Thermador Cites Student Design Winners
IRVINE, CA — Thermador, the Irvine, CA-based luxury home appliance brand, has announced the inaugural student recipients of the company’s “Diversity in Design Pipeline” initiative, launched this year to empower a new generation of talent from underrepresented communities.
The Thermador Diversity in Design Pipeline Initiative, created in partnership with the Interior Design Society, was designed to support students in their senior year at an accredited interior design program to aid the transition into a successful, burgeoning career. The program was informed by a survey commissioned by Thermador that found mentorship and financial support to be the greatest obstacles for students of under-represented backgrounds to become professional designers.
The winning students include Aleah Mazyck of UNC Greensboro, Kayla Martin of California State University, Raquel Rodrigues of Texas Tech University, Jonathan Martin of the University of Northern Iowa and Chrystal McLeod of Georgia Southern University.
“Thermador is honored at the opportunity to work with these talented students as part of our brand’s commitment to opening more pathways for underrepresented communities in interior design,” said Beatriz Sandoval, head of brand marketing for Thermador.
The mentorship program pairs students and mentors who will meet monthly to discuss the essential and tangible skills needed to be successful in the world of design. Students also receive $10,000 toward tuition and a student membership with IDS, Thermador said.
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Wellborn Cabinet Marks Alabama Factory Expansion
ASHLAND, AL — Wellborn Cabinet Inc. has announced the groundbreaking for a major expansion of the company’s cabinet manufacturing facility here.
The $15-million expansion will add more than 175,000 sq. ft. to the 60-year-old company’s cabinet manufacturing factory, impacting more than a dozen facets of the company’s operations, Wellborn officials said. The expansion is expected to result in the creation of more than 200 jobs, the Ashland, AL-based company added.
“With the help of our local, state and federal officials, along with our local schools, we’ve been blessed with the ability to undertake this expansion and have the opportunity to add these jobs,” said Wellborn Cabinet CEO Paul Wellborn. “We’re especially thankful for all of our dedicated employees, who have helped make all of this possible.”
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Sharp Growth Forecast for Green Building Materials
DUBLIN — The global green building materials market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of more than 12% over the next four years, due largely to “a growing awareness about environmental sustainability that’s driving demand,” a leading market research firm said last month.
According to Dublin, Ireland-based Research and Markets, the global green building materials market is expected to increase from $238.9 billion in 2021 to $383.9 billion in 2025. North America was the largest region in the green building materials market in 2021, the research firm said. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest region in the forecast period, researchers added.
“The introduction to environment-friendly products is gaining significant popularity in the green building materials market,” research officials said. “Major participants in the green building materials industry are concentrating on launching new product lines that minimize the global warming potential (GWP) without compromising product quality.”
The green building materials market consists of sales of eco-friendly, durable structural, exterior and interior products that use less water, are easier to maintain than traditional building materials, and improve the sustainability and efficiency of a building because of a lower carbon footprint. The products are used in framing, insulation, roofing, exterior siding and interior finishing for both residential and non-residential structures.
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Liebherr Announces Appointments
Liebherr recently added three new members to its team.Jessie Escobar was recently brought on as Liebherr’s regional sales manager, Western Territory. In his current role, he leads sales development from Alberta, Canada to Southern California and offers support to retailers and distributors, while working to increase brand awareness and Liebherr’s footprint in the North American market.Christian Lopez has joined the Liebherr team as e-commerce specialist for Liebherr Appliances, North America. In his new role, Lopez will work to build strong relationships with consumer-facing dealers, creating an efficient path for dealers to purchase Liebherr accessories online.Sarah Gambrell is Liebherr’s regional sales manager for Scientific Appliances. With over 18 years of experience in sales — specifically with medical devices, capital equipment and pharmaceuticals — she is tasked with growing the Scientific Appliances division for Liebherr and becoming the conduit for dealers and distributors.
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Loan Limits Raised for Mortgages to be Acquired by the Enterprises
WASHINGTON, DC — The Federal Housing Finance Agency has announced an increase in conforming loan limits (CLLs) for mortgages to be acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) in 2022.
