Lennox has introduced the Lennox iComfort E30 smart thermostat, a new smart home thermostat that uses home automation technology to create the ideal environment for homeowners while also saving energy.

The thermostat automatically adapts to desired temperatures of homeowners after they set an ideal temperature. The iComfort E30’s “Perfect Temp” feature lets homeowners set the ideal temperature, and automatically adjusts heating and cooling to maintain the specified setting. Combined with the Feels Like Temperature feature, which takes into account indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity to make a home feel exactly like the homeowner wants it to, homeowners can precisely choose their preferred home comfort setting.

The iComfort E30 is compatible with any brand of HVAC system, and is also compatible with Amazon Alexa smart home devices for voice control and integration with other smart home technologies. The system can also be paired with the Lennox iHarmony Zoning System, which gives homeowners the ability to achieve optimum levels of comfort in up to four zones within a home and saves energy and money by not having to heat or cool unused areas of the home.

The technology works to save energy and optimizes smart energy use based on the homeowner’s routine with the Schedule IQ Technology, and also uses the GPS on a user’s smart phone to detect when they’re away and automatically set the thermostat to an energy-saving mode and return the home to the desired temperature when a family member starts returning home.

The thermostat also features an Allergen Defender, which monitors air quality and pollen levels outside, and automatically turns on a fan to keep the home’s indoor air cleaner when high levels of pollutants and allergens are detected.

In April, we asked “Why Don’t Young Americans Want to Do Construction Work?” The demographics support the question.

BuildZoom chief economist Issi Romem analyzed American Community Survey Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics data on the construction labor force and highlighted two demographic challenges, the “aging out” of older laborers, and the failure to start among younger people. Romen scopes the second of the two impediments this way:

“There has been a sharp reduction in the industry’s employment of younger workers. The count of employed workers below age 25 fell by 40.1 percent from 2005 to 2015, and by 20.9 and 13.2 percent in the 25-34 and 35-44 age groups. Unlike Baby Boomers’ progression through the lifecycle, the failure to maintain sufficiently-sized young replacement cohorts is not an economy-wide phenomenon, but is specific to the construction industry. The industry’s shedding of younger workers took place mostly during the downturn between 2005 and 2010, and it has failed to significantly regrow those ranks since. Young workers appear to shun the construction industry.”

Author Tyler Cowen looks from a 40,000-foot view and sees “a populace that has that has drawn inward rather than finding and facing new challenges.” Hence, the title of his latest book, “The Complacent Class, The Self-Defeating Quest for the American Dream.”

National Association of Home Builders economist Rose Quint noted earlier this year that, among the three-out-of-four young adults who have a chosen career field, only 3% of them are interested in the construction trades. For the one in four who are undecided about their career, well over half (63%) say they have no interested in becoming a construction worker at virtually any pay level, essentially because they’re daunted by how hard the work is.

Now, here’s another view, closer to that of Cowen’s “complacency theory,” as to what may be in the way of emerging young adults and the skilled construction trades that could provide many of them a decent, fulfilling livelihood: video games.

You read that right.

Academics from Princeton University, the University of Chicago and the University of Rochester say there’s ample evidence that since 2000, men who would otherwise be working are instead being drawn into immersive virtual worlds, giving up paychecks in the process.

What’s more, these men are reporting higher levels of happiness compared with those who work, and they’re drawing on the support of mom and dad to stay there. The paper warns these men’s absence from the labor force is likely to negatively affect their employment and earnings prospects for the rest of their lives.

Addicted to not working hard? One can relate, in a way, but then you move on and do what you’ve got to do to make your way in life, no?

Remodeling a bathroom doesn’t always means tearing it apart and starting over. You can relate this to clients who want a new look for their bathroom but lack the means–or the desire–for a major remodel by offering suggestions on how to remake the bathroom without tearing out cabinets and ripping up flooring.

The bathroom is a personal space, but also an area where homeowners want a nice, inviting décor, especially in a guest bath. Some new trends in bathroom remodel are simple yet elegant. Your clients will have some fresh ideas that go back to the basics.

Neutral Doesn’t Have to Mean Boring
Current trends in bathrooms include using neutral colors. White and gray color schemes are simple but also create a clean look. Your clients may like the idea of crisp white, soft creams, various shades of beige, or a cloudy gray to create a bathroom that is relaxing yet beautiful.

Neutral colors don’t have to fall flat if you add some accessories that complement the color scheme. Remind your client that an elegant bathroom with neutral colors can coordinate with anything, so it’s a great investment.

Brass and Gold Fixtures Are Back in Style
Brass and gold fixtures may seem like your Grandma’s bathroom, but they are making a comeback. Instead of offering ideas to clients in shiny polished chrome, go for the more traditional and classic with matte and spun gold fixtures.

Your clients will like the warm, homey feel these colors add to their bathroom. Adding these warmer tones to a bathroom also adds coziness to the room. Remind them also there is a bonus to dumping the shiny chrome—fewer fingerprints and water spots, because these classic fixtures hide them well.

Technology Is Taking Over Bathrooms
Technology can help your clients go the bathroom barefoot and not endure a cold floor, or put more luxuries right at their fingertips. Heated floors and other technological advances make the bathroom more functional for clients.

Heating systems under the flooring not only warm feet on chilly mornings, but also reduce noise and may be good for allergy sufferers because there are no exposed air currents blowing dust around the room. Have homeowners also consider that underfloor heating can be a good investment.

Other ideas your client may like include warmers for robes and towels, toilets with heated seats and lids that automatically open and close, under-counter refrigerators for medications, or maybe even a beverage center.

These ideas are not for all clients, but for those who are technologically savvy or have certain medical conditions, these renovations may be ideal.

Floating Vanities and Open Shelving Are In
Open storage and floating vanities are great ways to save space and create a more open atmosphere for your clients. Open storage also keeps bathroom necessities easily accessible.

Floating vanities are not only spacious but can add glamour to the bathroom. You can choose from a variety of styles for your clients, depending on the look desired. There are so many designs and styles of floating vanities that you’re sure to find one that fits the look your client is going for.

Some floating vanities also offer additional storage to help save even more space and allow for a cleaner or more modern look.

Vanity Lighting Adds Functionality and Style
Better lighting is always a plus, and for female clients it may be a necessity. While traditionally bathroom vanities consist of a countertop, mirror and medicine cabinet, adding specialty lighting can transform the area.

Whether the client wants lighting for applying making and shaving or lighting that creates a certain atmosphere, the right vanity lights can do both. You can discuss the various types of vanity lighting with clients, such as small pendants, light sconces, and light bars, for example.

Fixtures are just the beginning—creating a certain feel also means choosing the techniques and dimmers to create that specific effect.
You can change the look and atmosphere in a bathroom by using simple ideas that can transform the entire room without making dramatic changes to the structure. Your clients will appreciate the simpler ideas that don’t require a lot of time and money to create the bathroom of their dreams.