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refrigerator: the consumer accidentally does not close the refrigerator door all the way. They would receive notification from their app that the door is ajar, allowing them to get some- one back to the house to close the door. THE FUTURE OF APPLIANCES Some of you reading this article may still wonder: Are these features really of value? I think yes. The usefulness of remote control and monitoring as well as the abilities of artificial intelligence to enhance a family's quality of life is appreciated by Millennial-aged homeowners – and, I think, much more highly valued and understood by mature con- sumers than many professionals realize. This technology is here to stay! Here are some "words of wisdom" from recognized pro- fessionals that might help you introduce the idea to your next prospective client: " To be effective offering new technology to clients who are advancing in years, I try to focus on the benefits first. For example, I might say, 'In your new kitchen, you can reduce trips to the oven to check on the baking or roasting progress while in the midst of entertaining or enjoying other pastimes. If needed, repairs are much more efficient because the manufacturer can diagnose what's needed and schedule a single successful repair visit, or even perform some diagnostics and updates remotely. These are just a couple of ways that connected appliances can make life easier and better for you and your family.'" Mary Jo Peterson, CKD, CBD, CAPS, CAASH Mary Jo Peterson, Inc., Brookfield, CT www.mjpdesign.com 4. Equally as important, connected smart appliances have the ability to be upgraded. This should overcome the fear many consumers have about connected appliances. Will the technology become "old" fast? The prediction is that connected appliances will be able to be upgraded remotely. Lastly, the idea of one hub controlling the entire house can take advantage of interfacing with the appliances as well. Available right now is an oven that can interface with a Nest thermostat: it can "talk" to the Nest thermostat, which will lower the temperature if the monitoring thermostat detects an increased temperature in that work space. It should also be noted that appliance manufacturers' connectivity systems do vary; therefore, clients in the future will benefit from purchasing a total kitchen suite of applianc- es from one brand, so the connectivity features for the entire suite can be managed from that one manufacturer's app or from one online control source. THE VALUE OF REMOTE MONITORING Now, you might wonder – is this voice or remote control useful? Imagine your client's hands covered in flour – they can ask their Assistant to preheat the oven. The chef and host might be enjoying their guests' company out on the terrace, and by glancing at their hand-held device, they can check the process of the entree cooking in the oven. If the product has reached the desired internal tempera- ture, the hostess can change the setting to keep warm – from the terrace. I believe when control is no longer tethered to the appliance panel, the potential useful applications will grow for all appliance categories. I commented on the value of a censoring capability earlier; let's consider monitoring capabilities. Imagine a connected 62 3 " 4 67 7 " 8 69 3 " 4 65 1 " 2 65 1 " 2 4" 4" 69 3 " 4 4" 4" Ever since the launch of touch screen oven control panels, designers have been forced to carefully position the ovens so that their placement allowed the primary user to see and interface with accurate fingertip control. Stacking ovens can be very problematic! Here is the challenge: Note the awkward ergonomic position the user has to take to interface with the control panel tethered to the appliance. Now imagine that same individual being at a proper standing height and completing the same functions. Photo: Architectual Graphics Standards 78 Kitchen & Bath Design News • January 2018 DESIGNER'S NOTEBOOK Continued