Kitchen & Bath Business - July/August 2016 - 18

Tech Savvy

If You Had This Technology,
What Would You Do with It?

For bathrooms, beautiful mirrors with LED
surround lights and televisions built inside that
become nearly invisible when turned off are
popular. It is also more common to have speakers
overhead connected to a distributed music system
that allows whomever is taking a shower to listen
to music, the radio or even their favorite podcast.
How can technology help create safe, accessible spaces?

A conversation with Vin Bruno of CEDIA

THE NATIONAL KITCHEN & BATH ASSOCIATION (NKBA) AND THE

CUSTOM ELECTRONIC DESIGN & INSTALLATION ASSOCIATION (CEDIA)

have been working together for more than a year on connected kitchens
and bathrooms. NKBA CEO Bill Darcy and CEDIA CEO Vin Bruno
seek to help kitchen and bath dealers and designers understand how to
build integrated technology solutions into their client offerings. NKBA
was instrumental in bringing CEDIA to the 2017 Design & Construction
Week in January in Orlando in a new pavilion.
KBB recently interviewed Bruno about technology solutions for kitchens
and bathrooms.
How important is the idea of the connected kitchen or bathroom to consumers?

With the rate that technology is moving, I firmly believe that anything that
can be connected will be connected. So while technology in the kitchen and
bath may not be top of mind for all consumers, incorporating technology
solutions in the kitchen and bath is something that will evolve as consumers
look for new ways to enhance their life at home.
What is the importance of technology in the kitchen and bath?

From the kitchen perspective, it is the hub of the home - particularly when
we entertain. If you look back at the parties you've attended or hosted, the
party starts at one place but always migrates back to the kitchen. From
lighting control to distributed music, technology allows the kitchen to be a
fun place to congregate. Beyond entertainment, technology in the kitchen
enables a better cooking experience, from finding recipes to checking the
stock of your food before you head to the grocery store.
In the bathroom, technology allows individuals a safer, more relaxing and
energy-efficient experience. By using occupancy sensors, homeowners can
turn off lights when not in use. Technology can also create a more soothing
environment through the use of distributed audio and television.
Then there are connected scales, with which homeowners can track weight
fluctuations. For those with particular health issues, rapid weight gain or
loss can be indicative of serious health emergencies. With the right setup,
healthcare professionals can be notified when specific parameters are met.
What are the biggest technology trends in appliances and fixtures?

BY CHELSIE BUTLER

In kitchens there are the obvious choices, such as speakers and televisions,
mounted tablets that allow for internet access, etc. However, we are starting
to finally see smart appliances with real connected home applications. For
example, there are refrigerators with cameras inside so you can see if you
need milk or eggs.

From fall detection to water leak detection, sensors that measure specific areas of potential concern are on the rise and will boom over the next
few years. As an example, a water detector near
the washing machine can immediately shut off
the valve before a potential leak occurs. Or if
someone older is in the home, you may put a fall
detector in the bathroom that identifies that a fall
has occurred and immediately notifies the family
and/or authorities.
There are many sensors out there today with
specific applications that can improve the safety
of all spaces. The same holds true for accessibility.
We are seeing more applications of motorized lifts
that can change the height of countertops, which
helps those with physical disabilities. While this
does not replace the need for universal design,
technology is certainly augmenting the lives of
disabled individuals.
What are some cost-effective ways to add technology?

One of the most important questions to ask is
"If you had this technology in the space, what
would you do with it?" This really defines the
homeowner's emotional attachment to the space,
which will be more of a driving factor than budget alone. If a homeowner has the WHY defined,
then the budget can follow suit.
The other big piece of advice for being cost
effective is to plan for the future. Maybe the
homeowner is not ready to add technology at
this moment, but making sure there are wires and
pathways created for technology upgrades will
make future projects less costly and easier overall.
What are some options still to come?

I think the big thing we have been waiting on is
for smart appliances to truly talk to the grid to
improve energy usage. When fully realized, appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines
and dryers will run when it is most cost effective for the homeowner and help utility providers manage the energy consumption to reduce
brownouts and blackouts, which are plaguing
certain parts of the country.
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Kitchen & Bath Business / JULY-AUGUST 2016 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of KBIS (KBIS.com)

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Kitchen & Bath Business - July/August 2016

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