Kitchen Remodeling Trends: Wireless Charging, Bronze Finishes, Larger Sinks, and Smart Design
Host:
Welcome to the Home Remodeling Show with Edge Construction on News Talk 1310 WIBA. Have a question? Email it to EdgeConstructionRadio@gmail.com.
Now, here is your host, Sean Prebil, on News Talk 1310 WIBA.
This is the Home Remodeling Show, brought to you by Edge Construction. You can find them online at EdgeConstructionCompany.com. That is all one word, Edge Construction Company dot com.
It is a fantastic website. If you have not been there recently, check it out. They are always updating EdgeConstructionCompany.com.
One really cool thing there is the links to Pinterest, Facebook, and Houzz. Houzz is a really great place to get ideas if you are thinking about doing a remodel.
If you are thinking about remodeling, of course, pick up the phone and call Edge Construction at 608-636-3343. That number is 636-EDGE.
Joining us this morning in studio is Mike Twohig of Edge Construction. Mike, how are you doing this week?
Mike:
Great, Sean.
Host:
You have a little color. Where the heck have you been?
Mike:
I went to the International Builders’ Show in Vegas. I went to Vegas for a couple of days last week.
I did not know you could get so sore from walking. I feel like I walked 100 miles on the concrete of the show floor.
It is a very big show. I walked two days, talked to a fair amount of people, and probably saw 60 percent of it, just to give you some sense of the scale.
Host:
Wow. So you really have to pare down and go to the areas that interest you.
Is that in the newer convention center? Last time I was out there, they had been building one down by Circus Circus.
Mike:
No, I do not know about that one. This is the Las Vegas Convention Center. It is kind of on the far end of town, the big silvery thing.
Host:
Right, okay.
Mike:
It is several buildings on both sides of the road.
They actually built three houses in a parking lot.
Host:
Really?
Mike:
Yes. You walk through and see companies showing different things.
Host:
What happens next week when they have to take those apart? Do they donate them to somebody?
Mike:
That is a good question.
Host:
You and I had a chance to talk a little before the show about some of the interesting and cool things you saw. Maybe some are not ready to hit the mass market yet, but they are definitely on the horizon.
One thing you were talking to me about was cell phone charging — or not just cell phone charging, but a charging option with really cool integration.
What did you see out there in Vegas?
Mike:
One of the most fun things to do is go to the area where they have all the newer products.
I always say, are there really any new products, or are they 10 percent new? There are almost no truly new ideas. Charging is not new, but doing it this way sure is.
There was a little booth where I saw this product in the new product area. They judge them and give awards, including monetary awards, because some of these companies are startups and need funding and help.
This one sounded really great.
They came up with a product that is sort of a pad you mount to the underside of your quartz countertop. I am sure it works on granite too.
The trick is that you have to router out a spot for it. That is not something the average person is going to be able to do. You want to do that in a shop.
They are showing the end product, but it mounts underneath your countertop, and then you can charge up to three things at once on each pad.
No cords. Just lay your cell phone down, lay your laptop down, lay your earbuds down. Basically, anything rechargeable can charge there.
It is smart too. It does not overcharge. Some chargers that are not as good will keep charging even when things are full, and that is not really good for anything.
Host:
That is very cool.
Did I hear you right that there is a light? When you initially set your device down, it lets you know that yes, indeed, it is charging, and then the light fades?
Mike:
The trick is, if you do not know exactly where this pad is, how do you get your phone in the right spot?
They built it with an LED band of light that shines through the stone. It is amazing how much light comes through.
If you have a quartz countertop, put a flashlight underneath it. I think you can see it.
It has an app, of course, like everything else in this world. You can pick up to nine different colors. You can set it so that it is never visible, and then when you slide your phone across your countertop, it shows up so you know where to put it.
Then it can be on a timer. Once you find it and put your phone on it, the circle of light disappears after a certain amount of time.
I thought it was super innovative.
We have already talked to our countertop suppliers because even to people like us, they are really selling to our countertop suppliers because of the installation side of it.
So it is coming, we hope.
We talked to our two main suppliers, and they seemed pretty open to it. One of them already knew about the product. We are really excited for that one.
Host:
That is going to be super cool when it starts getting out there and becomes available for future remodeling projects.
Speaking of not only what is on the horizon, but also what is popular right now, you mentioned some finishes. One in particular is definitely the bee’s knees these days.
Let’s talk about the goldy-bronze finish. I did not realize it was this popular.
Mike:
I did not either.
One of the most fun things to do there is go to the plumbing supply displays.
We have Kohler right here in Wisconsin, and that has kind of always been our starting point. There are others too. I do not want to mention names because we do not use them all the time.
There are a few products we cannot get from Kohler that other suppliers provide, and if somebody really likes those, we do not have a problem with that. We just know the Kohler product so well. I think we are in our comfort zone there.
But yes, the walls of fixtures and every sink seemed to have that bronze finish.
