Episode 64: Kitchen Appliance Design Trends

Renovating 20+ kitchens every year, Julie Hale from Trail Appliances knows a thing or two about how to determine which appliances will work for you and how to design the ultimate kitchen that works for you. Tune in the hear the latest kitchen design and appliance trends, and optimize your next renovation!

YOU CAN ALSO WATCH THIS RECORDING ON YOUTUBE

Check out FortisBC to learn about their latest rebates and information on renewable energy options.

BC Housing: We’re working with partners across industry to increase the supply of safe quality, accessible and affordable homes. The Secondary Suite Incentive Program will help provide new homes at affordable rental rates for British Columbians. Learn More – www.bchousing.org 

Trail Appliances makes everyday life better. With the best selection in Western Canada, hassle-free delivery, and a price match guarantee, you’ll always get the best deal. At Trail Appliances, you’ll love buying an appliance as much as you’ll love using it.

Co-Host, podcast editor: Jennifer-Lee Gunson: jPod Creations
Co-Host, Mike Freedman, AI Technology & Design
Production: Rami Films
Distributed by Black Press Media: Today in BC.

JULIE HALE: Senior Director of Business Development, Trail Appliances

Listen and like for your chance to win a gas BBQ compliments of our Podcast Partner FortisBC.

Transcript: 64 Kitchen Appliance Design Trends

JENNIFER-LEE:

Welcome back to Measure Twice Cut Once. We are in season seven. And Mike, we have a great guest today. They’re not only one of our podcast partners, but they do know how to throw a really good party because we have had a few haven events there, like Coats for Kids, where you got to taste delectable food and some wine pairings as well. And we are really excited to have her with us.

MIKE:

All right. Very exciting episode today. talking with some friends of ours. And I wanted to introduce our guest. This is Julie Hale from Trail Appliances. You are the Senior Director of Business Development at Trail Appliances. Welcome to Measure Twice, Cut Once. Could you tell us a little about yourself?

JULIE:

Yeah, awesome. So yeah, so I’ve been in the Lower Mainland for 27 years, originally from Calgary. I still feel like a bit of a prairie girl, but I have lived here longer than I did in Calgary and actually have worked for Trail Appliances for over a decade, if you can believe it. Super passionate about food and wine, so living in a great city for that. I’m an old mommy. I’m 47 years old and have a seven-year-old. Balancing life and work and play and all the things is a great thing to be able to have and do.

MIKE:

And how’d you get connected with Trail? What’s your background that led you to do work with this company?

JULIE:

Yeah, funny enough, I’ve known the family all my life. I grew up with the Broderick family actually in Calgary and moved here at a very young age. and at 18 and didn’t know what I wanted to do. And my dad, who is a master electrician and ran his own company, we moved here. It was kind of like you can cry in your room for only so long, Julie, at 18, missing all your friends, or you can go to school and get a job. And the Brodericks called my house and said, how is the family doing? And my dad says, Julie’s crying in her room. And Mike Broderick said, well, send her in here. We’re hiring. And so way back at 18 years old, I actually started for Trail as a retail admin, a receptionist at the Richmond store.

JENNIFER-LEE:

Wow. And what do you love about your journey through Trail Appliances and your job now?

JULIE:

Yeah, I think it’s just it’s an exciting industry, right? I think when people think about appliances, they don’t see it as food, wine, style, design. They might think of it as kind of boring and it is, you know, sexy and interesting and it stays current and relevant. So, for me, I’ve got to journey from, you know, starting at trial appliances, also working with Miele appliances for over a decade, staying in the same industry. but selling different products as well. I’ve also sold lighting and plumbing before and then returning back to trail. So, I’ve got an opportunity to kind of see all perspectives of the business and what, you know, product you need to put a house together. So, it’s been a fun journey.

MIKE:

And to your point, I think a lot of people look at appliances as not a very exciting category, but there is a lot of really exciting things to talk about. And the more you shop around for appliances, the more you recognize that not all appliance purveyors are the same. Speaking specifically of Trail, can you tell us a little about Trail, a little about the company itself and what makes the company so unique and special?

