Given the enormity of the annual Design and Construction Week conference and exhibition, examples of innovation could be encountered throughout the vast and dispersed conference halls.

Here are Purgula’s favorite products for 2023, which we encountered in person, that not only exemplify new approaches, methods and materials, but exude a passion and determination to make home life better and more enjoyable for homeowners!

Purgula’s Favorite Products from DCW 2023

Also see:

 

AutoReview.AI

Getting your home construction permit approved the first time is almost impossible with various degrees of contractors’ knowledge and understanding of multiple city, municipal and state codes required for just about every home project.

AutoReview.AI (formerly Virtual Assist Permit Software) applies artificial intelligence that provides the first-ever building code review to ensure that your project plans are compliant within your jurisdiction. For a minimal one-time fee, AutoReview.AI will scan thousands of pages of blueprints and plan materials to deliver rapid, accurate and comprehensive information for building construction and infrastructure projects to offer insight and corrective action to accelerate the permit review process for homeowner projects.

AutoReview.AI Log and Tagline - AI-powered Building Code Reviews

 

Bedrock Wireless Theft Deterrence & Detection

When writing a contract with your general contractor for your next home project, make sure to insist on Bedrock Wireless Theft Deterrence and Detection Surveillance Systems to protect your home and project. For just $350 per month, Bedrock will install one camera system, or CAP, which includes four cameras covering 360 degrees of your property’s perimeter with hi-resolution feeds. The low monthly fee includes:

  • Free shipping to and from your office or site
  • Unlimited motion backup to the cloud
  • Unlimited accounts and sharing
  • Unlimited live view access
  • No hidden fees
  • Free time lapse photography
  • 2 Hours of battery backup
  • Includes warning sign and mounting hardware, plus tools for camera adjustments

Bedrock Wireless Construction Site Theft Deterrence & Detection System

Perfect for deterring crime such as theft of services, materials and workmen’s compensation claims, as information can be uploaded and sent to law enforcement and insurance companies. The system can also be used to test smart devices in new builds prior to having access to an Internet service provider.

The New American Remodel 2021: Quick Time Lapse Photography

2021 IBS: The New American Remodel - Quick

 

BlueStar X8 Dual Fuel Range

Unleash your inner chef with BlueStar, the first name in the most innovative appliances on the market today. We first mentioned BlueStar for their creative customization and personalization of their high-end kitchen appliances.

True to form, BlueStar was awarded a Best of IBS Award at this year’s Builders Show for their new Dual Fuel Range, which allows you to sear food at 25,000 BTUs, or warm sauces at 500 BTUs, all from their X8 star-shaped designed burners.

The X8 burners deliver more power and performance, but also allows you full control for the just the right amount of heat. Easy maintenance, inspired design and better cooking control has BlueStar leading the industry in forward thinking innovation.

Bluestar X8 Dual Fuel Burner

Bluestar X-8 Dual Fuel Burner

 

Broan-NuTone Overture Automated Indoor Air Quality System

New developments in building insulation cause homes to trap moisture, dust and stale air, creating a petri dish of toxins that can cause health issues for residents. Tighter building envelopes result in homes that are less impervious to outside air, but industry leader Broan-NuTone understands the need to keep indoor air quality at its purest.

The Broan AI Series Fresh Air System with its airflow auto-balancing feature, VIRTUO Air Technology, protects the home with a system that self-adjusts continuously, as it monitors and adjusts the air pressure for a perfectly balanced CFM, (cubic feet per minute) value, a measurement of air purification efficiency.

Broan’s fresh air system can be further enhanced with their Overture cloud-based solution which combines sensors, switches and connected plugs to monitor air quality automatically and intelligently.

How does Broan-NuTone’s Overture™ Connected IAQ System work?

How does Broan-NuTone's Overture™ Connected IAQ System work?

 

Camp Chef Fire Pits

For an ideal fire pit on your patio, balcony or deck, that can double as a propane fueled smokeless grill, look to Camp Chef for a myriad of products for outdoor heating and cooking pleasure.

Although Camp Chef makes some of the world’s most versatile grills, griddles, pizza ovens, camping and tailgating gear, we especially liked their latest line of smaller fire pits, such as the Ponderosa, Redwood and the Juniper.