In most of the U.S., the 2022 CLL for one-unit properties will be $647,200, an increase of $98,950 from $548,250 in 2021, according to the FHFA.
The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 requires that the baseline CLL for the Enterprises be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the average U.S. home price. According to the latest FHFA House Price Index (HPI), house prices increased 18.05%, on average, between the third quarters of 2020 and 2021. Due to rising home values, the baseline CLL in 2022 in all but four U.S. counties or county equivalents will increase by the same percentage, the FHFA said.
“These increases are an important step to ensure that government-backed mortgages keep pace with the sharp rise in home prices over the past year,” said Robert Dietz, chief economist for the National Association of Home Builders. “Supply-side challenges, including building material bottlenecks and lot and labor shortages, will continue to place upward pressure on construction costs and home prices in 2022.”
For additional information, visit https://www.fhfa.gov/CLLs.
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Homeowners Seeking ‘Spa Feel’ in Bath Remodels, Study Finds
PALO ALTO, CA — U.S. homeowners are increasingly turning to their master bathroom as a safe and peaceful respite from a world that often seems chaotic and threatening, a major new survey has found.
According to the 2021 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study, whose results were released last month, two in five surveyed homeowners report using their renovated bathroom for rest and relaxation. The survey also found that cleanliness and a lack of clutter are keys to creating a “spa-like atmosphere” in the bath.
The annual online survey was fielded between June and July 2021 to nearly 3,000 U.S. Houzz users who are in the midst of, are planning, or recently completed a bathroom renovation, according to the Palo Alto, CA-based online platform for home renovation and design.
“In the midst of the chaos created by the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re seeing homeowners turn to their bathrooms for respite, creating calming sanctuaries with premium features, hygienic surfaces, and plants and other greenery,” said Marine Sargsyan, Houzz senior economist.
“Given the major changes involved, homeowners renovating their bathrooms are (also) seeking professional help at a growing rate,” Sargsyan added.
According to Houzz, modern, transitional and contemporary styles remain the leading choices for renovated bathrooms. Other features gaining popularity include dimmable lighting and greenery. The percentage of homeowners who relax in their renovated bathroom by soaking in the tub was up six points compared to last year, outpacing the share of those who unwind with long showers, Houzz said.
More than three quarters of homeowners incorporate premium features into their bathtubs and showers, the company added. Top premium features for the bath include soaking tubs, space for two and silent whirlpool baths, while premium shower upgrades include rainfall showerheads, dual showers, body sprayers and thermostatic mixers.
Additional survey findings include:
n Marble in Vogue: Marble is being adopted at a higher rate by renovating homeowners, with increased usage in shower flooring, non-shower flooring and non-shower walls.
n Colorful Vanities: While white continues to be the dominant color chosen across all bathroom features, blue and wood vanities have become more popular over the past year, bringing warmth and texture to bathrooms.
n Lighting Upgrades: Homeowners cite both insufficient lighting and no natural lighting as issues before a bathroom renovation, which may explain why more than four in five homeowners upgraded their lighting fixtures this year, Houzz said. Wall lights and recessed lights remain the top two choices in upgraded lighting. However lighted mirrors, pendant lights and chandeliers all inched up in popularity from last year.
n Toilet Technology: More than a third of homeowners who upgraded their toilets during renovations incorporated technology. Bidets remain the most popular tech feature for one in five homeowners, followed by self-cleaning, heated seats, overflow protection and built-in nightlights.
n Lighted Mirrors: Three-quarters of renovating homeowners installed mirrors in their renovated bathroom, with over half installing more than one mirror. Some upgraded mirrors have advanced features, such as LED lighting and anti-fog systems.
n Custom Medicine Cabinets: Nearly one-third of renovating homeowners install custom or semi-custom medicine cabinets, many of which include features such as hidden plugs and lighting on the inside.