JULIE:

Yeah, I think that’s why it’s really connected to me and why I’ve come back to Trail. You know, I grew up in a family business with my dad running his electrical company and coming back to Trail. It is family owned. We’re 50 years old this year. Trail is 50. I am not 50 yet. I got a few more years before that. But that really allows us to make quick decisions, talk with the family member, be agile. The things that we work on or put our heart into, we’re really mindful because it is actually the family business. And I think it’s the family business and the way we go about things that sets us apart. We make decisions for the long-term. We don’t make decisions that are just something right now that’s quick. We really think about how is that going to affect our future, our customers, our staff. And so, when we have that mindset, we’re much more relevant. long lasting, and I think caring overall about not only our customer, but our staff.

JENNIFER-LEE:

And there’s so many products out there. And I do think some of them are very sexy. They’re getting sexier by the moment. But how do you think maybe it’s an advantage of having a family business? And how do you think it comes to being a little bit more advantageous when picking the products that you guys sell in your stores?

JULIE:

Well, I mean, the thing about Trail that is so cool is that we carry 50 plus brands. So not everybody realizes that we have from cost friendly from a $4.99 dishwasher up to the most premium dishwasher for five or six thousand dollars. So, we carry 50 plus brands across a variety of price points. So, I think that’s What is really beneficial at trial is that a consumer can come in and get a dishwasher that they need right away because there’s leaked, or if they’re building a home from a year from now, we have a whole selection of products at cost-friendly, affordable luxury, or ultra-premium that you may not find at every location.

MIKE:

And I really like going into your locations and having that breadth of choice. And the other thing that I really found was and speaking just as a consumer or home consumer or homeowner myself, is that when I walked in the service levels were great. And I think that’s because you have a lot of long-term staff members who are there for quite a while, which helps elevate the experience. So, whether I’m going in for the $500 dishwasher, the $5,000 dishwasher, I get treated the same. And I really appreciate that.

JULIE:

Yeah, we put a lot of effort into our team and their knowledge. I’m actually in charge of our learning and development for our company. So, you know, when we do hire for our sales team, there is a whole year long process that we take that person on in order to make sure that you get the experience you need, whether you’re buying a $4.99 dishwasher or that $5,000 dishwasher. And so, it’s really important that we invest in the staff members so that it’s the investment in the customer in the long term.

JENNIFER-LEE:

I just can’t believe you guys have 50 brands. I learn something new every time.

MIKE:

One brand per year is what we’re figuring out here. That’s amazing. 50 years old, 50 brands. One of the things that really excites me talking about the kitchens is not the design. And please, I’m not taking anything away from the world of design. But what really excites me is a lot of the technology that’s coming into the kitchen, not just in each of the pieces of equipment that we use, but even the number of pieces of equipment that we have in our house. It used to be we’d have a coffee maker, a microwave, and the usual three appliances. And now we’re building an appliance garage. There’s all sorts of different pieces of equipment on the market. So that’s really changed how a kitchen has been designed. Can you talk a little about how that shift has occurred? We’re moving towards higher performing appliances, higher performing homes, and we’re not using this conventional logic to design kitchens anymore. How is it shifting?

JULIE:

Yeah, I think a home and the rooms within a home need to be much more than they used to be. You know, we all spent a lot of time at home in the past. I’m not even going to mention the word because I think we’re all sick of it. But we spent a lot of time working at home and living at home. And with that, our houses need to be the place where we work, the place where we play, the place where we study, the place where we laugh. the place that holds all the things, whether it’s 500 square feet in a downtown apartment or 5,000 square feet in a house. So, you know, making sure that those open concept homes have both the work play and the restorative nature has changed. We don’t just design that that workable triangle anymore. The space has to be much more than that. And so, you know, working with designers on the layouts they’ve, you know, re-envisioned those spaces. And then the appliances are doing much more than they ever did before, whether it’s through AI or through technology, or actually just one actual appliance being so multifunctional, because it needs to be able to, again, drive efficiency in my house, because I’ve got a soccer game to get to, or I’ve got a big party to throw. So, I think, again, the answer to your question, the long answer is the room and what we do needs to be so multifaceted. And so that’s what’s kind of spurred the change in how we design.

JENNIFER-LEE:

And I love seeing smart appliances. Can you tell us, too, what is your favorite or one that you’ve seen so far of an AI appliance that would like change your life?

