Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM JUNE 2022 32 A S S O C I A T I O N N E W S T he National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) 2022 Design Trends Study identified millennials as a driving force behind the integration of technology in kitchen design. Technology today influences product specification, but also the design and design process. "We've seen the pandemic have an effect across all sectors in our society, and we're now starting to see how the change in human behaviors is shifting the way we design our homes," said Bill Darcy, chief executive officer, National Kitchen & Bath Association. "Consumers are more eager to embrace new technologies and innovative ways to provide multi-functional options to maximize their space to fit any occasion, and are opting for surfaces and designs that make it easier to clean, as well as address health and wellness." Smart technology has long been a promised integration into the home and will only continue to rise in popularity among consumers. COVID-19 made people conscious of high-contact surface points, so homeowners increasingly turned to hands-free and voice-activated technology to reduce the spread of disease. Thus devices offering touchless technology have become the breakout stars within the kitchen and bath space, making consumers' lives easier and helping to decrease high-contact surface areas. NKBA ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOME TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION (HTA) While there was buzz around the involvement of technology in 2021, the market remains largely untapped, as only 30% of kitchen projects and 21% of bathroom designs included some type of integrated appliances. The NKBA found this to be a great area to do more research and take a deeper dive into home technology integration. And what better way to do this? By partnering with HTA. The Home Technology Association (HTA) helps home design and building professionals find qualified home technology installation firms for residential construction projects by providing specifiers with an independent method to evaluate the technical competence, customer service and reputation of home technology professionals. HTA's mission is to certify the best technology installation firms in the industry. "Whole-home integrated technology is now a household norm," said Darcy. "The NKBA has embraced the importance of smart home devices to create a custom-tailored environment that matches today's lifestyle needs. We are very pleased to partner with HTA to further educate and connect our kitchen and bath industry members with whole-home technology integration services, firms and products in their projects." Through this new partnership, HTA will provide NKBA members access to HTA's robust library of educational resources, including articles, webinars, brand resources and videos that have proven beneficial in educating, inspiring and engaging architects, designers and specifiers. In turn, the NKBA will work to inform and develop collaborative opportunities with design and construction members and HTA Certified home technology integrators. To help NKBA members facilitate technology in their designs, the HTA has created a new Project Technology Assessment form that provides a listing of the type of technology that could possibly be needed in a new or remodeled home. This is available now and is free for NKBA members who are encouraged to download and use the checklist at https://htacertified.org/app/project- technology-assessment-for-design-professionals/. "Home design and construction is at a turning point, as homeowners are becoming more aware of the safety, convenience and entertainment that modern home technology systems can provide. I am happy to announce our new collaboration with the NKBA as they are an advocate of designer-integrator collaboration," said Josh Christian, CEO of HTA. "The NKBA leadership recognizes that to meet client needs effectively, determining a project's technology must be part of the designer's process. The goal of this collaboration is for NKBA's members to learn about home technology options, NKBA 2022 DESIGN TRENDS LEAD TO SMART HOME TECHNOLOGY

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