FDM - August 2009

ARCHITECTS

kitchens, according to the survey.

Flooring and countertops made from renewable materials top the list, with demand unchanged from a year ago. Also, environmentally related demand is up for drinking water filtration systems and from an appearance standpoint, natural wood finished cabinets are on the increase.

On the down side, architects reported declining popularity for built-in coffee/espresso makers, warming drawers, duplicate appliances, pot filler water faucets, natural stone countertops, and upper-end appliances.

Adaptability / Univ. des.

Accommodating aging population remains popular
goal of bath features, even in weak market

respond, report popularity “increasing” minus report “decreasing”; Q4

52

58 52 2 58 5

2008

20 2007

20

50

60

Radiant heated ;oors

25

Linen closet / storage

0

10

20

30 40 30

30

3

50

60

70

Customers want
flooring and
countertops of
renewable materials.

An aging population continues to drive demand for universal design and adaptability features.

Bath trends follow
suit

The number and size of baths requested have remained stable, according to the majority of architects in the survey. Following a similar trend in kitchens, adaptabil-

ity and universal
design requests
were reported up
for bathrooms.
Demand for radiant
heated floors was
also strong.
Also up in popularity
were water-saving toilets,

doorless showers and hand showers. On the decline were mostly upscale products such as infrared

saunas, soaking tubs, steam showers and towel warming drawers or racks. “Some more upscale products like multihead showers and double sink vani-ties continued to show some popularity but consumer interest appears to be tapering off,” according to the report.