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22 | Kitchen & Bath Design News January 2015 W ith technology a d v a n c i n g faster than the speed of light, we can get caught up in the magic of it all. Recently, at an industry- related national meeting, we were discussing some futuristic technology that's impacting how we design and use kitchens, and a designer who is also a foodie com- mented, "What's the beneft? I like to do that myself." It really drove home to me the importance of keep- ing our focus as we design in this technology-saturated world, and that focus is and should be on our clients and their goals, their aspirations and their lifestyles. Our manufacturers seem to be aware of this challenge, as they have technologies that they try to bring to market only when they believe we – the consumers – are ready to appreciate the benefts that result from each new feature. Some of you will remem- ber the cars that spoke to us, reminding us to put on our seat belts – now gone – or the dishwasher that told us when our dishes were dirty or clean – also gone, presum- ably because we just didn't want to hear it, or didn't ap- preciate the benefit. With that in mind, this month's column is going to take a look at some of the amazing technology applications for the kitchen and bath that are out there today, and tie them back to some of the benefts that may make them of value to your designs. STAYING CONNECTED In the kitchen, we have many levels of smart appliances. They can inform us when they need a repair or an ad- justment, or directly inform the repair person as to what's needed before the service call. The beneft of this is that the appliance can be brought back to peak performance with either no need for a visit from the repair person or, at most, one visit. This also means our appliances will be running at peak performance more consistently. That intelligence and memory offer more bene- fits in the form of an oven that cooks to our preferred doneness and then shuts off, or helps us to learn a new cooking technol- ogy with pre-programmed recipes. Likewise, technol- ogy that we can adjust to our own personal prefer- ences frees us up to pay less attention to cooking our meal, helping to take some of the guesswork out of the cooking process. In the bath or kitchen, this can also translate to a savings of energy and water through the use of sensor controls that stop water flow when we're not using it, or those that monitor and inform us as to the energy we're using and what it might be costing us. Pre-programmed control systems in the bath provide us with a shower that starts right at our preferred water temperature, wasting no wa- ter and eliminating the need for us to adjust it each time we wish to use the space. Interactive mirrors and ap- pliances might allow us to watch the news or follow a recipe as we brush our teeth or prepare dinner. Technology can go even further, and we see examples of this all of the time. Using the conductivity of glass, we may have appliances with- out cords that can simply slide along a glass counter surface to the point where electric power is supplied and the appliance can be used as always, but without a cord getting in the way. The ben- eft, of course, is in the safety and convenience of elimina- tion of the cord and the outlet and plug in the work area. More examples are on view in FutureHaus, devel- oped by the folks at VA Tech and showing at this month's KBIS. Among the many fea- tures are voice-controlled faucets and appliances, sen- sors in the microwave that shut of automatically when the water boils or when the popcorn is ready, or an ac- cessory scanner and scale inside the refrigerator or pan- try that tracks amounts and dates on foods and texts you a grocery list so you can shop on the way home from work. In fact, that text can be sent directly to the store and your groceries can be delivered. Going a step further, this pantry monitor system might respond to your phone re- quest and let you know what you might make for dinner with what's in the pantry – and yes, it can even tell you how many grams of fat per serving are in the chosen rec- ipe. An interactive backsplash and counter helps users stay connected to recipes, family and friends, or might even provide a place to ask ques- tions in real time as they use that new appliance. Remote controls can al- low homeowners to preheat their oven or double check to make sure they remembered to shut of the cofee maker or activate the control lockout on the cooktop on their way to work, all through a phone app. Sensors that detect and measure natural light can be used to maximize its use and reduce our reliance on other light sources. TECHNOLOGY & AGING IN PLACE Because the kitchen and bath have so many appliances or technology-rich fttings, and because they are the two most high-function rooms of the home, they are also key locations for telehealth, another growing beneft re- lating to quality of life as we age in place. At a recent conference on Long-term Care at Home, a telehealth expert remarked to me that "anything that has a chip in it can be a health monitor." Translated to a beneft, there are many ways sensors in our appliances and controls can be used to help us to live and age comfort- ably and fully, and with more independence and dignity than if we did not have this technology. I am a total neophyte at understanding technology, but I'm pretty good at ap- preciating the benefits of technology. And, you prob- ably can tell that I enjoy what it can do for us and for our clients, particularly as it be- comes more mainstream and more afordable. I also recognize that not every client would be com- fortable with every one of the benefts listed here. Whether our clients come to us with knowledge of the technology they're interested in or, more likely, depending on their age and our level of awareness, we pair the technology to them based on our under- standing of their wish list, it grows exponentially as a crit- ical aspect of our lives. And this needs to be considered in each of our design eforts. In the time that passes between my writing this and your reading it, there will be more new concepts and ben- efts available to us, so our challenge as designers is two- fold: to work to be informed and to work to stay focused on the connection between technology and client ben- efts/lifestyle. Mary Jo Peterson is an award-winning designer whose work has earned na- tional recognition including induction into the National Kitchen & Bath Association's Hall of Fame and recognition as the NAHB CAPS Educator of the year for 2014. At the Intersection Of Technology And Lifestyle Designers must work not only to stay abreast of new technology trends, but also to stay focused on the connection between technology and the benefts it ofers to clients. "There are many ways sensors in our appliances and controls can be used to help us to live and age comfortably and fully, and with more independence and dignity." 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