JULIE:

Yeah, I think for me, you know, the AI that that is coming out or is, you know, just come out on the market is where you can buy a set of laundry now. And in the year from now, when they upload different features or different functions, that my laundry isn’t out of date, right? I went to the store, I picked out what was best for me and my family, but my family needs change. And so, in a year from now, when one of the vendors come out with more programs, you can actually hook up and download those new features to your washing machine. So, you’re never out of date. Like our phones, we can keep downloading the latest version of the app, we can download the latest wash programs or the latest wash technology so we can always stay current. So, I think that makes it really special.

JENNIFER-LEE:

I’m glad they’re doing that more and more because appliances are a longtime commitment, unless you have a lot of money to change your appliances every year. So, I think that’s a big worry for the average consumer is to like go in and be like, OK, I’m putting down still a significant, even if it’s on the low end, significant amount of money. And am I going to have to replace this in two years?

JULIE:

I think the other thing about smart technology is that it also helps you get the right wash, or the right cook every time. So, there’s a lot more, you know, settings where it’s going to recognize the meat is done or there’s enough water in the washing machine or it’s going to put the right amount of soap in it. So, whether it’s me or my husband, it’s going to wash correctly every time. Not that he doesn’t wash correctly every time, everybody, but every time it will be washed perfectly.

JENNIFER-LEE:

Because I was going to say, the AI can’t stop you from putting red in with white.

JULIE:

Yes. The sort of black load and the sort of white load. And there’s nobody to empty my dishwasher yet. So, I’m still waiting for that.

MIKE:

That’s a universal problem. Many of us who have kids have that problem. One of the really exciting parts about all this technology in the kitchen, we know what a fridge is, we know what a stove is, it’s the technology underneath the hood that allows it to do all this new stuff and all these amazing capabilities, is where the first time we don’t have to choose between design and performance, right? We have both. But what’s the really exciting part for me is that let’s think about a house. A kitchen is the heart of the home. We all know that. In fact, have a party at your house. When does it not end in the kitchen? But now what we’re able to do with these smart appliances is actually like we have fridges with tablets built into them. So, two things happen. One, we have a smarter house and two, we have less stuff. in our kitchen. It’s cleaner. Her designers like it more as well. Can you talk about, in your opinion, sort of the impact, not now, because we know where stuff is now, but where do you see the evolution of smart appliances over the next few years? And what are the benefits for us as homeowners investing in this technology now, as opposed to waiting? Because that’s always the challenge in technology. Do I buy this generation or the next generation? Although you said its software based, so it doesn’t really matter. But I’m curious about your vision for the future though.

JULIE:

I think it’ll just allow us; things will just get a little bit easier. So maybe we can focus on the things that are more precious to us, right? You know, I know as a mom working, I sometimes, you know, need to glean out more hours maybe to read that book with my daughter or, you know, spend more time with my aging parents. And so, as AI technology advances, you know, it can maybe tell me what’s left in my fridge and give me a recipe. to make with the ingredients rather than me looking it up. It might alert me to what I would need to go to the grocery store. So, I think we’re going to see more functional aspects that are all about giving us back time so that we can spend our time in other ways.

JENNIFER-LEE:

Yeah, and I’m already starting to see a bit of that. Maybe it’s not necessarily giving it to you so you can go grocery shopping. But I saw an oven a few years ago that it would start to give you recipes on the oven. And I was like, oh, that’s pretty cool, too, because not a lot of us have cookbooks because we’re trying to, you know, minimize what we have in paper. And so, some people have tablets. But again, that’s another appliance. So, if the oven could tell us, here is your recipes. Yeah, cool.

MIKE:

Yeah. It doesn’t matter how big a kitchen it is; counter space is always at a premium. So, anything we can do to reduce the number of devices required in there without a loss of functionality is a big win for sure. We’re talking a lot about the convenience of smart appliances, right? I’ll give you a great example that I love. When we turn on a smart stove, it talks to my hood fan, turns on the hood fan, that way the kids don’t fill a house with smoke. What we’re not really talking about much are some of the other benefits of owning smart appliances. And to me, the biggest one is the energy efficiency that comes with it as well. That allows us to have a smaller footprint, that allows us to have a smaller electrical panel and electrical grid in new houses. Can you talk about some of the energy options that are available with smart appliances and how that would impact us as homeowners in our kitchens?

