives become homeowners.)

    A big trend within the smart fridge mandate is the flex drawer that can shift on demand from refrigeration to freezing to wine preservation. With 74% of study specifiers reporting a desire for improved refrigerator functionality, an increase in flex models and even remote mode setting will be welcome in in this category.

    3. Multi-tasking Cooking Appliances

    “Appliances with more than one cooking function are popular,” the report shares, with 87% of respondents mentioning this. Technology helps make it happen. “Cooking appliances will have integrated cooking functions like air frying and steam cooking,” it points out, and 71% of respondents want these appliances to offer reduced cooking times and precision control.

    About half (47%) of home chefs expect to control their ovens or ranges from mobile apps! Programmable cooking options for delayed starts are a desired feature of 37% of respondents, and 21% expect these appliances to be voice-activated.

    Steam has been coming on especially strong in ovens, typically in combination with convection. Rather than run plumbing lines to these appliances, many designers and homeowners are opting for reservoir models that can be easily refilled and reduce installation expense and maintenance. Clients are thrilled with these appliances, Serany comments. “Perhaps it’s our culture of reheating leftovers, but many believe food just tastes better when cooked in a steam oven.”

    Bustamante is bullish on steam too, which he puts at the top of his wellness lists. “Steam ovens offer a more even, moisture-producing cooking method where chances of overcooking are minimized and nutritional value and freshness are preserved, maintaining the integrity of the food.”

    One of the innovations that’s been added to cooking appliances, according to the report, is personalized settings and controls. These can support temperature control precision, delayed and remote starts. The ability to monitor your cooking progress on a phone app or tablet is definitely another smart home trend worth considering.

    Some apps will alert you if you left a burner on. Some will allow you to upgrade your range or oven remotely as the manufacturer adds new features. One of the first smart feature upgrades that was incredibly popular was the addition of air frying to some convection ovens. The ability to do this gives homeowners an incentive to enable connectivity with the manufacturer. Remote repair diagnostics is another incentive, but maybe not as sexy as getting a whole new cooking mode in time for your holiday entertaining!

    4. Microwave Alternatives

    The report has a section noting trends on their way out. Microwaves installed over ranges was the top one (45%) cited. They’ve never been a factor in luxury kitchens, (except maybe tiny condo kitchens in Manhattan or San Francisco), and have lost appeal with many upper-midrange projects too. Especially installed over gas cooktops, which you’ll find in many tract homes, they’re a safety risk. They also tend to offer noisy, inferior ventilation, (a big concern over gas burners!). “The steam oven or drawer microwave-convection oven is the preferred method in our designs,” Serany says.

    “Speed ovens and steam ovens are also excellent for reheating,” Designer Sarah Robertson in Westchester County, New York, just north of the city, comments.

    Bustamante sees steam as an ideal alternative. “Reheating and defrosting foods has really changed with steam ovens – microwaves are no longer the only option.” He says he’s not even installing microwaves in many of his projects now. “The steam oven is rising to the top!”

    5. Handsfree Faucets

    “Handsfree faucets are becoming the new standard,” the report declares, with 57% of respondents choosing motion activation, 55% opting for an elbow or arm tap model, and 21% choosing voice activation. Overall, about half (46%) of respondents agree that handsfree is becoming the new standard.

    Robertson takes handsfree to the other extreme; she’s one of the 9% of respondents who prefer foot pedal control. The New York area designer specifies a commercial toekick-mounted water control valve, she says. “It can install on any faucet, and does not require electricity to operate. It’s simple, easy to install, and saves a lot of water!” (Anyone holding a heavy pot of pasta in boiling water can appreciate this convenience.)

    Voice control is another way to add handsfree capability to a kitchen, which is where most handsfree faucets are being installed in homes, Serany observes. They don’t always work as well as one would prefer; artificial intelligence will likely make them smarter in the next few years.

    Last Words

    The increasing popularity and presence of smart home technology in updated kitchens is leading design pros to partner with smart home technology integrators. It’s not uncommon for one of these experts to be involved in a high end project from the very start. Don’t be surprised to be introduced to your architect’s, designer’s or general contractor’s tech partner even before you choose a single finish.

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    Jamie Gold, Contributor

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  • New Survey Reveals That Covid Has Turned Many Homeowners Into Homebodies

    New Survey Reveals That Covid Has Turned Many Homeowners Into Homebodies

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    Covid turned many Americans into homebodies, according to the Research Institute for Cooking and Kitchen Intelligence. In its recently released “RICKI 2022 Changes Driven by the Pandemic” survey sent to more than 1,000 homeowners, the research consultancy sought to learn how respondents’ pandemic experiences impacted their relationships with their homes, especially in the kitchen, what changes they’ve made, and how their attitudes have shifted as a result of this massive disruption.

