New York — LIXIL Americas, the parent company of kitchen/bath plumbing products manufacturer American Standard, partnered with Tools & Tiaras Inc. to sponsor a plumbing-focused workshop as part of a multi-day summer camp designed to introduce young girls and women to the skilled trade industry, the company announced.

Tools & Tiaras is an organization dedicated to advancing the interests of young girls and women who want to pursue careers in traditionally male-dominated trade professions. The initiative is one effort to help reduce the downward labor shortage trend in the skilled trade industry. The multi-day vocational camp featured female participants, ages 13-17, who are interested in learning more about the skilled trade industry, sponsors said.

“We are committed to making a positive impact in the communities where we live and work,” said LIXIL Americas spokesperson Debbie Drury. “Knowing that plumbers protect the health of the nation, yet the number of people entering plumbing and trade crafts is on a steady decline, we believe it is our duty to support programs that encourage the pursuit of plumbing as a profession.

“It is particularly exciting to be partnering with Tools & Tiaras, whose purpose is to empower ambitious and determined young women to knock down the social barrier of entering these trade professions,” Drury said.

The post LIXIL Plumbing Workshops for Women appeared first on Kitchen & Bath Design News.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.thekawaiikitchen.com/?p=125

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ — Although forecasts for low- and mid-range project spending have each been revised upward, it’s the high end of the kitchen and bath market that will “shine” in the months ahead, according to the latest forecast issued by the National Kitchen & Bath Association.

According to the latest NKBA forecast, released this summer, the high end of the kitchen/bath market is now expected to surge by more 28% compared to 2020 ­– topping the association’s initial 19.8% projection) ­– as pent-up demand, robust savings and sharply rising home appreciation “encourage homeowners to go the extra mile” when it comes to spending.

In its latest market forecast, the Hackettstown, NJ-based NKBA revised its 2021 industry sales projection to $170.9 billion in kitchen and bath spending, up by 21.4% from 2020’s $140.8 billion and nearly 8% higher than the association’s initial estimate for the year. New construction kitchen and bath spending is now expected to exceed 2020 by 28.5%, while kitchen and bath remodeling expenditures are expected to climb by 12.5%, according to the NKBA. Total kitchen spending (new construction and remodel) is now targeted at $81 billion, with bath spending estimated at $89 billion, both more than 20% above last year and appreciably higher than the NKBA’s initial forecast.

The “red-hot market,” according to the NKBA “is a continuation of a positive ‘perfect storm’ that began in the second half of last year and hasn’t let up, all related in one way or another to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“First came the buildup of savings, as homeowners experiencing the unknowns of the COVID-19 lockdown decided to err on the side of caution,” the NKBA said, adding that “much of it wasn’t voluntary, as spending on dining, entertainment, travel and leisure came to a screeching halt.

“Adding to the dramatic savings growth were the generous government stimulus programs that poured $5 trillion into the hands of consumers. As homes suddenly began doubling as schools and offices, configuration changes practically became mandatory. The kitchen morphed into the family hub and previous health and wellness trends for both bathroom and kitchen accelerated in urgency. And all that extra time at home made more homeowners realize a makeover was badly needed.”

“Add to that record-low interest rates that have made home-related loans very attractive, and steep home appreciation with demand far outstripping supply, and all the elements have neatly fallen into place.”

Among the NKBA’s other key conclusions:

n Home Improvement Tops Discretionary Spending: Nearly 1 in 3 homeowners plan to boost their home-improvement discretionary spending this year, well above the 1 in 5 (or fewer) who plan such increases for eating out, entertaining, travel or health. In fact, the average home-improvement project price point is 25% higher than last year, according to the NKBA.

n Kitchen & Bath Are Top Choices: For those planning home improvements this year, kitchens and primary baths rank #1 and #2, respectively, among a dozen home areas offered. More than half of those surveyed (55%) said they planned to remodel their kitchen, while 40% cited their primary bathroom. Exterior (37%), patio/deck (29%) and primary bedroom (29%) round out the top five areas for anticipated remodeling, the NKBA said.

The post High-End Projects Seen Leading Kitchen, Bath Market Surge appeared first on Kitchen & Bath Design News.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.thekawaiikitchen.com/?p=111

NEWPORT NEWS, VA — As the nation approaches the year-and-a-half mark of the COVID-19 pandemic, homeowners continue to reevaluate their living spaces, “with many looking for ways to put the ‘home’ back in a more functional house.”

That’s the key conclusion of a major new consumer survey conducted by Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, in an effort to better understand how the global public-health crisis impacted trends in home renovation and updates. The survey, fielded this spring on behalf of Ferguson by G&S Business Communications, involved some 1,100 U.S. adults aged 18+, according to the Newport News, VA-based distributor of plumbing, lighting and related products.

The Ferguson survey, whose results were released in July, found that 64% of Americans made an update of some kind to their home, or a room in their home, during the pandemic. The most popular reasons for the update included being tired of the home’s current style (34%) and needing to make changes for better functionality (32%), Ferguson said.

The kitchen (47%) and the bathroom (44%) were the top choices when it comes to specific areas of the home people would want to redesign or upgrade based on spending more time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. A growing number of Americans say they would want to redesign or upgrade their outdoor space (30% in 2021 compared to 23% in 2020), Ferguson reported.

Interestingly, the room people spent the most amount of time in last year compared to previous years was the living room (50%), with 33% of Americans working from home in their living rooms during the pandemic. A third (33%) spent more time in their bedrooms and nearly a third (32%) spent more time in the kitchen. Younger generations were more likely than older generations to say they spent more time in the bedroom and bathroom, but just as likely to say they spend more time in the living room.

“There are likely a number of reasons why the living room grew in importance over the past year, since it was used as a gathering place during quarantine, for home schooling and other activities,” Ferguson reported. “We may also see this trend, in part, because people who work from home often set up their workstation in their living rooms.”

Just over a third of respondents (34%) said they started working from home during the pandemic, Ferguson said. Within this group, a third said they have been working in the living room and a third have been working from an existing office, the company added.

The post Homeowners Seeking Functionality & Style, Survey Reveals appeared first on Kitchen & Bath Design News.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.thekawaiikitchen.com/?p=57