JULIE:

Yeah, so two that come to mind would definitely be induction or heat pump dryers. you know with induction and I was just in Vegas a couple weeks ago at the Kitchen and Bath show and got to see some of the new induction pieces that are coming so like you said Mike super beautiful but then very like the technology that is there now so induction in terms of you know, saving us energy is really amazing because we’re not having to have that gas line hooked up. We’re not having that extra heat in our house. There’s a lot of debate between gas and electric when you talk to home cooks. And so, somebody cooking on gas, it’s like the amber glow of candlelight is so sexy and taking your tongs and roasting pepper on it. But it also lights robes on fires when you’re flipping the pancakes and heats up the whole house. In the summertime, I have a gas stove at the moment, and my house was so hot in the summertime, like, we didn’t want to cook at all. With induction, we don’t have to worry about cooling down the house even more. The induction isn’t throwing off the heat, and I can stand there in my robe and have my daughter leaning over and flipping those pancakes with me and not worry that she’s going to, you know, touch a flame or, you know, get in trouble. And then the cleanability is so amazing. So again, I’m not saving or I’m saving myself time by the cleanup and the mess afterwards and the smells and the odors. So, induction is certainly a game changer, but one that most customers, designers, builders have to try before they buy. And so that is something unique about Trail that we have a lot of live kitchens at our 12 locations. where you really can come in and compare and contrast gas versus induction, because it’s almost like magic, like people just can’t believe it, and so to see it is really amazing.

JENNIFER-LEE:

And you need certain pans for induction, don’t you, or certain pots?

JULIE:

Yeah, so, you know, when it was brought in, this is like, and I’m going to date myself, when like VHS and Blu-ray and DVD, like it was expensive and you couldn’t maybe find a Blu-ray disc. Nowadays, induction pots are everywhere. Walmart, the Bay, all the places you can find induction ready pots. So that, you know, drawback has kind of been diminished as it becomes so much wider for everybody. And the cost, the cost of an induction cooktop, you usually would only be able to get it at a very premium brand and now at the cost friendly price point. So, it’s way more accessible.

MIKE:

I love the information you get as well. We just purchased a new refrigerator from Trail, and I get these reports now. I know two things. I know when my kids are standing in front of the door looking at it all day, which is really, yeah, yeah, they do that. Um, but the second part is I actually get energy usage readings on my app. So, for someone who’s trying to get to a certain methodology of building where they’re much, much less of a footprint would, net zero passive, knowing how much these appliances use and be able to map and track it in real time is really, really powerful data. And that’s what we don’t talk about enough. We tend to get very excited about what these appliances can do and how beautiful they are. And those are two very important things. But the fact that we can actually get so much data and knowledge about how our home is working and how the pieces of our home are talking to each other, I’m going to stop now because I could do this all day. It’s really exciting. You’re geeking out about it, right? I am. In fact, here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to suggest that we’ve had so much great information that it may be now time to take a two-minute break so we can walk out to our kitchen, grab ourselves a nice beverage, and come back as well. So, if you can give us just two minutes, we’re going to thank some of our amazing podcast partners, of which you’re one, and we’ll be right back.

JENNIFER-LEE:

Measure twice, cut once is grateful to our podcast partners, FortisBC, BC Housing, and Trail Appliances. Support from our partners helps us share expert knowledge and resources with families looking to build, design, and renovate the home right for you. Trail Appliances makes everyday life better with the best selection in Western Canada, hassle-free delivery, and a price match guarantee. You’ll always get the best deal. At Trail Appliances, you’ll love buying an appliance as much as you’ll love using it. Affordable, accessible, quality housing is top of mind issue for many British Columbians. For BC Housing, creating access to housing solutions that meets everyone’s needs is a guiding principle. BC Housing is working with governments, nonprofits, and residential construction industry members to create practical solutions to BC’s housing challenges. To learn more about BC Housing initiatives, programs, and services, go to www.bchousing.org. And we all need reliable and efficient equipment for better comfort, health and safety of our homes. Whether you want to adopt some energy saving habits or take on a major energy efficiency upgrade, FortisBC can help you save energy. Be sure to go to FortisBC.com, where you can also find amazing tips on low and no cost ways to save energy. Plus, great information on what FortisBC is doing on low carbon energy with solutions such as renewable natural gas, Competition alert! Listen and like this episode for your chance to win a Napoleon Prestige P500 stainless steel natural gas barbecue valued at $1,600, compliments of our podcast partner FortisBC. Details at www.HAVAN.ca/measuretwicecutonce. Now let’s get back to our guests.