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Ongoing Supply Chain Disruptions Termed Threat to Housing
WASHINGTON, DC — Ongoing global supply-chain disruptions coupled with the prospect of higher interest rates threaten to exacerbate affordability problems for both new and existing homes in the months ahead, the National Association of Home Builders said last month.
Housing affordability, according to the latest figures released by the NAHB, held steady at its lowest level in nearly a decade, as record-high home prices offset lower mortgage rates to keep the affordability rate flat in the third quarter of 2021.
“Persistent building material supply chain bottlenecks and tariffs on Canadian lumber and Chinese steel and aluminum continue to place upward pressure on construction costs and home prices,” even in the face of continued high demand,” said Chuck Fowke, chairman of the Washington, DC-based NAHB.
Moreover, according to NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz, interest rates are anticipated to gradually rise in the coming months, as the Federal Reserve begins to taper its monthly bond and mortgage-backed securities purchases.
“To keep affordability problems from worsening, policymakers need to tackle supply-chain challenges that are disrupting and delaying construction projects and hurting housing affordability,” Dietz said. “Helping builders boost output will also slow the rapid rise in home prices that has occurred over the past year.”
In addition to concerns over building materials and the national supply chain, labor and building lot access are key constraints for housing supply, according to Dietz. “Lot availability is at multi-decade lows and the construction industry currently has more than 330,000 open positions,” Dietz said. “Policymakers need to focus on resolving these issues to help builders produce more housing to meet strong market demand.”
In related news:
n Low existing inventories and strong buyer demand helped push builder confidence higher for the third consecutive month even as supply-side challenges – including building material bottlenecks and lot and labor shortages – remain stubbornly persistent, the NAHB said, noting that as a result of supply-chain effects, there are 152,000 single-family units – up 43.4% from a year ago – that have been authorized for construction but are awaiting a go-ahead.
n Single-family housing production lagged in October due to supply-chain effects for materials and ongoing access issues for labor and lots. Overall housing starts decreased 0.7% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.52 million units, according to the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.
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Millennials’ Impact Seen Gaining for Kitchen & Bath Designs
HACKETTSTOWN, NJ — Millennial clients – particularly those with children – are increasing in influence while the impact of Baby Boomer clients is gradually declining and Gen X is remaining constant, according to a 2022 Design Trends Forecast released this week by the National Kitchen & Bath Association.
The NKBA’s annual design trends forecast points to a gradual, yet palpable, shift in the primary customer base for new and remodeled kitchens and baths, after several decades in which the market was driven largely by a huge cohort of Baby Boomers (aged 57-75) and Gen Xers (aged 41-56) consumers.
While baby boom and Gen-X consumers remain the industry’s predominant buying force, the steady increase in business from Millennial clients (ages 25-40) is increasingly impacting both market share and anticipated kitchen and bath design trends, according to the NKBA, which said Millennials’ impact has “a high probability of increasing in the future.”
“Those working with Millennials see slightly less-expensive projects, but that’s likely driven by Millennials’ lower disposable income during their current life stage,” said the NKBA, whose 2022 Design Trends Forecast was based on a survey of approximately 650 designers, dealers, and other design professionals. The survey’s aim was to identify styles, features and materials that are expected to be more popular in the next several years; to identify the products that have the most dramatic impact on today’s kitchens and bathrooms; to assess if there are notable variations in designer client base profiles; and to predict if client base profiles are predictors of perceived design trends.
Among the overarching themes emerging from the NKBA’s 2022 survey is that kitchen clients generally want flex space for work, touchless fixtures, easy-to-clean surfaces, outdoor living areas, LED lighting and recycling storage. There is also a concerted desire for mobile-friendly spaces, healthy cooking, app-controlled appliances and voice-activated lighting, the NKBA said.
In the bathroom, consumers want a large shower, and are likely to remove tubs in order to allocate more space or access to storage/dressing areas, the NKBA said. There is also a pronounced need for energy and water efficiency, connected products such as water temperature controls, entertainment and communication, the association added.
