Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 22

RESEARCH ROUNDUP
ucts and accessories, means there's a place for everything and the homeowner knows where to find
it all. Designers and specifiers recommend easyclean, low-maintenance material choices, with 48
percent opting for commercial finishes and fabrics
that are easy to clean and long-wearing.

RIGHT Healthy living includes
design concepts like biophilia,
the use of natural elements
like plantings and taking advantage of natural light where
possible, as in this design by
Laurence Carr. Photo by Kelly
Marshall Photography

LIVING IN PLACE

The baby boomer and Silent generations - all
over age 55 - prioritize streamlined living less
than younger groups. But what is a big priority for
them is staying in their own homes as long as possible. Enter Living in Place. NKBA has devoted
a significant effort to this topic of making spaces
safe, comfortable and useable for all individuals,
regardless of their physical challenges or abilities.
"Living in Place" often conjures ideas of making
a space accessible to seniors or people who use
wheelchairs or walkers. And the occasional "person who breaks a leg."
That's a big part of it, but a parent carrying a
sleeping child into the house needs to be able to
walk into and through the space without a tripping hazard. Or when someone is carrying several
bags of groceries, it's much easier to use levers
instead of doorknobs. Design that works for everyone - today, tomorrow and for multiple generations living in the same dwelling - is what Living
in Place is all about.
Among specifiers, 67 percent focused on the
desire to remain in the family home as the top
factor influencing Living in Place design.This was
followed by 65 percent who said ensuring that the
bathroom is a safe and comfortable space for all
generations, and 59 percent saying kitchens that
are safe and easy for all ages and skill levels to use.
Not surprisingly, more than 53 percent of respondents said baby boomers and Gen Xers put
"heal the body and promote wellness"at the top of
their priority lists, and baby boomers lead all generations with 67 percent saying making the space
more comfortable for all ages is driving design.
Among the top design solutions are non-slip
flooring or tile in the bathroom, tub and shower,
cited by 86 percent of respondents; 81 percent
put a seat in the shower; zero-clearance shower
entry or no doors, wider doorways and attractive,
non-institutional-looking grab bars were cited by
more than 73 percent.
HEALTHY LIVING

Finally, we come to our fourth major influence,
which is becoming more and more crucial in today's environment: healthy living.
Healthy lifestyles include a deeper connection
with nature via maximum views to the outdoors,
taking advantage of morning light and balancing
circadian rhythms with lighting; wide, zero-entry

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doorways to outdoor areas; selecting natural materials, like warm woods,
natural stones and reclaimed woods and metals; earthy tones; and quite
significantly, according to the research, healthy eating.
This means eating and preparing more fresh foods in healthier ways. Here,
the design solutions include more refrigerator space to accommodate fresh
produce, meats and dairy, cited by 70 percent of respondents; and more than
60 percent chose giant sinks to clean all that produce; integrated areas to cut
and prep, recycling and composting centers; and 53 percent said flexible cool
drawers to accommodate food storage as needed.
In the bathroom, health and wellness elements include body jets in the tub
or shower, aroma therapy, a sauna, chroma and light therapy and shelves for
candles. Some even cited a float tank for sensory deprivation therapy among
elements promoting the bathroom as a spa-like place to escape, relax and
heal the body.
NKBA research reports are available in the NKBA store under "Market
Research Reports" at store.nkba.org.
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/ MAY-JUNE 2020 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of NKBA (NKBA.org) and KBIS (KBIS.com)

5/5/20 12:26 PM

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Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020