MIKE:

Awesome. Well, welcome back. And, um, Julie, we’ve had a really good conversation about some technology, and it’s great to talk about speeds and feeds, but how they fit into the home is equally as important. Can you talk to us about how you and your teamwork with designers to ensure that the space they envision is executed properly and to make sure that all the wonderful things you guys bring to the table fit into that space beautifully?

JULIE:

Yeah. So, we actually have a specialized team at Trail Appliances, our designer relations team, that work with designers specifically. And we’ve developed this team so that they have some of the similar knowledge base and information that designers do day to day. I’m not sure if you guys know this, but at Trail, we have 125 kitchen displays across our 12 locations. And one of my roles with my team members is to renovate 20 of those a year. The team members that call on designers, our designer relations team and me, have intimate knowledge of what it’s like to renovate because we’re always doing like 20 projects a year. So, we really appreciate that skill set that they bring. They bring an extreme attention to detail, a way to marry form and function that I’ve seen time and again as we work with them on these spaces in a collaborative way to transform these things in our showroom. I think our approach with the designers is really to get to know them and understand how they like to work so we can make the appliance side of things effortless for them and they can focus on the other aspects of the project with their homeowners and customers.

JENNIFER-LEE:

I think that’s great, because as much as we all love choosing new appliances, if you have a kitchen that’s not functional, it doesn’t matter how great your appliances are in that space. Yeah.

JULIE:

I think that, you know, the one thing for listeners to really take to heart is picking appliances. It should be one of the first things on the journey of renovating your home or building a new home. The kitchen tends to be the highest cost per square footage that you end up putting into your renovation or into your home. And how you’re going to use those appliances, Mike, you said earlier, you know, we all end up in the kitchen. It’s a fairly highly used space. So, while we want it to be restorative or highly energetic and beautifully designed, it also has to be super functional. So, starting on the appliance side of things, is, you know, when we’re working with designers, is how they’ll also coach the homeowner to do. And we’ll really work with that homeowner to find out all the things about their life so that we can really find the right fit and then collaborate with their designer and give them all that information so that they can design that personalized space.

JENNIFER-LEE:

We always talk about pre-planning on this podcast. It’s funny because now I think of it and being a daughter of a contractor, appliances always seem to be an afterthought. So, it’s so important to include them in the space to have great design and functionality.

JULIE:

Yeah, I would say the spaces that I’ve seen that are most functional and so beautifully designed are the ones that they started right from the beginning so they could really figure out what’s important to Mike, what’s important to Jennifer.

MIKE:

barbecues are what important, just so you know.

JENNIFER-LEE:

An outdoor space for Mike, full of 11 barbecues.

MIKE:

Shh, don’t talk about that. So, um, it sounds like what you’re saying is if I’m building a new home, what I should be doing is instead of designing the kitchen around the appliances, I should be starting with the appliances and building the kitchen around that.

JULIE:

Is that correct? Exactly.

MIKE:

OK, so now that we figured out the order of operations, let’s talk about the actual design itself. And what I’m hoping you can help us understand is the current year, if you’re watching this, is 2024, right? design trends are not fixed. They’re moving target and they’re always changing. What right now are some emerging trends that people should be aware of? Because anyone who’s thinking about a new kitchen right now should be thinking it looking forward, not back, correct? So, what’s hot right now? What’s really driving excitement with your team and with designers right now?

JULIE:

In design or in appliances, Mike?

MIKE:

Well, in design in conjunction with appliances, right? So, if someone’s starting a kitchen from scratch, what’s really hot right now? What are you seeing a lot of? And what gets you excited when I come to you and go, hey, this is what I want to do in my house. Like, what’s the thing that makes you go, ooh, that’s really cool?

JULIE:

Yeah. I think materials right now are coming to the forefront with appliances and design. And by that, I mean There’s some very interesting textures and colors that are coming out. For a long time, it was all about paneling. refrigeration or dishwashers and having it look like millwork. And now we’re looking at other ways to do that. So solid surfaces like stone are getting used on millwork fronts or on refrigeration, leather fronted refrigeration. Can you imagine your wine area, your cigar bar with these beautiful leather fronted leather handles?

MIKE:

I could actually.

JULIE:

Right. I love it. You’re already buying.

JENNIFER-LEE:

Guess what we’re buying tonight.

