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Construction Marketplace Wednesday, January 10, 2018 1 8 Technology in the Home the Key Ingredient to a Life Well-Run By Julie Link, Director of Research, Advertiser and Consumer Insights You might be working on boosting your home's IQ, but have you thought about your home's EQ? We're bringing more smart technology into our homes every day, and with that comes heightening expectations of how all those smart prod- ucts deliver on our emotional satisfac- tion. It's about bringing some emotional intelligence into the world of the smart home – adding some EQ to your home's IQ. It's not good enough that technology merely respond to our requests; con- sumers expect technology to anticipate needs by learning patterns, moods and if/then sequences. Technology that antic- ipates needs, rather than reacting when called upon, will win the hearts of con- sumers. Better yet, technology that can be forgotten is the very best scenario, according to our recent conversations with consumers on smart home technolo- gy. Physically and psychologically unob- trusive devices allow the household to operate in a focused and balanced man- ner, free of technological complication. Four out of five of Scripps Networks Interactive Under One Roof panel mem- bers agree that "making my home con- venient for daily tasks" is a benefit that smart home technology offers. Household resets are key opportuni- ties to integrate new technology at home. Life stage transitions like moving to a new home, bringing a baby into the household or having an elderly parent move in help consumers justify smart home technology upgrades and new pur- chases. Each of these "resets" is an oppor- tunity to grow an individual's IoT and build systems that not only work hard to keep the household run- ning at maximum efficiency, but also enhance the emotional satis- faction gained from our homes. There is a slow simmer on investing in technology for the kitchen. It may be that we like to go analog in the kitchen and create with our own hands. Consumers view kitchen- and bath-related technology as "nice-to- have," but not a top priority. These devices haven't proven their value yet in terms of money, time and countertop space, but they have the potential to deliv- er big on the biggest challenge – deliver- ing efficiency that ultimately contributes to our emotional satisfaction at home. Since friends and family are the No. 1 resource for smart home technology recommendations, a gift of a smart home product feels like a personal endorse- ment. When products are received as a gift, consumers can easily get over the hump of owning, installing and using technology in the home. A gifted smart home tech product acts as a gateway to curating a house full of technology that launches the homeowner into a well-run life. Frustrations arise when technol- ogy disengages individuals, or their loved ones, from each other. Camouflaging and enabling seam- less flow of technology in the home guarantees we can maximize the sense of connection through minimizing techno- logical distractions. Under One Roof is an internet-based community hosted by Scripps Networks Interactive that includes approximately 20,000 U.S. residents ages 18-64. The community is comprised of a national sample of consumers who are "lifestyle enthusiasts," recruited based on their interest in the home, food and travel cat- egories. The community is not intended to be representative of the U.S. general population. For more information, visit www.food networkadsales.com and www.hgtv adsales.com. Bringing Beautiful, Functional Knives into the Kitchen By Micah Cheek There's a lot of mystique around the chef's knife. The all-purpose blade is one of the great kitchen essentials, giving it the kind of notoriety that gets it tattooed on the arms of culinary school students en masse. With this kind of mystique, it's no wonder that kitchen knives are start- ing to blur the lines between tools and works of art. Chefs and home cooks alike are looking for knives that are as beauti- ful as they are sharp. Zack Worrell, Founder and Owner of Monolith Knives, is part of a community of creators of artfully crafted knives. "The [artisan] culinary knife movement is only about 12 years old. The true leader of it is Bob Kramer. He went out and started doing this in the 1990s. He had worked in restaurants all his life, and he wanted a knife that was better than anything he could find," says Worrell. "I think the industry is definitely on fire, there's huge room for growth." Monolith Knives creates custom culinary blades in Charlottesville, Virginia. Many chefs, including some James Beard Award-win- ners, have sought Monolith out for their rustic designs and unusual handles. Knife buyers are informed enough about knife materials and quality that they find value in the special materials Monolith sources. "Some of the steel we get to work with is so amazing," says Worrell. "We use both carbon steel and stainless steel, and carbon Damascus and stainless Damascus. We buy it from curated boutique shops in the United States and a company from Sweden called Damasteel. It's one of the most high-performance steels on the market." For customers who are looking for rare and special building materials, knife makers can use materials with a story, including steel from the leaf spring sus- pensions of classic muscle cars. "We also use reclaimed metal. We try to pick cool cars so we can tell a story. We