Many homeowners are torn between two drives in redesigning their homes: aesthetics and efficiency. On one hand, homeowners want their property to be beautiful — to have style and grace that provides comfort and awe to anyone who visits. On the other hand, homeowners want to reduce the energy expenditure of their residence, to ensure they are living sustainably and keeping their utility bills low.
Fortunately, these two drives are not diametrically opposed. In fact, it is possible to have an aesthetic and efficient home with the following key appliances:
Ceiling Fan
In truth, ceiling fans do not alter the temperature of a room — but they do alter how individuals experience the temperature of a room. By working with the body’s natural cooling system, a ceiling fan can make a space feel up to four degrees cooler than it actually is. Even better, ceiling fans use dramatically less energy than any central air system or individual air conditioner unit. Thus, homeowners who choose to install ceiling fans in their most-used rooms will find that they can raise the temperature of their thermostat by several degrees, making their homes more efficient, without compromising on comfort.
Even better, ceiling fans can add some visual interest to an area of the home that is often ignored: the ceiling. Modern ceiling fans have clean and simple lines that work well with a wide range of contemporary designs. Homeowners can also find ceiling fans in rustic and farmhouse styles, coastal and tropical styles, industrial styles and more, so they can maintain complete control over their home’s aesthetic.
Smart Refrigerator
Not all smart home appliances actually improve efficiency in the home. In fact, most smart gadgets are little more than gimmicks, and plenty of smart appliances actually draw more energy to maintain connection to the home’s network. However, one of the better smart tools homeowners can integrate into their homes is a smart refrigerator. Smart fridges allow homeowners minute control over the temperature of different cooling compartments, which means that food can stay fresher for longer. Even better, it means that homeowners will be alerted when temperature shift beyond a reasonable range, so they can save their produce from prolonged power outages or other catastrophes.
In addition to all this, smart refrigerators tend to be exceedingly well-designed, allowing them to be gorgeous features in kitchens. With screens that can display family pictures, these appliances are fun and useful additions to an efficient and smart home.
Dishwasher
Few people relish the chore of washing dishes, but many homeowners opt to fill their sink with soapy water believing it to be more efficient than the appliance designed for this duty. In truth, dishwashers have been shown time and again to utilize less energy and less water than manual dishwashing — if the dishwasher is fully loaded. Fortunately, this means that homeowners can transfer all their dirty dishes from their countertops and sink into a dishwasher without worrying about efficiency, keeping their kitchen looking spotless and ensuring that they are using the least amount of water to keep their dishes sanitary and sparkling.
Tankless Water Heater
Almost every home in America has that strange closet that is taken up entirely by a looming tank of scalding-hot water. Water heaters are icons of the sophistication of the modern home, which can deliver perfectly heated water to almost any tap. Unfortunately, water heaters can be frustratingly inefficient, as heating up water and maintaining hot water is an energy-intensive chore. Worse, if someone drains the tank of hot water — perhaps during a particularly long shower — it could be hours before hot water is available once again.
A tankless water heater is an ideal solution to all challenges posed by typical water heaters. Tankless water heaters warm up water as it is needed, so they can hang on a wall at the back of the closet or even become an interesting feature of a laundry room or bathroom. Because they are not trying to maintain gallons of hot water, tankless heaters utilize much less energy, and they will never leave homeowners without hot water because they can immediately make more. Energy, space and time efficiency makes a tankless water heater an excellent investment.
A person can be both smart and stylish — and so, too, can a home be both efficient and attractive. By investing in the right appliances and features, homeowners can transform their properties into the beautiful, functional spaces they deserve.