JULIE:

Yeah, exactly. Rose gold brass touches on knobs and collars on ranges or, you know, custom colors. So, pops of color coming back. Is an avocado fridge coming back? No, no, no. I had an avocado fridge and avocado counters growing up. Yeah, it was all avocado. But pops of color. like, you know, red and yellow and orange or super deep hues of graphite is what we’re seeing. So rather than everything kind of just being a wall of millwork, having that juxtaposition with either a pop of color or some type of tone-on-tone texture is really exciting. And I know the designers are going to like what they’re going to see over the next six to eight months.

MIKE:

Feels like we’ve come a long way since black, white and stainless steel, which is really exciting because I suspect a lot of those panel doors, because appliances were very boring until, not that they were boring, but they weren’t as exciting as they are now. And it’s nice to see them being the front and center of the kitchen, almost like a piece of artwork.

JULIE:

Yeah. And I think there’s a range of personalities that you can get to in terms of the color perspective. So, you know, for my mom, that might be more traditional. she can have you know the panel front or you know a beautiful stone front what have you but my brother who’s a bit younger and hipper and urban you know he can have these cool colored panels on top of his fridge and a bright blue or yellow or what have you that has a bit more fun vibrant personality so I think there’s something kind of for every type of personality.

JENNIFER-LEE:

I’m just like, I think colored fridges are so cool. And just color appliances because like I’ve seen appliances in black before and like things that you don’t necessarily think would look great can look really elegant. Yeah.

JULIE:

Black, matte black is very popular. Again, that totally.

MIKE:

I saw a yellow stove at one of your locations and I just walked out of there. I’ve never gotten excited about appliance before. I’m like, that one day.

JULIE:

Well, all of those colors that you saw are the colors of like Ferrari and Lamborghini cars so yeah, I can see why you might be drawn to it.

MIKE:

So, the technology how these units look, and the design are all interrelated. Now, one of the elements of design for those people who are watching or listening at home, when people design a kitchen, they typically use a triangle and that relates to how we interface with our kitchen, the closeness of the stove, the kitchen and the sink, which are the primary areas. However, one of the more exciting things that’s happened is that as we’ve added more functionality to our kitchen through better appliances, through newer appliances, through smarter appliances, the triangle is Still the best way to start with the kitchen, but there’s a lot more than just the triangle out there. Can you talk about some of the extension of how we’re using appliances in our kitchen beyond the conventional logic of that triangle?

JULIE:

I think there’s just so many more uses of appliances nowadays. And again, like I said earlier, rooms have to do way more than they’ve done in the past. So, when we think about the triangle and just being the sink, the fridge and the stove, what about the coffee maker? What about the undercounter wine unit? What about the vacuum sealer that’s going to help me marinate my meat? Like there’s so many more pieces in a kitchen that are doing the work for me that now have to be incorporated. whether that space is like teeny tiny or super big. So, I think when designers are looking at the kitchen, it’s more about the function of the space and allowing those additional appliances like a steam oven, like, whoa, think beyond broccoli. Think about rehydrating your food. Think about beautiful chocolate, creamy desserts and not just rice and salmon canning in it. they’re able to now be inspired by these appliances and redefine how they can use the space.

JENNIFER-LEE:

Steam oven was totally what I was thinking about because I’ve heard people have and they say it’s amazing. They don’t necessarily need a microwave then if they have a steam oven is what they say, but.

JULIE:

Yeah, so a steam oven can in most cases take the place of just about everything a microwave would do in a much better way. I mean, if you had a beautiful, like last night, my husband made a beautiful minute steak and green beans and a potato dish. And if I stick it in a microwave, that meat is going to become a different texture, right? It’s going to taste different. When we put it in the steam oven, it rehydrates it. And it’s just like, or almost as if we just made it. So, it’s a much better way.

JENNIFER-LEE:

You’re making me so hungry right now. I was like, no.

JULIE:

And that’s why I like my job, right? We have food, we have wine, we have design, you know. And steam ovens.

JENNIFER-LEE:

Yes. And with all these cool appliances, like I don’t know as obviously like a regular customer and sometimes builders don’t necessarily know. So, it’s important to have kitchen appliance designer relationships as well. And I know that you guys have some experts in your store that can help us if we’re not sure, because I go into your store and it’s amazing, but there’s way too many choices.