We walked past the Redwood on an especially cold day in Las Vegas and were amazed at the amount of heat it produced in a vast, outdoor area for just 64,000 BTU/hour. The Redwood comes with heat-dispersing lava rocks for its 18″ diameter fire pit, and uses a matchless ignition for its smokeless propane fueled flame.

Camp Chef Redwood Fire Pit at IBS 2023

At just 39 lbs., the Redwood is the middle offering of the fire pit line with the largest being the Ponderosa at 53 lbs. a 24″ fire pit diameter and 64,000 BTU/hour of cooking power. If you prefer a smaller footprint, then the Juniper has you covered at 27 lbs., a 16″ fire pit diameter and 55,000 BTU/hour of cooking power.

 

Genesis Products: Qwel Designer Acoustic Tiles

To allow you to hear yourself think, even in a crowded, noisy exhibition hall, Genesis Products’ Qwel Designer Acoustic Tiles provide noise reduction and dampening, even in the most extreme cases. Launched in January 2023, Qwel Tiles are constructed of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) fibers and other recycled materials to create a sustainable, eco-friendly, easy-to-install sound dampening solution.

Qwel Tiles empower endless creativity as they are available in Flat, 1/4″ drop, 1″ drop, Linear, Deep Dish and Quad Circle designs that allow you to design, create and change your style to suit your own vision. Qwel’s acoustic performance allows for effective reduction of unwanted noise and improved clarity of sound in a naturally effective designer product.

Qwel Designer Acoustic Tiles in Residential Living Room

 

MB Sentinel Box Gobbler

It’s time to go head to head with Porch Pirates and other mail and identification thieves by installing MB Sentinel’s anti-theft mailboxes and parcel vaults. Built to withstand the elements and pervasive mail thieves, MB Sentinel’s parcel vaults and mailboxes are constructed of aluminum and stainless steel and anchored to a concrete pad.

Simply provide a changeable code to your online order to allow access by delivery drivers for delivery of packages to your 26″ X 18″ 16″ box. Smaller or custom boxes are also available and MB Sentinel can also help you design and install an Amazon door in your home or garage for flawless, safe and secure deliveries.

MB Sentinel Box Gobbler Enclosed in Brick

MB Sentinel parcel boxes and wall inserts also make for excellent upgrade options for innovative new home builders that are quickly adapting to the needs of Amazon-supplied households. Builders that offer MB Sentinel solutions have been encountering exceptionally high opt-in rates from homebuyers, proof that MB Sentinel is serving an important market need.

As Amazon package rooms become more prevalent in residences, we will not be surprised when creative homeowners begin to encapsulate these rooms from the inside with hidden Murphy Doors.

MB Sentinel’s Box Gobbler Wall Insert for Packages

Box Gobbler Wall Insert for packages

 

Murphy Hidden Doors

As our previous article on Hidden Doors for Secret Rooms asserted, homeowners have been investing in safety and security features that will allow them the privacy and peace of mind that secret rooms offer.

Murphy Door offers a variety of door options for the safety and security of family, firearms, prized possessions, or just a secluded space for improved mental health. American made with quality construction, all Murphy Door products exemplify why they are the leader in hidden secret doors.

Hidden Laundry Room

Hidden Laundry Room

 

NexGrill Neevo 720 Plus Smart Grill with AirFryer

If you are a fan of grilled foods, but don’t have the time, temperament or skills to become a grillmaster, then NexGrill Neevo 720 Plus Smart Grill is for you. This revolutionary grill is equipped with an AirFryer, so cook your French fries, onion rings and other previously “fried” foods the new, healthy way, while you grill, burgers, steak, fish, and other grilled delicacies.

With almost 500 square inches of primary cooking space and a 13.8 quart capacity air fryer, the Neevo will allow you to complete an entire meal for the family at one time. For precision grilling, connect Neevo with the NEX-fi app, using Bluetooth or WiFi, to allow probes to maintain the grill’s temperature evenly and alert you when your foods have met the required temperature.

If AI-assisted cooking is not for you, you can use Neevo, the traditional way without any automation or assistance. Of course, the Neevo has a self-clean mode, which will save you hours of scrubbing and scraping charred grease and food residue.

Neevo 720 Plus Smart Grill with Air Fryer

Neevo 720 Plus Smart Grill with Air Fryer

 

RainStick Circular Shower Head

With water and gas being at a premium in many states today, it’s time to examine the amount of energy required to heat water for an average 10-minute shower. Enter RainStick, whose innovative shower solution starts off with fresh grid water then captures, re-circulates and cleanses water as it flows down into the RainStick loop.

