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Home appliances were built to make our lives easier. In the past appliances served basic functions that drastically improved our standard of living. They saved inhabitants time, prevented illness, and even made it possible for households to earn two incomes. For decades, the primary function of home appliances remained the same. For example, dishwashers washed dishes, dryers dried clothes, and refrigerators kept food cold.

In the last decade, the home build industry experienced an influx of technology. Studies suggest millennials are willing to pay up to 20% more for a home with smart technology. Smart home appliances were designed to integrate with the growing trend in smart home automation systems. Smart appliances leverage Wi-fi connectivity to provide tremendous benefits such as recipe guidance, automatic replenishment, and self-diagnostics. Over 20 brands offer appliances with smart features. There are over 1,000 smart appliances on the market today. Although younger generations are more open to smart products, many consumers are intimidated by them.

This session is designed to provide a new prospective on the smart home appliances conversation with special focus on meaningful benefits for non-adopters. The format of this course will examine smart appliances in context of three major post-Pandemic design trends: entertaining at home, multi-generational living (including aging-in-place), and contact-free services. Each trend will be examined individually. Providing greater context will give clients a more relatable understanding of smart appliance benefits.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore how smart home appliances benefit multi-generational households including topics on wellness, family safety, aging-in-place, and peace of mind for parents and caretakers.
• Identify new ways to use smart appliances to take advantage of contact-free services like grocery delivery, automatic ordering of cleaning tabs, even recommending recipes to use soon-to-expire items in your fridge.
• Discover a new prospective on the smart home appliances conversation with special focus on meaningful benefits for non-adopters.
• Discuss the benefits and technical aspects of converting to more electric appliances such as induction cooktops, to advance the goals of increased electrification and reduced reliance on fossil fuels.

Presented by:

Jessica Petrino Ball

Editorial Director, AJ Madison

Jessica is a proud home appliances matchmaker. It's her goal to make it easier for everyone to shop for products they will enjoy for years to come. She co-hosts the Ask the Appliance Experts Podcast, has been featured on WCBS News Radio, Design TV by Sandow, Luxe Talks, Foodie and the Beast Industry Nights, and contributes to several print and digital publications. She leads continuing education courses and was recognized as an NKBA industry 30 Under 30. She also spoke at the Voices from the Industry at the 2022-2023 Kitchen and Bath Industry Shows.

Organized by:

AIA|DC / Capital Area Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN)