How to Upgrade your Home in 2023
Is 2023 the year you embark on a home refresh, make-over or renovation? Have the big plans but not sure where to start? We find that by focusing with a room-by-room approach, it is easier to figure out what type of work needs to be done.
In this blog, we’ll provide tips and tricks, and appliance recommendations on how you can best rejuvenate and re-work three areas of the home: the kitchen, the living room and the laundry. All three areas work hard to feed and entertain your household, as well as meet laundry needs, so it’s vital to ensure that each room’s purpose are met.
UPGRADING THE KITCHEN
- Open and Integrated Kitchens
- Growing in popularity, open and integrated kitchen designs promote more workspace and fits in naturally with the open plan concept, helping to create clean lines, unobtrusive walkways, and a clean ambience.
- Smart Appliance Technology
- Smart cooking functions have been designed to enhance the cooking experience and improve processes. For example, the use of steam cooking in a Steam Oven not only speeds up the cooking process, it’s also great for cooking a range of foods from fish to dumplings and even bread, pizza and pork belly as the moist heat helps achieve better rises, crispier crusts and fluffier centres in an energy efficient time.
- Induction Cooktops
- The shift to non-fossil fuel cooking is accelerating. Induction cooktops heat up very quickly, they’re fast and accurate, as well as being very environmentally friendly and easy to clean. If you are renovating, do consider induction cooktops which will put you ahead of the curve and better for the environment in the long term.
Appliance Top Picks:
Bosch 60cm Built-In Combi Steam Oven
Master home cooking with this Bosch Combi Steam Oven, with its 71L cooking capacity, 4D HotAir even heat distribution and 12 cooking functions which include Full width grill, Pizza setting, Slow cooking and Keep warm. Steam cooking functions like Pure steaming, Reheating and Sous-vide will satisfy any menu. Stuck on how to cook a dish? The Bosch Assist functionality will work wonders, simply choose the dish you’re making and the oven will assign the optimal type of heat, temperature and cooking time.
Westinghouse 90cm Induction Cooktop
Ideal for home chefs, this spacious 4-zone induction cooktop lets you cook with larger pots and pans via the FlexZone feature. As you cook, enjoy greater convenience with the Boost and Pause functions while the BoilProtect feature keeps boiling water to a simmer, delivering greater safety when cooking. With Hob2Hood connectivity, this cooktop communicates with compatible rangehoods for automatic extraction of unwanted smoke and odours, helping to keep your kitchen fresh.
UPGRADING THE LIVING ROOM
- Get a matching TV and soundbar
- TVs and soundbars from the same brand will often mean that they are compatible with each other, giving you the chance to take advantage of audio syncing technologies. For example, Samsung’s Q-Symphony function lets sound from the Samsung soundbar sync with the motion on the Samsung TV for optimised viewing. Not only will a matching pair sound better, they’ll also look stylishly consistent in your space.
- Opt for Wireless
- Where possible, invest in wireless audio devices. Many soundbars will include a wireless subwoofer that can be placed almost anywhere in your space to extend your sound. So whether the subwoofer or speaker is next to you or in front of you, your home entertainment experience will get an instant uplift.
- Upgrade with lifestyle functions
- Lifestyle functions turn your TV into a multi-purpose device. It’s a TV when you need to watch something and a gallery frame when you’re not watching, so that your space can be transformed with gorgeous art or adorned with family photos. There are many TVs in the market with lifestyle functions, these include Samsung’s collection of The Frame Smart TV.
Appliance Top Picks:
Samsung 85″ Q80 4K Ultra HD Smart QLED TV
AND
Samsung 11.1.4CH Soundbar
Both the Samsung TV and soundbar are great for upsizing and will suit a very large home entertainment area with its 85” TV screen and 11.1.4 channels.
The TV
See everything you love, bigger, better and clearer with the ultra-large Samsung 85″ Q80 4K Ultra HD Smart QLED TV. Be immersed with detailed visuals and impactful colours thanks to the One Billion Colour technology. Featuring Filmmaker Mode, Object Tracking Sound, Q-Symphony and voice control with Alexa and Google Assistant, this TV offers all the essentials for memorable movie nights, footy finals, gaming sessions and more!
The Soundbar
Indulge with captivating audio with Samsung’s 11.1.4Ch Soundbar. Great for projecting thrilling audio in large, open areas, this soundbar delivers extraordinary audio using technologies like True Dolby ATMOS® & DTS:X, Q-Symphony and SpaceFit Sound Advanced. Enjoy a real-to-life surround sound experience with the included side-firing Dolby Atmos Rear Speakers.
UPGRADING THE LAUNDRY
- Upsize your Capacity
- If your household’s laundry needs are growing, that’s a sign that an upgrade is needed. Upsizing your laundry appliances with a bigger capacity means that more can be washed and dried in one go, helping to minimise the number of washes and drying cycles you do in a week.
- Choose Smarter Operation
- Many washing machines and dryers are now ‘smarter’ than previous models. Automated and with the help from various sensors, washing machines and dryers are able to optimise the program or cycle to deliver effective results whilst reducing use of resources. Furthermore, washing machines and dryers with Wi-Fi connectivity can be remotely monitored and controlled on an app via your smart device so that you can view usage, select best programs to suit your load and so much more!
- Efficiency is King
- Your laundry is one of a few places in the home that requires both electricity and water usage, so it makes sense to ensure greater efficiency where possible. Investing in washing machines and dryers that use less and are energy and water efficient means your bills stay down and so does your environmental impact.
Appliance Top Picks:
Fisher & Paykel 10kg Front Load Washing Machine
This family-friendly washing machine is powered by a quiet and efficient SmartDrive™ motor, with 14 wash cycles to meet every need. Auto Dose detergent dispensing uses optimal amounts of detergent without waste while the Steam Refresh cycle refreshes, revives and dewrinkles garments without the need for running a full wash. Boasting Wi-Fi connectivity for smart monitoring and control, laundry day just got a lot easier! And with a 4.5-Star Energy and WELS rating, have greater peace of mind as this washing machine reduces overall consumption.
Fisher & Paykel 9kg Heat Pump Dryer
Naturally designed to deliver efficient drying results, this Fisher & Paykel 9kg Heat Pump Dryer boasts an ultra-efficient 9-Star Energy rating. This heat pump dryer uses auto-sensing technology to measure the moisture of your clothes before drying, preventing over drying or under drying. The dryer features 13 drying cycles and a drying rack to meet all your drying needs, whether you’re drying towels, woollens or some sneakers. And with Wi-Fi connectivity, you can monitor and control your laundry from your smart device.
Enjoy life at home in 2023. Transform your place into a home with new additions for a quick and simple refresh or complete a total renovation and be ready to love time spent with family and friends in your sanctuary. Explore our lifestyle section to access more tips, tricks and other home inspiration ideas.