A micro screen captures hair, sand and other debris, while a UV light provides ultra-ionization to kill bacteria, virus and other toxins. As water is re-circulated up to 6 times, additional grid water is added to dilute soap and shampoo to re-fresh the loop. Water is never shared between shower sessions, and you can always opt for a traditional shower at the flick of a switch.

RainStick saves up to 80% of both water and heating energy, with 2X the water flow, thereby making it the most sustainable shower appliance available. Together with the Wi-Fi enabled app, RainStick can help you monitor both energy and water consumption, while also providing prescriptive maintenance alerts for topping off the loop cleaning solution.

RainStick Shower: How it Works

 

Savant Power Systems

Get control of your home’s energy information and management and develop your home’s “Power Plan” with the Savant Smart Home Experience, based on your existing standard electrical panel. Paired with the Savant app, the Power System allows homeowners to understand and act on their power usage by illustrating how much energy is being consumed at the appliance level.

Anomalies can be detected for malfunctioning equipment, which alerts homeowners to potential problems and outages. Savant’s scalable system is a vital part of a homeowner’s “Power Plan” in case of grid-related issues that may require energy independence by an integrated battery storage system, as well as a backup generator.

The Savant app allows you to view consumption trends, energy production, performance trends and unusual changes on your home’s energy network. Additionally, Savant technologies can control the entire home, with: energy management; lighting; security; comfort; and entertainment, as part of a total home smart system.

Whether a deliberate plan or not, Savant is well on its way to having a formidable digital twin solution for the residential market.

Savant Power Systems

Savant Power Systems

 

SKYX Platforms: SkyPlug

Save money and time on electrician costs with SKYX Platform’s Plug and Play Retrofit Kits for ceiling fans, chandeliers and lighting fixtures. Compatible with all Wi-Fi and Bluetooth AI assistants such as Alexa and Cortana, this ingenuously convenient solution will also dramatically increase safety for the average DIYer.

SKYX SkyPlug, winner of the CES Innovation Award 2023 Honoree in the Smart Home Category, decreases installation risks by providing an easy-to-install platform base that can allow you to change ceiling lighting fixtures seamlessly and safely. Invented by a former property owner, Rani Kohen, who realized that the average replacement time of a ceiling fixture is 10 years, due to the complexity involved in replacement, as there had not been an innovation in electrical mounting receptacles in over 80 years.

Founder & CEO Rani Kohen of Sky Technologies discusses his inventions with Purgula at IBS 2023

Founder & Executive Chairman Rani Kohen of SKYX Platforms discusses his inventions with Purgula at IBS 2023

SkyPlug’s commercial grade, tamper-resistant locking support mounting receptacles allow anyone to unscrew old fixtures and screw in new fixtures in minutes, just like changing a lightbulb.

Based on the safety aspects of SKYX’s technology, their inventions became a National Electrical Code (NEC), the most significant change to the NEC in 40 years.

The Official Video of SkyPlug Smart

The Official Video of SkyPlug Smart

 

SnapPower GuideLight 2

Sometimes an idea can be so simple in its concept, design and utility, you have to ask yourself:

“Why didn’t anyone think of this sooner?“

SnapPower introduced the GuideLight, a simple faceplate cover for outlets and switches that requires no batteries, no wires, nor electrician to function, and provides either motion detection or safety guide lighting, wherever you have an existing outlet or switch plate.

Simply remove your old outlet or switch faceplate or cover and Snap a Guidelight in its place, it’s that simple!

This product is ideal for Aging in Place homes, children’s rooms, or anywhere you need a guided lighting after hours. Guidelights are ETL listed and are also available for GFCI outlets for areas near water, such as kitchen, bathrooms and laundry rooms.

SnapPower GuideLight 2 PLUS

GuideLight 2 PLUS - Awesome in a whole new way!

 

Span Electrical Panel

An upgrade to your electrical panel is probably not on your “to do list”, but it should be! When you discover the amount of information you can gather, such as ways to curtail your energy costs, prescriptive maintenance alerts on failing appliances and systems, and a holistic understanding of where power is being used throughout your home, you’ll consider SPAN.