In general, new kitchen and bathroom design is emerging from nature-inspired themes, the NKBA reported. “Organic, natural styles are prominent in both kitchens and bathrooms, especially among Millennials, (and) increased natural light with large, high-performance windows and doors for outdoor access will be prominent,” the NKBA said.
“Homeowners have a desire for spaces that can multi-function,” the NKBA observed, pointing to a growing trend toward large islands for food prep that also function as dining tables, homework and work from home; flexible space for home office activities; pantries that include space for storage and a working area for small appliances; and workstation sinks with built-in features (drying racks, cutting boards, etc.) In addition, bathrooms that connect to dressing areas and/or laundry facilities, and vanities and medicine cabinets with outlets are also experiencing increased popularity.
When designing new spaces, homeowners are generally thinking about the following:
n Cleanliness: easy-to-clean surfaces and countertops that are sanitary and non-porous. The current strong demand for quartz is expected to continue, as is the popularity of larger-format tile or slabs with less grout, and touchless faucets.
n Sustainable design: 100% LED lighting; a dedicated recycling area; low-E windows and doors; Energy star/efficient products; EPA WaterSense fixtures; VOC-free paint; products with recycled materials, and radiant flooring.
n Universal design: spaces that will allow for aging in place; curb-less showers; fewer free-standing tubs, grab bars, seats in showers and hand-held showerheads.
Although homeowners are excited about integrated technology, it is not being utilized in most projects. Specifically, only 30% and 21% of kitchen and bath projects, respectively, include integrated technology features, the NKBA reported.
“Designers have new ways to interact with their clients, especially Millennials,” the NKBA said. “Future design projects will include a mix of in-person and virtual meetings. In-person meetings both in designer’s offices and at the client’s home will be most prominent.
“Designers will (also) take advantage of virtual channels with video calls and video meetings with clients,” NKBA researchers added. “Millennials are more open to virtual meetings while Boomers are looking for regular onsite meetings at their home.”
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Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition Open for Entries
NEW YORK — Confindustria Ceramica (the Italian Association of Ceramics) and the Italian Trade Agency have announced that the 2022 Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition is open for entries.
The annual awards program celebrates the exceptional work of top North American architects, designers, and students who use Italian ceramic and porcelain tile in their projects “to create innovative solutions that demonstrate an understanding of the material’s practical, aesthetic, and sustainable benefits,” competition sponsors said.
An international jury of design experts will select winners and honorable mentions in four built project categories, including new construction and residential, as well as a winner in the student category. Architects and designers based in the U.S. or Canada and students currently enrolled in a North American college or university are invited to submit their work through January 7, 2022.
Winners and honorable mentions will be notified in February and announced during the next edition of Coverings, the largest international tile and stone exhibition in North America, scheduled to take place in Las Vegas April 5-8, 2022. Winners will be invited to attend the show and present their projects in front of an audience of design and trade media, manufacturers, and tile industry professionals, sponsors said, In addition to a cash prize of $1,500, the four built project category winners will receive a five-day CEU trip to attend Cersaie, the world’s largest exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings, set for Sept. 26-30, 2022 in Bologna, Italy.
Competition guidelines, submission forms and additional information can be found on the Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition website, www.tilecompetition.com.
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Cabinet, Vanity Sales Termed ‘Healthy’ Through October
RESTON, VA — Major domestic kitchen cabinet/vanity manufacturers continued to report “healthy” sales through October, according to the latest in a series of monthly surveys conducted by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association.
The KCMA’s latest “Trend of Business Survey,” released today, reflected a year-to-date sales increase among participating cabinet manufacturers of 14.7% through October, compared to the same ten-month period in 2020. Custom cabinet sales through the first 10 months of 2021 were reported up 20.1% over the same period the previous year, while semi-custom sales rose 11.5% and sales of stock cabinets gained 16.0%, the Reston, VA-based KCMA said.
Manufacturers reported an increase in overall cabinet sales of 6.7% for October 2021 compared to the same month in 2020, with custom sales up 10.4%, stock sales up 11.2% and semi-custom sales posting a 0.6% decline, the KCMA added.
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