JULIE:

Yeah. So, you know, we’ve got those 50 brands, and each brand has, you know, hundred plus SKUs. So, there’s almost too many choices, but that’s where we step in for sure. And I’ve said before, you know, we take a long time to make sure that any new team members have a lot of learning and develop behind them, and our existing team members constantly have ongoing product knowledge. So, our team members are very well versed in what’s available, but even more in connecting to you. to really dig deeper to figure out what is important to you. Is this your forever home? Do you actually eat meat? What are you buying at the grocery store? So, it might feel weird at first when we’re asking you these personalized questions, but at the end, it makes a huge difference when you’re opening up the fridge and unloading all of your greens and actually have a place to put it. And they last. They’re not, you know, you buy an avocado and you cut into it and it’s, you know, half gone. That was like $6, right?

JENNIFER-LEE:

You got to save those vegetables that are like gold. Absolutely.

MIKE:

Well, that that just relates back to the experience. Right. And that really, you know, the difference between just a salesperson and an experienced specialist is massive, massive, massive sales. People are trying to sell you stuff. Experienced specialists are trying to match the experience with what you need. And I always appreciate that. And, you know, being able to deal with experts. in your locations is so, so critical, because we’re talking potentially thousands of dollars, and we want to make sure we make the right choices as well.

JULIE:

And thousands of dollars that you’re throwing into the washer, and thousands of dollars that you’re putting into the fridge. I mean, I think I bought strawberries yesterday, because it’s one of the only fruits my daughter will eat, and they were $10.

MIKE:

Better be good strawberries for $10.

JULIE:

And my fridge better keep it looking good and tasting good for as long as possible, right? So, our real hope is that we truly, I know it’s our tagline, but that we make everyday life a little better, right? And so, figuring out what you need makes that work for you in your home.

MIKE:

Well, and there’s one other thing we haven’t talked about yet. I mean, a lot of the people we deal with, and we meet on a day-to-day basis are building energy efficient homes. whether passive homes, net zero homes, or just more efficient homes. So, we tend to think of it in terms of going in there to find the right appliances for the space, the right look, and everything else. But the other part that your team really does a good job helping with is the energy implications of our choices as well. Certain appliances use less energy than others. So, if we’re trying to hit a specific goal in our house, it’s really nice to have that information as well, because it’s kind of hard to figure out on your own. Let’s talk about Budget. You want to chat about budget considerations?

JENNIFER-LEE:

That’s the scary part.

MIKE:

It is and it isn’t. If you don’t have the conversation, it’s a lot scarier than if you do have the conversation, because either way, you’re going to be buying that fridge. It’s just if you’ve had the conversation, you might be a little bit more likely to buy the right fridge for you. How do you balance the challenge that I think we all face in this industry, which is the wish list of a homeowner versus the reality of our budget, and specifically the reality of building in a market like ours, which is a little bit more expensive than some of the more outlying markets? How do you balance that with your clients as they come in?

JULIE:

It’s definitely easier to do today than it was a decade ago, because there’s a lot more choices for consumers, right? There are many more brands. And like I said, the cost friendly brands have a lot more functionality. But I think it’s truly about, again, really uncovering for that homeowner what it is that they want at the end of the day. How long are they expecting the appliance? Because there is like the budget, like right now I’m wanting to spend X. But what are you wanting to spend in five years, in 10 years, in 20 years? Appliances in general, you know, that avocado fridge, right? It lasted 20 years, 25 years. It lasts forever. It might be ugly, but it lasts forever. Right. A standard refrigerator is 10 to 12 years versus some ultra premium ones are 20. So, is it the budget for right now because you’re planning to be in the home for a couple of years or five years or you’re selling it? Or is this your forever home? And maybe we’re going to look to see what’s going to work with that outlook instead of buying something three or four times. So again, it’s finding out what’s the purpose for this build or this renovation, who’s using it. And then because we have so many brands across so many different price points, we can find the right fit.

JENNIFER-LEE:

Yeah, like you were saying, durability is a huge one. Some people might be able to, you know, have a lesser panic attack about the cost, but then their stuff lasts a lot longer or they’re easier to repair because the parts are on hand for many, many years.

JULIE:

Yes. Yeah. It can make a huge difference. So, you know, not everybody can afford the premium appliance that’s going to last 20 years, but sometimes you can pick and choose. Right. I know over the span of my career, you know, I’ve invested in laundry and friends can tell you my closet isn’t big enough for all the dresses. because nothing breaks down or wears down because I’ve had this laundry for 20 years, always washing my clothes, but I’ve brought it to every apartment, every house that I’ve had. So, you know, it was a singular investment a long time ago, but it’s paid back to me and, you know, never having to buy any more dresses, so says my husband.