SPAN Smart Electric Panels are available in all 50 states and should be required for new constructions as an improvement to antiquated electrical panels that are merely “dumb” boxes. With wireless capability, the SPAN Panel can be monitored and controlled any time of day from anywhere. Control every circuit in your home remotely at the touch of your phone, as everything is clearly labelled.

Understand and control your power usage with SPAN’s comparison and trend charts. Monitor your solar panel performance while you back up your home’s power source with battery storage. During a grid power outage, simple drag and drop for just the amount of power you need to keep your household going. Monitor, Control, Automate & Decarbonize.

Better, longer home backup | SPAN Owner Story

Better, longer home backup | SPAN Owner Story

 

StruXure Cabana X

Smart, motorized louvered cabana and pergolas are the hallmark of the StruXure collection. The Cabana X is perfect for creating a special space on your property for wellness and serenity. StruXure’s products are engineered to withstand heavy winds, hurricane force gales, and any other environmental condition a pergola or cabana will encounter.

Constructed of fully extruded aluminum with a powder coat finish, StruXure products are backed by a limited lifetime warranty. As a true transformational product, the Cabana X can be a yoga studio, picnic area, outdoor office, children’s playroom, or any other outdoor sanctuary you can imagine.

With integration to the StruXure app, their pergolas and cabanas are fully controllable by remote control, voice command, home automation systems and wireless wall switches. If you plan on being away, don’t worry. StruXure products are equipped with sensors that detect inclement weather and close automatically, StruXure has you covered!

StruXure – Cabana X – 01

STRUXURE - Cabana X - 01

 

Thermory Ready Made Sauna

Constructed with sustainable European natural woods, Thermory Ready Made Saunas are ideal for both indoor and outdoor use. Our favorite style is the Auroom Baia, with its ergonomic chaise lounge behind a glass and steel enclosure, designed with ultimate comfort in mind for a home master bath suite, as featured in The 2023 New American Home.

Baia – Auroom Design Sauna

Baia - Auroom design sauna

 

Timberline Solar Roofing Shingles by GAF

In the market for a new roof and considering going solar? Why not roll two projects into one with GAF Timberline Solar Roofing Shingles?

GAF introduced their Timberline Solar Roofing Shingles in 2022 in response to the demand for a quality solar shingle backed by a company with a long operating history. The beauty of these shingles is that:

  1. Installation is similar to to regular roofing construction with just an electrician needed for inverter installation
  2. Timberline panels lay flat, so they are not as obtrusive and garish as regular solar panels, which are raised above the roof line

With construction labor issues being a real problem, now and in the future, it’s wise to have a roofer install a solar product that does not require specialty “solar guys” who may not be around for their 25 year warranty.  And they look great too!

Get to Know Timberline Solar™ | GAF Energy

Get to Know Timberline Solar™ | GAF Energy

 

Visual Comfort Aspen Ceiling Fan

Perhaps one of the most visually attractive ceiling appliances we have seen in a long time, the Visual Comfort Aspen 56″ Ceiling Fan is both a work of art and energy efficient.

The remote controlled Energy Star compliant fan has a steel body finished in aged Pewter with 5 Dark Walnut carved wood blades. Versatile enough to be mounted on a sloped ceiling, as well as safety listed for damp locations, the Aspen is also available for higher ceilings in a 70″ diameter version.

Visual Comfort Aspen 56

 

Werner Adjustable Pro Work Platform

A flexible and versatile product, with possibilities beyond home DIY projects, the aluminum Werner Adjustable & Linkable Pro Work Platform is sold exclusively at Loews. With a 300 pound load capacity, the adjustable height Pro Platform is just 23 lbs. and convenient for uneven ground and stairway projects. Link two or more Pro Platforms, with no tools required, to reach vaulted ceilings and other hard to reach areas.

With one-handed adjustment, one-handed locking, protective bumpers on decks and legs, the Pro Platform offers multiple uses beyond home DIY projects. Unlock one side and the Pro Platform and it becomes a compact, yet lightweight exercise bench. Increase the height to anywhere at its 8 to 9 foot height and you have a very sturdy outdoor or indoor buffet table. Get several Pro Platforms to create bench seating for outdoor events, as well!

Werner Adjustable & Linkable Pro Work Platform at IBS 2023

 

DCW 2023 Resource Links

 

Recommended Reading

 

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