Kitchen & Bath Business - April 2019 - 47

SPECIAL

SECTION

outside - or sound systems that softly play the sound of running water to
promote calmness.
"Our industry has been doing this type of technology for years, but now it
is more focused on health rather than just the cool factor," said Giles Sutton,
senior vice president of industry engagement for CEDIA.
Technology is gradually evolving to be more intuitive to homeowners.
Different sensors might soon be able to sense the homeowner's health or
mood and can react with correlating lighting, sounds, etc., to improve their
overall wellness. This type of technology could positively impact everyone,
young and old alike.
MILLENNIALS, BOOMERS & BEYOND:
HOW TO CREATE & SELL COOL UNIVERSAL DESIGN

"Kids are no longer taking shop or home economics classes, and they are unaware that there
are tracks for them outside of college," said Richard Trethewey, plumbing and heating expert for
"Ask This Old House (pictured above)." "We
need to have society change the way they think
about trades, and that's not easy."
Panelist and contractor Kate Campbell of KateBuilds Inc. explained that she enjoys the freedom
of her job and the ability to experience something
new every day. She also feels that she is constantly
learning and being challenged.
"At the end of the day, skilled tradespeople have
something to be proud of," she said, adding that
it is a misconception that tradespeople do not
make much money and that high school graduates should reconsider before they take on college
loans. "You can make a real living at this."

The Wellness Meets
Technology session on the
KBISNeXT Stage.

Universal design is not just for the elderly and disabled - it is for everyone's
comfort and security. This panel discussed how universal design needs to be
seamless and intuitive, making a home easy to move around in and usable for
everyone at any stage in their lives.
"We install products that don't evolve, but our clients evolve as their lives
change," said Alex Capecelatro, founder and CEO of Josh.ai. "We need to
understand that our clients'needs are going to be different in five or 10 years."
These needs range from getting older to having children or struggling
with a temporary disability like a broken ankle. Universal design concepts
can answer all these issues with options like wider doorways, grab bars and
better lighting. Homes with these elements are also great for resale value.
"We need to present universal design in a way that shows that you care,"
said panelist and Seattle-based designer Paula Kennedy.
Kennedy explained that despite the cultural differences, millennials and
baby boomers have a lot of similar requests when it comes to universal design. Both want a home that benefits their health through good lighting and
ventilation, and both want open, easy-to-use layouts.
"Both groups are coming to the same conclusions with different reasons,"
she added.

WELLNESS MEETS TECHNOLOGY

Smart home technology today plays a large part
in biophilic design, which focuses on improving
general well-being at home.
"Biophilic design is meant to mimic nature,"
said panelist Julie Jacobson, the founding editor
of CE Pro. "It's only been a short time in human
history that humanity has been indoors, and the
lack of sunlight and the environment around us
affects our health."
Thankfully, smart tech can help to "fake nature" in our homes with options like circadian
lighting systems - which mimics the sunlight

http://www.Josh.ai

Kitchen & Bath Business - April 2019

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