JENNIFER-LEE:

No, that’s never an option.

JULIE:

More dresses.

MIKE:

Well, there’s another part to it as well. And that is, first of all, even though we can recycle appliance, there’s still an implication to that. So how long things last and how long things replace. But here’s another example. We had to replace our fridge earlier this year. And we bought the new fridge 10 years ago when we were doing a renovation, and the house has opened up. that fridge doesn’t fit out our door so we had to do some stuff and yeah it was less than fun so that to me at the time we didn’t know what we know now I would have bought a slightly better fridge because it would have been easier to pay another few hundred dollars than it would have been to try to put my walls back together which wasn’t a lot of fun so And there’s a statement we make as consumers about what we choose to invest in and what we choose our footprint and our legacy to be as well. And I think, again, that’s the value of dealing with an expert who can help steer us in the right direction so we can make choices that fit with our ethics and with our objectives for what we want to do in the home as well. This is my least favorite part of the show by far. And this is the part where we have to start wrapping up. And before we wrap up, I want to first of all, hey, thank you so much. It’s been a great conversation. And you let me geek out and didn’t stop me. So, thank you very much. But here’s what I’m taking away from all this. First of all, smart appliances give us choices, choices in how things look, choices in how things perform, and even choices in how long the equipment will last and what our implications are as far as electrical usage. And secondly, it doesn’t matter what kind of project you’re doing. We’ve said this on this show a time and time and time again. You have to pick a great team of people. You have to pick the right builder, the right designer, all the right specialists. And in amongst that, because appliances are such an integral part of the home, you definitely have to pick the right partner for your appliance as well. So, thank you so much for all this great information. It’s been amazing.

JENNIFER-LEE:

You’re welcome. And I know you shared so many great tips already, but do you have one more tip for the homeowner besides don’t pick an avocado fridge?

JULIE:

Yeah. You know what? Mike stole mine. I think, you know, again, you know, I’m personally working with my team members renovating those 20 plus kitchens a year. So, I totally get it. Picking the right team is the biggest tip I can give anybody. The designer that’s going to help you with that floor plan and create a beautiful space the builder that’s going to seamlessly execute the design, the mill worker that’s going to be that artisanal craftsman that’s going to make sure it all comes together. And then obviously we want to work with you as trail appliances, as your product expert, that’s going to make it easy and effortless in the end. So that’s the, the tip of the day is the team is the most important thing for sure.

JENNIFER-LEE:

Great. Great tip. We can never hear it enough. And that’s okay. Mike always steals what I’m going to say to it. So, it’s fine. It’s what I do.

MIKE:

Julie, it’s been a great conversation. Thanks again. But before we go, I have to take care of a little bit of important housekeeping. Like and listen to this episode. Tell your family, tell your friends, and you know why? Because you have a chance to win a beautiful Napoleon Prestige P500 stainless steel, natural gas barbecue valued at $1,600. Compliments of our podcast partners, FortisBC. You can get details at www.havan.ca/measuretwicecutonce. And if you want to see this beautiful barbecue up close, pop into your local trail location. They’ll be happy to give you a demonstration.

JENNIFER-LEE:

There we go. And for notes and links to everything mentioned on today’s episode, including resources shared by Julie, go to www.havan.ca/measuretwicecutonce. Thank you to Trail Appliances, FortisBC, BC Housing, Rami Films, Jpod Creations, and AI Technology and Design. It takes a team to build a home and so does it this podcast. That’s a wrap for this season, Mike.

MIKE:

Wait, how did we finish Season 7 so quickly? It was like Season 1 two weeks ago, right?

JENNIFER-LEE:

I know. I don’t know. But we are coming up with Season 8 shortly. It’s going to be all the award winners of the HAVAN Awards.

MIKE:

All those beautiful kitchens, all those amazing designs, all those great builders.

JENNIFER-LEE:

Absolutely.

MIKE:

And this is really the cool part is here we’re talking about the planning part. Next season, we’re going to talk about the culmination of the payoff from all that planning, which is the end results in the execution. So, I will see you.

JENNIFER-LEE:

See you next season!