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2012 Trends: New Appliances for Every Living Space
There's a new convenience for every room in — and out — of the house
When you think about appliances, you probably think about cooking, cleaning and refrigeration. But now appliances are expanding into areas of your home beyond traditional kitchen and laundry rooms into mudrooms, secondary laundry spaces and great rooms. And outdoor spaces host some of the fastest-growing appliance trends.
The home entertainment appliance category is growing as well, as we integrate our phones and tablets into more areas of our lives. Though you may not think of electronics this way, they truly are entertainment and information appliances, so much so that the tremendous Consumer Electronics Show is featuring more appliance manufacturers than ever. There's even a special event for them now, where major brands are introducing products they might have previously debuted at the International Builders Show or Kitchen & Bath Industry Show.
Take a look at these 2012 trends and you'll see new inspirations for outfitting the spaces you truly use and enjoy every day.
Browse appliances in the Products section
The home entertainment appliance category is growing as well, as we integrate our phones and tablets into more areas of our lives. Though you may not think of electronics this way, they truly are entertainment and information appliances, so much so that the tremendous Consumer Electronics Show is featuring more appliance manufacturers than ever. There's even a special event for them now, where major brands are introducing products they might have previously debuted at the International Builders Show or Kitchen & Bath Industry Show.
Take a look at these 2012 trends and you'll see new inspirations for outfitting the spaces you truly use and enjoy every day.
Browse appliances in the Products section
| Pizza ovens have become very popular in outdoor kitchens. Expect to see more market entries and features in this growing category next year. As they become more widely available, low-priced imports are starting to appear. Be sure your cooking appliances are safe, properly-installed and the right price point for your home value. |
by lynxgrills.com
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As outdoor living explodes in popularity, so does the array of appliances designed for them. Warming drawers are a fast-growing category, as they are as ideal for entertaining outdoors.
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| The industry's first outdoor dishwasher debuted at the 2011 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show. I expect that we'll see other entrants this year, as competitors have been working on these for years. Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet, a company known for its patio cooking prowess, beat all the big guys to market. Competition and more reasonable price points can't be far behind. |
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| Outdoor entertainment systems are a huge and growing category for these spaces. Like your indoor entertainment appliances, they need to be scaled properly for viewability and sound enjoyment. However, unlike those in your great room, they also need to be weather- and water-friendly. So far, this has meant higher prices than those of indoor components. Again, growing categories typically mean growing competition, which should bring lower price points later this year. |
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Second laundry rooms and laundry closets are a popular trend for larger homes and multi-generational households. In recent years, we've seen European introductions of machines that both wash and dry, as well as panel-ready sets.
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| Another growing trend for appliances is outfitting craft spaces with items like sophisticated new sewing machines. Crafting has become especially popular in the recession as homeowners have stayed and played at home more. We've also sought more opportunities to save, which has renewed the popularity of old-fashioned crafts like knitting, sewing and quilting. Look for new appliances geared toward these hobbies, including potential smart phone tie-ins for patterns, designs and other fun upgrades. |
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| Tablets such as the iPad have become major home entertainment appliances. They control programming, lighting, sound, even climate control. Expect to see more apps and offerings in 2012 as this category explodes in popularity. |
by kim E. rooney
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Gaming consoles are another exploding entertainment appliance trend. Once just for boys who like toys, they've become a whole-household movie and TV programming source. They're ideal for rec rooms, great rooms and even outdoor rooms.
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| One of the hottest trends in laundry appliances is steam washing. Just about every manufacturer is offering one, with more entrants likely to come on the market this year as the category grows. What are its benefits? Chief among them are time savings from not having to pre-treat spots and potentially better stain removal. Drawbacks? Remember when a washing machine used to cost a few hundred dollars? These babies will set you back upwards of $1,000. Hopefully, more competition will result in better pricing. It usually does, but the days of $200 washers are probably as over as the days of a $2 per gallon gasoline. More: Design Your Perfect Outdoor Kitchen Great Grill Setups Take the Party Outside Reader's Choice: The Top 20 Laundry Rooms for 2011 |
Comments
callisondesigner Like the craft/office, but I need more space for material to flow from the back of my sewing machine. I'd rather store the machine in a base cabinet and forgo the expense of a lift up garage as my projects are large, place a bulletin board above the machine for sewing directions and material board.
16 months ago · Like
CAROLE MEYER Great ideas.....and this post will make the appliance repair industry happy, happy, happy!
16 months ago · Like
eagordon Do people really have so much money that they can put a dishwasher outside? Are people so attached to tv that they need one outside? Give me a break!
16 months ago · Like
Seura Seura's new Storm Outdoor Television is the perfect high-performance TV for the outdoor living or kitchen space. Imagine all the yard work he would do on Sunday afternoons if he could turn on the game! 
16 months ago · Like
Ken Goldberg Construction Company, LLC I wanted to echo the need to make sure your stuff gets professionally installed. Most of these projects are not DIY projects. Unless you really have the skills and the time to do the project to completion, don't get in over your head. Hire a pro like me to get it done for you.
16 months ago · Like
balfour_girl I always love the pictures of outdoor living spaces, and then I think about my own gazebo... we can only use it at lunch time when it's too hot for the mosquitoes and it gets dusty so fast I have to clean it every day before we can sit down. If the angle of the sun is just right it's uncomfortably hot and if there's a breeze it can be uncomfortably cool... my chair cushions get mildewy and spider poopy and full of cat hair. That's when I remember how much I like being inside! 
16 months ago · Like
Laurel Ennis What's stopping thieves from walsing into your back yard and stealing all this outdoor stuff? It seems unsafe.
16 months ago · Like
pkpeters Not findig any of these things remotely appealing! I agree with the above...getting out of doors means unplugging!
16 months ago · Like
Ideabook published on Jan. 13, 2012.
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