By Dianne M. Pogoda
COMPANY NEWS
HOUSTON, WE HAVE A SHOWROOM: BSH Home Appliances, parent of Bosch, Thermador and Gaggenau, will open a nearly-15,000 square foot Experience and Design Center in Houston, Tex., next year, at 1703-1751 Post Oak Boulevard near the Galleria. The space will feature fully built-out and operational kitchen vignettes with all its brands, and will host live cooking demonstrations and events. The company has EDCs in Irvine, Calif., New York, Chicago, Montreal and Toronto, plus others scheduled to open in Miami and Washington D.C. KBB has more.
HESTAN’S SMART GAS: Hestan has introduced breakthrough Smart Gas Technology that automatically regulates temperature to the exact degree for precise gas cooking on its 36” Smart Gas Dual Fuel Range and 36” Smart Gas Rangetop. In Smart Gas cooking, the burner and Hestan Smart Pan, included with all Smart Gas products, work in unison for automatic and exact temperature control, featuring Bluetooth® technology and patented embedded culinary sensors that adjust temperature with the burner’s AccuKnob™ control. Learn more.
ELECTROLUX WINS AGAIN: Eight more models of Electrolux appliances have won U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2021-2022 Energy Star Emerging Technology Awards, bringing the company’s total to 12. Winning appliances include two models of Frigidaire’s 20 cu. ft. upright freezer; its professional 19 cu. ft. single-door refrigerator, and 30-in. and 36-in. induction cooktops, as well as Electrolux’s 18.6 cu. ft. single-door refrigerator and 30-in. and 36-in. induction cooktops. The winning models meet EPA’s performance requirements for cutting energy use and greenhouse gas emissions; cooling appliances are at least 25 percent more efficient that conventional units, and induction cooktops best conventional electric cooktops by 5 to 10 percent and are three times more efficient than gas.
INDUSTRY NEWS
HARVARD PROJECTS REMODELING SLOWDOWN: The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University forecasts a slowdown in homeowner spending on improvements and repairs through the first half of 2023. Its latest Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity projects year-over-year gains in remodeling expenditures to owner-occupied homes will decelerate from 17.4 percent in 2022 to 10.1 percent by the second quarter next year, owing to slowing sales of existing homes, rising mortgage interest rates and softening house price appreciation. Despite the softening, growth in spending for home improvements and repairs is expected to remain well above the market’s historical average of 5 percent, and expand to nearly $450 billion (annualized) in the first half of 2023. Learn more.
A BIGGER CASTLE: The American Institute of Architects’ second-quarter trends report says homeowner interest in larger homes is increasing, as is demand for outdoor living — including outdoor kitchens or blended indoor-outdoor spaces — and finished basements, attics and garages. Kitchen & Bath Design News has more.
THAT SEVENTIES SHOW: Love ’em or hate ’em, the 1970s had a unique style sensibility all their own, giving filmmakers a trove of iconic art direction over the past 50 years. (Yes, it’s been a half century since Alice whipped up pork chops and apple sauce for the Bradys in that avocado and orange kitchen.) Architectural Digest offers six films to give you your 70’s fix.
FUTURE TIME: There’s still time to register for The Futurist Summit, presented virtually on Thursday by NKBA in partnership with Zonda research and sponsored by Signature Kitchen Suite. Experts in real estate, finance and demographics will discuss the evolution of home ownership, micro and macro factors affecting the economy, what different generations want and future opportunities. Register here.
PEOPLE NEWS
MARKETING TEAMS EXPAND: Duravit, Louisville Tile Distributors and Portobello America all ramped up their marketing teams in the past month with executive appointments. Kara Roth joined Duravit as director of marketing activations; Holly Badertscher is the new VP of marketing for Portobello America, and Morgan Tiemann is now chief marketing officer for Louisville. KBB has more.
CHAPTER NEWS
ARIZONA’S INSIDE SCOOP: The Arizona Chapter presents “The Inside Scoop,” a roundtable event discussing industry challenges and solutions, Aug. 16 from 5 to 8 p.m. The discussion follows the monthly Chapter meeting, held at Galleria Kitchen & Bath, 10300 N. Scottsdale Road, Ste. 111 in Scottsdale. NKBA Members are $15, students are $10, non-members are $20; register here for this insightful discussion.
ON YOUR MARKS, GET SET, RACE: The Pittsburgh Tri State Chapter will hold the Amazing Race on Sept. 17 from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Teams will race around Pittsburgh using clues to solve puzzles, complete tasks, test their memory and compete for prizes. The event is sponsored by Cambria and Armina Stone, and is a student-focused event, and design students will team up with K&B pros in the competition. Food and drinks will be served at a happy hour afterward, where the winners will receive their prizes. Registration is $35 for members, $45 for non-members and free for students. More info here.
