Remodeling expenditures totaled $112.9 billion. (The Washington Post)

Manufacturers shipped 207,000 trash compactors. (Reference for Business)

The total amount spent on remodeling in the U.S. was $101 billion, compared to $138 billion spent on new home construction, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. (Greensboro News & Record)

Seven out of 10 home buyers polled in an NAHB/Better Homes & Gardens survey said that even with a den, a family room or great room was a must, and 64 percent said the basic price of a house must include a family room. (Los Angeles Times)

In 1988, Massachusetts became the first state in the U.S. to mandate the use of low-flush toilets in new construction and remodeling. (Wikipedia)

The average floor area of a new single-family home was 1,995 square feet. (24/7 Wall St.)

Due to the impending phaseout of the chlorofluorocarbon refrigerant CFC-12, the refrigeration industry began to develop new components, such as condensers and compressors, as well as new lubricants and dehumidifiers. (Darment, “History of the Refrigerant Industry”)

NKBA established National Kitchen & Bath Month as a national promotion to support kitchen and bath renovation. (KBIS.com)

Residential housing starts fell to their lowest level since 1982, totaling 1.45 million — down 11 percent from 1987. (The Washington Post)

The Better Homes & Gardens Home Improvement Contest showed that 9,160 homeowners who entered the 1988 contest spent $172.2 million on remodeling projects, a 28 percent increase over the amount spent by those who entered the 1986 contest. (Los Angeles Times)

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987 set new standards that limited energy consumption by new appliances, and required manufacturers to cut product energy consumption by 25 percent every five years. (Reference for Business)

Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants started to be phased out after the passing of the Montreal Protocol, which required that CFC consumption be reduced by 50 percent within 10 years, making refrigerators safer for the environment. (Science Direct)

Around 7.9 million refrigerator-freezers and 5.6 million washing machines were produced in the U.S. (Statista)

In 1987, NKBA partnered with Auburn University to create its first accredited college program, and Ed Yeargan received the first Bachelor of Science degree in Kitchen and Bath Design the following year. (Wikipedia, History of the NKBA)

The American advice columnist Ann Landers reported that whether bath tissue hangs over or under the roll was the most controversial subject of the year, drawing more than 15,000 letters. (Wikipedia)

The market for food products specially designed for the microwave oven reached $269 million, according to market research firm Sales Areas Marketing, Inc. (The Washington Post)

In 1986, electricians earned a median weekly wage of $473, carpenters earned $348 and plumbers (including pipefitters, steamfitters and apprentices) earned $470. In 2023 dollars, that’s $1,266, $932 and $1,258, respectively. Architects earned $577 a week, equivalent to $1,545 today. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Panasonic (then Matsushita Electric) invented the first domestic bread maker in 1986. The appliance’s popularity would skyrocket in the Nineties, and it’s estimated that 25 million Americans owned a bread machine by the end of that decade. Sales would surge again during the 2020-2022 COVID-19 pandemic. (Lovefood.com)

By 1986, 25 percent of U.S. households owned a microwave. (Technology.org, “Kitchen Gadget Trends Through the Years”)

Architect and NKBA Hall of Fame inductee Ronald L. Mace, FAIA, coined the term “universal design” to describe an approach to design for accessibility regardless of age, ability or physical challenges. (Springer Link)

A survey by the Home Testing Institute for KBB Magazine found that 41.2 percent of kitchens in cities with a population of 2.5 million and over cost from $15,000 to $20,000 to renovate, while only 11.8 percent of kitchens cost that amount in cities with a population of 1 million to 2.49 million. (The New York Times)

Just 12 percent of American housing units had three or fewer rooms, while 26.7 percent had seven or more rooms. (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)

The Fall/Winter 1985 Sears Catalogue featured 60 pages of kitchen products, ranging from refrigerators and microwaves to cabinetry and washers. (The New York Times)

The modern 1980s microwave cost an average of $425 — the equivalent of $1,205 in 2023 dollars. (SimplyEighties.com)

The average household refrigerator in 1985 used about 1700 kWh of energy. (Big Chill)

Martha Kerr, CMKBD, was elected as the first woman president of the NKBA, serving in 1985 and 1986. (NKBA)

According to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, $6.9 billion was spent on kitchen remodels and $3.9 billion was spent on bath remodels in 1985. (The New York Times)