“Washers and dryers have numerous features today that older pairs lacked,” Jamie wrote in her September 2020 book, Wellness by Design, (Simon & Schuster/Tiller Press, 2020).
Laundry rooms have moved out of the basement and garage to premium placement in a home’s main living areas. Rather than the utilitarian dungeons of old, these spaces are likely now to be spacious, sunny and stylish. They also work harder than ever before, often evolving into multi-tasking flex zones for hobbies, pets, pantry storage, device charging, family organizing and package handling.
This trend greatly accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the room’s appliances took on tremendous importance in handling clothing, linens, towels, and even well-worn stuffed animals! Their sanitizing power became a crucial component in a household’s health and well-being. Laundry appliances’ ability to help you get quickly back to the office (or your next Zoom meeting) in your favorite outfit counts too.
Explore the latest appliance types and configurations, performance features, and space planning opportunities to enhance your client projects. Explore too the links between laundry zones and wellness design for health-focused homeowners and builders.
Join wellness design consultant and Wellness by Design book author Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS, MCCWC with global appliance manufacturer and sponsor LG for Wellness Design in the Laundry/Flex Room. This lively, informative KBtribechat will happen on Wednesday, September 15th at 2 PM ET/11 AM PT.
Jamie’s latest book for Simon & Schuster shares the benefits of wellness to clients’ living spaces and professionals’ success.
Our KBtribechat Questions:
How have your laundry zone projects changed in recent years in terms of budget, size, and location within the home?
Are you adding secondary laundry spaces in larger homes and, if so, which locations and what equipment)?
For laundry/flex rooms, what additional functions are clients typically including (e.g., pantry, pets, package handling, other)?
What laundry appliance features and benefits are being requested most often (e.g., space saving hacks; water and energy-saving; timesaving and convenience)?
Is there more of a focus on wellness features like allergen-cleaning, sanitizing, steam, accessibility, and other considerations in their appliances – or are you suggesting them?
Smart homes seem to be more popular by the day, are clients requesting more appliances with smart features?
Laundry rooms have gotten more stylish and spendy in recent years. Show off some of your favorite spaces.
This KBtribechat discussion is Sponsored and Hosted by BEKO.
Today’s kitchen designed for healthy living is at the center of Beko’s commitment to health and wellness on a personal and planetary level.
Beko is the fastest growing appliance brand in Europe, and they are quickly making their presence known in the US market. Beko has been committed to offer next-generation home appliances with the proven technologies and product features to empower Americans to live healthier lives and contribute to a healthier planet.
On August 25th #KBtribechat and Beko will host a discussion on the topic of kitchens for healthy living. We will come together and tweet about the latest trends, sustainability, and what’s to come for the future of healthy kitchens.
Our KBtribechat questions:
Q1.) Is what you eat influenced by the kind of kitchen you keep?
Q2.) How can a well appointed kitchen promote healthy eating habits?
Q3.) What technologies or techniques are improving food preservation for healthier living?
Q4.) How can home cooking encourage eating more fruits and veggies?
Q5.) How can advances in technology foster a healthier lifestyle?
Q6.) How has the Farm to Table movement changed the way we shop and eat?
This gorgeous, on-trend, contemporary kitchen features Crossville porcelain slab counters and walls in unpolished State of Grace, a Bertazzoni dual-fuel range and hood, Northern Contours high-gloss Acrylic cabinet doors and Franke stainless steel sinks + chef faucets.
Our discussion questions:
Minimalist, Timeless, Modern. What look do you see in today’s kitchens?
What materials are you seeing used in kitchen design?
How are people customizing their kitchens?
How has technology impacted the look and feel of a kitchen?
What functional/practical trends are customers asking for in their design?
What’s desired today for kitchen lighting?
What overall looks are currently trending for kitchens? Share pics!
Another view – the pantry adds interest to the room with Element Designs stainless steel and back painted glass cabinet doors.
Join this Twitter discussion
on Wednesday, August 11th
from 2 to 3pm eastern time
by adding #KBtribechat to your tweets!
The bar, featuring a Zephyr Presrv™ French Door Wine & Beverage Cooler, sits across the room from the kitchen, echoing the pantry design with additional Element Designs stainless steel and back painted glass doors on the upper cabinetry. Crossville porcelain slab counters and Northern Contours high-gloss acrylic cabinet doors on the base also connect this element with the kitchen.
For some people getting organized is scary and unpleasant that is why whether you are a designer or a consumer the best way to overcome and conquer is with specific storage solutions. From the closet to the kitchen having an organized home reduces stress, saves time, improves health, and reduces waste to name just a few. It is something we all need and use daily from the time we get up until we go to sleep, organization is a lifestyle.
On July 28th #KBtribechat and Rev-A-Shelf will host a discussion on the topic of storage solutions for an organized home. We will come together and tweet about the latest trends, how COVID-19 has changed our storage needs, and the accessories available to meet them.
Our KBtribechat questions:
Have you seen an increase post-pandemic, of clients asking for storage solutions? If so, what are they asking for?
Storage solutions come in a variety of colors and finishes, what is trending?
When you think of storage it can be for an array of items, what storage accessories are you specifying the most and what items are in need of accessories to keep them organized?
With bulk buying the request for pantries are on the rise. Are you designing/specifying walk-in pantries? If so, what is the average square footage? Share photos.
Besides accessibility an important part of organization is visibility, do you specify storage accessories with lighting built-in or add lighting to cabinets and drawers? What accessories do you wish had a lighting option?