It is a subdued bronze. It is a brushed bronze. It is not that old gold bronze. I am just looking around the studio to see if anything like that is here.
It is not the old ugly gold color. It has a brushed look, and it is a very nice look.
I know that is clearly going to be more popular based on the displays. If the displays look like that, it means people want it. It must be selling.
That is a pretty cool thing.
Host:
We are talking this morning with Mike Twohig of Edge Construction.
We are going to get to kitchens and kitchen remodeling in just a moment, but right now we are reviewing Mike’s trip to Las Vegas for the International Builders’ Show. He saw some great stuff and learned more about new products out there.
Speaking of projects, if you are thinking about doing some remodeling, Mike and the team would love to talk with you.
Head over to the website to learn more, or pick up the phone and call 608-636-3343. That number is 636-EDGE.
The website is EdgeConstructionCompany.com. That is Edge Construction Company dot com.
I feel like there is never enough space in the kitchen sink, and it sounds like they are responding to that, aren’t they?
Mike:
Yes.
I started seeing stuff about this maybe six months ago: a coming trend toward bigger kitchen sinks, nicer kitchen sinks, and more options.
For so long, and even now, there is nothing wrong with the stainless steel kitchen sink. We do a lot of those. That is probably half of what we do.
The rest are anything above that. There are just a ton of options.
But now we are seeing bigger sinks.
The average sink base in Dane County is 36 inches wide. Usually, your sink is three inches less. If you have a 36-inch-wide base cabinet, you are going to use a 33-inch sink.
We were seeing quite a few sinks out there that are 39 or 42 inches. With those bigger ones, a lot of times you have two faucets on them.
Not only that, there is a lot of organization happening.
I think most of these upgraded sinks now let you buy a cutting board that fits right on the top and does not move around. That is a super handy place for that.
I am assuming there are a lot of little doodads to work in that sink, cook in that sink, and prep food in that sink.
There is also one smaller, lesser-known manufacturer that came out with something that is like a computer with a sink attached.
It is really something.
You can pick the temperature of your water coming out. Instead of water coming out of a traditional faucet, it has a spot where maybe an eight-inch-wide by one-inch-deep stream of water comes out to fill a big pot fast, or maybe to wash your hands.
You can wave your hand underneath it, and it shuts off. Wave your hand again, and it turns on. Bump it, and it turns on. Bump it again, and it turns off.
There is a lot there, so I am expecting to see more of that. Judging by the crowd’s reaction, there were a lot of people standing around watching that one.
Host:
Are they going deeper as well? Not just wider?
Mike:
A little deeper, but I think they have probably reached a logical point in the last bunch of years.
When you get to nine or 10 inches, that is pretty deep without going to a utility sink.
I just loved all the innovation on the sinks.
It is always something you would not think of. How can we improve a sink? We have been at it all these years, but all of a sudden, boom, boom, boom — there is a whole bunch of new stuff and a lot of great innovation.
Host:
We are talking this week with Mike Twohig of Edge Construction about kitchen remodels and mapping out your kitchen remodel.
You mentioned different size sinks. I think of how long so many things were very standard: sink size, dishwasher size, refrigerator size, range size, and those types of things.
When Edge Construction does a kitchen remodel — or any remodel, but we will stick to kitchens this week — getting to know the homeowner and their lifestyle matters.
When we start talking about different dimensions and different types of sinks, even something like that needs to be identified early. You want to make sure this is something the homeowner wants to do and that the design works around it, correct?
Mike:
Yes.
A good designer should at least help you find out what the options are.
There are a lot of people who are not going to shows and are not staying up to date on the latest plumbing fixture. I get that.
But your designer should be helping in that process a little bit and saying, “Just so you know, we can go bigger on that sink if that is something you are really interested in.”
There are a lot of options to pick from.
Host:
Really cool stuff.
We are talking this week with Mike Twohig of Edge Construction. We are going to get into the process of kitchen remodeling and a little bit about the scope of work and mapping out that remodel in just a moment.
In the meantime, as we talk about kitchens and kitchen remodeling, Edge Construction has a bunch of fantastic projects they have recently worked on up at EdgeConstructionCompany.com.
Check out their portfolio. Also check out the links to Houzz, Pinterest, and Facebook, all available at EdgeConstructionCompany.com.
If you are thinking about doing some remodeling, pick up the phone and call 608-636-3343. That number is 636-EDGE.
We are going to get into kitchens next as the Home Remodeling Show with Edge Construction continues here on 1310 WIBA.
Host:
This is the Home Remodeling Show, brought to you by Edge Construction. The website is EdgeConstructionCompany.com. That is all one word, Edge Construction Company dot com.
Their telephone number is 608-636-3343. That number is 636-EDGE.
We are talking this week about kitchen remodels.
We started the program off talking about Mike’s trip to Las Vegas for the International Builders’ Show. If you missed any part of that, do not forget…