Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2016 - 17

Trends
CONNECTED HOMES

The reality of preheating an oven remotely or
checking on a roast from another room caters to
consumers' need to multitask.These technologies
are now available, but the missing piece is how to
connect them all.
"Unfortunately, many of the systems and products that are available on the market right now are
increasing in complexity instead of simplifying,"
said Pfiefer. "We see a strong, unmet demand for
simplifying technologies."
Amazon's Echo is one of the first to take on the
task of connecting and simplifying. Controlled by
voice activation, Echo can control lights, switches
and thermostats with compatible systems, turn
on music or audiobooks and even answer handsfree cooking questions or order pizza. This type
of connectivity has appeared often in individual
products, like Bluetooth-controlled coffee makers,
grills or ovens, but the need for a more connected
system of products - one that can communicate
better with the multi-tasking consumer in the
kitchen - is evident.
"The time of individual products is over,"Pfeifer
added. "An increasing number of appliances are

ABOVE LEFT Inspired by an
architect's lamp, the Artesso
Single-Handle Articulating
Kitchen Faucet from BRIZO
is available with SmartTouch
technology. As a twist on
classic pulldown architecture,
the spray wand can be easily
docked and undocked.
ABOVE RIGHT The new 4-Door

Flex Family Hub refrigerator
from SAMSUNG features a
WiFi-enabled 21.5-in. LED
touch screen, as well as an
inner camera and features like
schedules and map location.

RIGHT TOP Caseta Wireless,

LUTRON's smart home solution that controls lights, Serena
Shades and temperature with
a smart device, remote control
and with Siri, can help set the
scene for entertaining or cooking with the touch of a button
or to happen automatically
based on time of day.

RIGHT BOTTOM GAGGENAU

presents the 400 combisteam oven series with an
exclusive fully-automatic
cleaning system for appliances with fixed inlet and
outlet water connections.

linked to each other and sharing information.This
will be the future of significant innovations and
products with high potential."
An innovation in the market would be a refrigerator that senses an empty juice carton and can
order more - Samsung has one right on the verge
with its newly released Family Hub Refrigerator
- rather than television screens on backsplashes.
Products with potential are those that help consumers eat healthier, like the Orange Chef Co.
Prep Pad that uses a smart scale to measure and
log nutrition. Finding ways to streamline these
products and further simplify lives is just around
the corner, according to manufacturers.
"Technology will allow us to create custom
kitchens for each family and individual, for
each weather condition and for each building
typology," said Bebchick. "The kitchen is everyday more integrated to the common space of a
house, and technology is facilitating this. We
have new safe ways of cooking, new ways to efficiently clean the air or water and new materials
that are easily adapted to different functions.
The future of technology in the kitchen could
be limitless."
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Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2016

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