Published Date 6/28/2022
Everybody’s got an angle when it comes to household product and decor trends. Designers will tell you open shelving in a kitchen is all the rage. It is. But nobody tells you that all those dishes and glasses on those shelves may have to be washed each time before they’re used because they’ve probably collected dust. And that open shelving can go out of style as quickly as it arrived on the scene of an HGTV show.
The latest trend? Anything starting with the word “bespoke.” The word itself evolved from a verb meaning 'to speak for something', to its contemporary usage as an adjective. Bespoke suits and shoes simply meant tailor-made. As time went on, it has become a general marketing and branding concept implying exclusivity and limited runs. The term was considered British English in 2008. Fast forward to now, and it’s used all over the world for something that is custom (made to order). In the housing world, that now means appliances.
DigitalTrends’ Adam Doud reports on how Samsung just rolled out its latest bespoke appliances — first refrigerators, then washers and dryers. “These bespoke appliances allow you to match your decor in a way not possible before,” he says. “You can get a bespoke refrigerator to match your kitchen decor, and a bespoke washer and dryer combination to match your laundry room decor. If you live in New York City, you can get all three appliances to match since they’ll all be within six feet of each other.” We’re talking about a moss green refrigerator to match your moss green cabinets. Or a watermelon-colored washer and dryer that strikes smiles on your face as you wash baby clothes.
But just how matchy-matchy do you really want your house to be? It’s logical to think Samsung (or someone else) will figure out how to bespoke even more appliances around your home in the future. How about a bespoke water heater? “Samsung might do that,” says Loud. “But getting back to the products you can bespoke today, refrigerators, washers, and dryers are all projected to last up to a dozen years or more.” He goes on to say that there are a number of pitfalls that come with adding a bespoke appliance to your home. “A lot can happen in 12 years. Your personal style may change. You may decide to remodel your home. You may decide to sell your home, and typically you won’t take your appliances with you.”
Will your decor match your refrigerator in a dozen years? And if it doesn’t, can you change the color? “Imagine getting a bespoke fridge and changing up your home decor to match it, only to find out that those color combinations aren’t available in 2034,” says Loud. What happens when you want to sell the appliances for newer models? Think about the size of the pool of buyers for your pink washer and dryer.
Appliance manufacturers that get you to shell out premium prices for bespoke items definitely have the advantage, as it is a small investment on their part. Think about it even in terms of smartphone cases. A warehouse full of covers for a refrigerator or a phone doesn’t cost that much. “If the product is designed correctly, the manpower needed for assembly isn’t all that great either,” says Doud. “Meanwhile, you’ll be paying a premium for an already premium item. I’m not sure the math works out here.”
Doud admits that if you’re well-established in your home (or with your phone as the case may be), then by all means, bespoke until you’re all bespoked out. Your home is your castle, and even if you plan to live there in perpetuity, your grown kids will surely want your peach refrigerator someday, right? His point is that choices can have long-term consequences, so make sure you know what you’re getting into before you color your inner sanctum.
DigitalTrends, TBWS
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NMLS: 630337
NEXA Mortgage
3100 W Ray Rd Ste 201, Chandler AZ 85226
Company NMLS: 1660690
Office: 480-650-5412
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Email: lwong@nexamortgage.com
NMLS: 630337
Cell: 480-650-5412
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