    Greater Desire to Be Home

    One response that leaped from the RICKI survey was 64% of surveyed homeowners strongly agreeing that “I have a greater desire to be home now than I did before the pandemic.” How might this be showing up in home remodeling plans?

    One trend is increased requests for wine and coffee centers by kitchen project clients, facilitating the kind of socializing that was next to impossible during the first months of the pandemic. This has spurred more product releases that help store wine, serve beer and brew coffee at home.

    Steve Smith, CEO of high end Southern California retail chain Pirch shared in trade magazine Kitchen & Bath Design News’ annual Trend Spotting wrap-up last November, “We used to sell built-in coffee machines in one out of 10 kitchens, and now it’s more like three or four out of 10. Customers want to put in their own version of either a bar or a soft drink center, so their homes are better equipped for entertaining. Anything that allows people to entertain in their home has become a must-have.”

    Another area where the pandemic’s influence has shown up is the continued popularity of outdoor living spaces for socializing and relaxation, which are larger, more luxurious and better equipped than ever before. Climate control features extending their use into the hotter and colder months include fans and misters for the hotter months and fire features for the colder ones. Materials like porcelain slab countertops and decking also make these spaces heat and frost resistant.

    Home fitness continues to be popular – even though, as noted here recently, those spaces may be smaller and multi-use in some regions – so that time-pressed, health-conscious homeowners can get a workout in without driving to a gym or sharing showers.

    My Home Makes Me Happier Now

    Covid showed homeowners where their homes were serving them poorly, and a burst of remodeling activity followed to redress some of those issues. For example, the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s 2022 Trends Summary of industry professionals noted that clients have been choosing easy to clean, sanitary surfaces; hands-free faucets; paints that don’t off-gas, and universal design features that accommodate aging in place, all of which contribute to peace of mind. They’re also adding comfort features like radiant flooring, bathroom storage with outlets for beauty tools, and large islands for entertaining.

    Mental well-being showed up as the top priority for 60% of surveyed homeowners in the John Burns Research & Consulting’s January 2023 Healthy Homes survey, described in this April 11 Forbes.com article. Features that enhance peace of mind definitely support that priority!

    I Am Spending More Time in My Kitchen Now

    There are several factors that likely have 50% of the RICKI survey respondents strongly agreeing that they’re spending more time in the kitchen now than they did pre-pandemic. These include early restaurant shutdowns, the drive to use time at home in creative new ways during COVID, the links between healthy eating and reducing COVID co-morbidities, and inflation creating the need to get smarter about shopping and meal preparation.

    The NKBA survey points out that homeowners are planning their kitchen redesigns for more than just cooking though. Islands are getting larger, the report notes, with 62% wanting eating areas and 59% wanting areas for their kids to complete their homework and school assignments. Also high on 64% of homeowners’ kitchen wish lists in the NKBA study is space to charge and view their phones, tablets and laptops.

    I’m Much More Knowledgeable About Cooking

    That extra time in the kitchen has led 43% of RICKI respondents to agree strongly that they feel better prepared to create meals for themselves and their households than they did pre-pandemic. Appliance manufacturers are helping in this regard, with built-in recipe helpers, cooking app tie-ins and remote operation, letting you check on your oven’s progress from your home office to avoid burning your food. Half of the NKBA respondents (50%) say clients want mobile apps to control their appliances.

    It’s also driving interest in newer, more advanced appliances like ovens with steam or air frying capabilities (63% of NKBA respondents), induction cooktops with smart ventilation and enhanced refrigeration with flex drawers that switch from fridge to freezer to wine cooling.

    While pro-style gas ranges and cooktops have been popular for decades now, the NKBA Report shows “induction popularity expected to climb into mainstream” in the next three years. The 2022 report had induction popularity at 42% versus gas at 46%. Recent studies on the health risks associated with gas cooking and regional bans on gas lines to homes will likely drive those numbers much higher.

    The home cooking trend is also spurring remodels with better pantry storage. The NKBA survey reported a 60% interest in these spaces. Not only do they accommodate food storage, they also often include countertop appliances to help in meal prep, storage for serving pieces and pro-style sinks for prep and cleanup.

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    Jamie Gold, Contributor

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  • Industry Association Reveals Top 2023 Bathroom Design Trends

    Industry Association Reveals Top 2023 Bathroom Design Trends

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    What’s trending in residential bathrooms? Six hundred respondents to an online survey – including designers, dealers, manufacturers, remodelers and architects – answered that question in the leading industry group’s just-released 2023 Design Trends study.

    The National Kitchen & Bath Association’s annual report provides insights to what homeowners are requesting and what professionals are delivering. These are the trends the association and its respondents see for the new year.

    Overview

    Like kitchens, “bathrooms are bigger and more involved,” noted NKBA research director Tricia Zach. “Creating spa-like bathrooms that enhance homeowner experience while allowing seamless aging in place” capability was a major focus of the responses, her report shared. As with kitchens, technology to enhance functionality and comfort was a strong related trend. So were enlarged spaces for more accessibility and a relaxing feel.

    Opening Space

    “Top bathroom trends involve opening space by removing bathtubs for larger showers, taking down walls and creating a connected dressing area,” the report noted. A surprising 77% of respondents were removing tubs to increase shower sizing. For those bathrooms still getting tubs, 74% are free-standing and 68% are deep soakers.

    Removing walls to increase the primary bathroom’s footprint was a trend for 63% of the replies. Connecting to a closet or dressing area (58%) or adding a laundry space (34%) were popular too. Additional comfort features include extra seating, coffee stations, workout areas and small refrigerators.

    Sustainability Counts

    Sustainability concerns reported in the kitchen trends section of the report carry into the bathroom as well. That shows up in a preference for all LED lighting (82%) and increased natural light with larger low-E doors and windows (55%). EPA WaterSense-rated faucets, showerheads and toilets were specified by 56% of respondents. Also showing up in the sustainability column are EnergyStar certified appliances and ventilation, as well as recycled countertops and flooring, and FSC certified and formaldehyde-free cabinets.

    Technology Enhancements

    “Homeowners are excited about heated floors, temperature / moisture controls, voice / app controls, smart toilets / bidets and smart mirrors,” the study reports. Heated floors that can be controlled by phone mean warming up the bathroom on your way home from a wintry hike or from below the covers in the morning and were cited by 69% of respondents. Temperature controls for shower and flooring were popular with 67% and sensor humidity controls were cited by 55% of the respondents.

    Digital showering that lets one or more user program their preferred flow rate, temperature and mode, as well as potentially controlling steam showering, was a 23% preference in the study, but a strong 44% want the ability to start their shower with their phone. “Lighting and physical therapy options for showers – especially for active people” was especially noted in the responses.

    Integrated lighting and internet screens in bathroom mirrors for convenience were mentioned, as were leak detectors, vanity charging and towel warming.

    Wellness Features

    Wellness features overlap and are often enabled with technology enhancements. For example, chromotherapy was selected by 25%, preset lighting schemes for different times of day got a 29% and the above-noted steam showering and bidet functionality (45%) are all wellness-driven by wellness-focused respondents.

    Low maintenance, nonporous quartz countertops (82%) are also definitely a wellness choice. Floating vanities (71%) add accessibility, another wellness facet. Bathroom faucets reflect wellness considerations too with 61% opting for accessible lever handles, 48% choosing motion and 36% going for touch or tap. A voice-activated faucet preference showed up at 12% and will likely increase as more models become available. (I’m hoping to see at least one manufacturer offer a voice control bathroom faucet with temperature adjustment capability at February’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show; Moen introduced this feature to kitchen faucets several KBIS expos ago, but I still haven’t seen a bathroom version.)

    A very strong 75% of trend study respondents are choosing heated flooring, with ceramic or porcelain tile being the surface leader (71%), more than double the closest second, luxury vinyl wood plank (33%), choice. LVP, as it’s often called, is softer underfoot, but some versions have had issues with off-gassing risks.

    Large format tile (59%) and slab (40%) – “requiring fewer grout lines and maintenance,” the report observed — were the top tub and shower surround materials, making life easier for users.

    As noted above, showers are getting larger, with 82% of survey respondents designing them for two-person use. They’re often open (55%) with no door, or they’re part of a wet room (35%) that might also encompass a tub. Going for an aging-friendly spa feel, these showers often have a seat (79%), linear shower drain (78%), hand-held shower head (77%), zero clearance entry (66%), grab bars (65%), and multiple shower heads (64%) with one of them being a rain head (58%). Steam shows up for 41% of the spaces, with body sprays, music, heating and chromotherapy also enhancing them.

    “Windows above tubs (51%) and skylights (37%) will have high usage to maximize natural light,” the trend study observes. Ideally, they’ll have smart controls for greater accessibility. Reaching a window above a soaker tub is no easy feat for users with upper body weakness or balance issues.

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    Jamie Gold, Contributor

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