Everything seems to be getting “smarter” and more connected. The appliance market now contains cooktops and refrigerators that can download recipes from the Internet and connect to apps on your phone. Washers and dryers can be monitored through apps on your tablet and download updates from the cloud. Home security systems allow you to monitor what’s happening at home even when you aren’t there. There’s even a crockpot that you can control with your smartphone. If your clients aren’t asking for these kinds of features, they will be soon, and you have the opportunity to bring the best of these options to them.
As a designer, you have the ability to help your clients find appliances that truly improve their quality of life, not just their connectivity. For example, a refrigerator with a touch screen that has a Twitter feed can be cool, but the real question is how well does it keep your food cold. If the appliance sacrifices its core functionality for the bells and whistles of being “smart,” it may not be the best option for your clients. Plus who wants to design a kitchen with a bunch of screens?
However, these “smart” innovations can also benefit your design by monitoring energy use and reducing waste. If someone leaves a faucet on or forgets that the dryer is running, she can remedy the issue from her smartphone. Manufacturers have also created apps that can control blinds and thermostat settings to help regulate the temperature of the home. These are the kinds of benefits that you can bring to your clients who are looking for smarter design.
Come into Friedman’s Appliances today to browse our showroom and see all of the new designs that allow your clients to control and monitor appliances from their tablets and smartphones and improve energy efficiency with added convenience features that allow them to spend more time on what truly matters to them.