did some last year that were all made from a '69 Mustang. We anneal the steel, normalize and later re-harden and temper the steel – all part of the crucial heat-treating process. That's like giving it a new life." When looking into handcrafted knives, it is important to make sure that they were created from responsibly sourced materials. "Export laws are changing. There's a type of wood that's really rare called desert ironwood – peo- ple cut it out of protected lands in Arizona, and when you go to a knife show you'll see tables full of it," says Worrell. "You see some stuff at shows like elephant tusk and coral – it really has no place here. There's a lot of exotic wood that comes into the country that isn't regulated." Customers will respond to more eco- logically friendly materials that tell a story. And those materials don't have to come from an iconic muscle car. "For us, using domestic wood is cool. We find stuff that's semi-rotted and then inject it with resin and dyes, and then it looks super cool. Locally sourced means so much more to people," Worrell says. "There's this big orange tree in my front yard – when Meriwether Lewis came home from his expedition with James Clark, he brought home Osage orange. I have a bunch of wood that has come from James Monroe's house here in Virginia, and James Madison's, and Thomas Jefferson's at Monticello. It's amazing wood." Resin handles are growing in popu- larity because they open up lots of oppor- tunities for interesting patterns and styles. "There's trends like resin handles, they've been a big thing. We do a lot of experimentation with that. The resin cast- ing stuff is pretty cool – it lets us get into the full picture of the knife," says Worrell. Monolith makes its own handles in a style similar to micarta, which is pro- duced by laminating linen soaked in resin. After sanding, the resulting handle is light, sturdy and watertight. These resin handles are especially appealing to people working in kitchens, thanks to its resistance to water and bacteria. Figuring out how to do a retail busi- ness in handcrafted knives can be tough. "Sometimes we have retailers who want to carry our stuff. Sometimes it gets dif- ficult to be able to meet their expecta- tions for material," says Worrell. "We're still a small business, so margins are tight. We work with people who are will- ing to get us a better points spread on our margin, and then we can handle the drop ship and everything for them, and they're just committing to a certain number of sales per year." More exciting designs are also avail- able for consumers looking for bold designs that require less of an invest- ment. Cangshan Cutlery has been pro- ducing wood handles and sheaths which have proven popular with an educated audience. "Wood is very much on trend right now, we're very aware of it. The problem with wood in knives is the sani- tation issue. If people don't have great sanitation practices, that can be a prob- lem." says Christopher Saunders, Creative Director, Cangshan Cutlery. "We do talk about maintenance of the wood, oiling it periodically, and the fact that you have to take care of it more. We're building on those materials to edu- cate the people who buy our knives," adds Rob Walling, National Sales Manager, Cangshan Cutlery. A functional and beautiful chef's knife can take the place of many other blades in the kitchen. "I think minimal- ism is becoming popular. Kitchens are getting smaller. We're pushing for an essential knife block, not with 20 knives you never use," says Saunders, who points out that Millennials in smaller liv- ing spaces will be looking for attractively designed essentials. "The younger gener- ation is looking for something that's a lit- tle more space saving. But I tell you what, a 23-piece NI Series knife set sit- ting in your kitchen makes a bold state- ment," says Walling. Going into the future, Saunders expects smooth lines and bold tones to play an even greater part in knife design. "I think probably more minimalistic styles are going to be big, possibly even more artistic, playing with bold colors and wood," says Saunders. At Home Opens New Rochester Location At Home Group Inc. has opened its newest location in Rochester, New York. The new store is the northernmost loca- tion for At Home and the third in the state, with other locations in Syracuse and Albany. The new, 85,000-square-foot store offers more than 50,000 home décor items from furniture, mirrors, rugs, art and housewares to tabletop, patio and seasonal décor, including more than 100 artificial Christmas tree varieties. "We are executing on the tremen- dous opportunity that we see in this mar- ket," said At Home Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Lee Bird. "We want to be Rochester's home décor superstore of choice as we continue to grow our pres- ence in upstate New York." Shoppers will find style ideas throughout the store, with room vignettes that are continually updated to showcase the latest trends and seasonal items. More than 400 new products arrive each week. "At Home brings a one-stop shop for home and holiday décor to Rochester, with items to fit any budget or style," said At Home Store Director Shannon Ferguson. "We welcome everyone to come in, explore our new store and find decorating inspiration to turn any house into a home." The Rochester At Home is one of more than 25 new store openings across the U.S. this year for the home décor chain and will bring 25 jobs to the area.