By Dianne M. Pogoda
Company News
SKS Wins Time Innovation Honor: Luxury appliance brand Signature Kitchen Suite’s 30-inch Transitional Series Combi Wall Oven with AI-enabled cooking technology has been named to TIME magazine’s annual Best Inventions list, honoring 200 groundbreaking, transformative innovations. The oven features advanced Gourmet AI™ technology, offering intelligent recipe suggestions and cooking guidance through the LG ThinQ® app, as well as a built-in HD camera, allowing users to monitor and share their cooking in real-time and create time-lapse videos for an interactive cooking experience. The oven has steam-combi convection, steam sous vide and air frying functions. TIME’s editors describe the 2024 list as showcasing “groundbreaking inventions that are changing how we live, work, play, and think about what’s possible.” More on SKS here.
Lutron Opens Toronto Studio: Lutron Electronics has opened a 2,200-square-foot design studio in Toronto’s Queens Quay neighborhood. It is the first of its kind in Canada and showcases the brand’s architectural lighting, window shades and intuitive controls. It is primarily designed to support the trade, but Lutron anticipates the space will become a hub for creative events and gatherings. KBB has the story.
Chapter Updates
Happy Holidays in Minnesota: The Minnesota State Chapter will host its annual holiday party on Dec. 5, from 5 to 7 pm, at event sponsor All Inc., 185 Plato Blvd. West in St. Paul. Enjoy a festive evening with delicious bites, fun prizes, and great company. There is no cost to members. Register here.
Ho! Ho! Ho! in Alabama: Join the Alabama Chapter’s annual Christmas Party on Dec. 5 from 6 to 9 pm, at Creative Cabinets & Design, 285 Lyon Lane in Birmingham. Enjoy food and drinks, and bring a wrapped gift (about a $25 value) to participate in a “Dirty Santa” gift swap. More info here.
Chicago Mid West Holiday Cheer: Join the Chicago Mid West Chapter on Dec. 10 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm, for a festive holiday celebration at Crawford Supply, 751 North Rohlwing Road Itasca, IL. Kick off the holiday season with friends and colleagues and a night filled with laughter, live music, games, prizes and good cheer. Members are $30, non-members are $60, students are $10. Register here.
Industry News
Lumber Prices Creeping Up Again: After stabilizing in August and September, the price of lumber inched up for the fifth straight week in October, reaching their highest level this year. Lumber prices rose 2.9 percent for the week ended Nov. 1, and are 8 percent higher than in September and 17.2 percent higher than they were a year ago, according to the National Association of Home Builders. This, along with rising wages for construction workers and higher interest rates, could translate to declining affordability and higher prices for new homes, NAHB said. Builder Online has the story.
Housing Starts Fall: The new housing market appears to be cooling, as residential starts fell 3.1 percent in October from September, and were off 4 percent from October 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Single-family starts were hit harder, off 6.9 percent in October on a monthly basis, and starts in the South fell an even greater 10.2 percent, stymied by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Some economists attribute the national slip to mortgage rates edging up again. Reuters has more.
Vuitton NYC Flagship Facelift: Louis Vuitton’s New York store is undergoing a massive renovation, and while that’s happening, the façade of the famous flagship is decked out like a stack of the brand’s iconic luggage. The luxury property on the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 57th Street is disguised to resemble six trunks in varying sizes, complete with its signature monogram, handles, rivets, locks, and hardware fashioned from chrome-plated steel. While the multi-year renovation is taking place, the brand opened a temporary store around the corner which includes a chocolate shop and Vuitton’s first café in the U.S. Dezeen has more.
