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April 17, 2001The latest in home luxuryBy NANCY SUNDSTROMSpecial to the Record-Eagle From home theater systems in your spa to microwaves that can actually broil and brown your food, a sweeping range of impressive new advancements in technology for the home make luxury items even more attractive and convenient than ever. There's no limit to the big ideas these days and most of these head-turning innovations sell themselves with little effort from salespeople, say those who work in home design and appliances. In microwaves, the new Advantium from GE has a speed cooking system with halogen lights and heat that provides more direct heat and has broiling, baking and browning functions. "It could serve as your complete oven if that was all you had room for," said George Rokos of Max's Service in downtown Traverse City, who adds that one of the primary appeals of this unit is that it is designed to speed up and improve the usual microwave cooking experience. Additional features include a special 220-watt voltage, a defrosting system, and computer programming to take the guesswork out of how long to cook certain portions of food. The model is currently priced around $1,300. Radical advances have been made in the home spa industry, with innovation and beauty taking equal strides. In their new 2001 collection, for example, Jacuzzi whirlpool baths offer luxury shower systems, china suites and kitchen sinks. "Gallery Corner" is a corner installation that features an assortment of matched whirlpool baths, soaking baths and china fixtures. The J-SHA II system brings the power of Shiatsu massage to your whirlpool bath through two panels of jets designed to run along the bather's spine. And in the MSA22 Kitchen Sink, Jacuzzi introduces a line of Astracast composite sinks that have the latest in solid surface technology. At Phillips Energy Inc. in Traverse City, the latest addition to their inventory is the Ultimate Backyard Entertainment Spa Theater, which is on display at the Grand Traverse Mall store. This system has a LCD Retractible TV and VCR, Sony AM-FM CD, 74 thermal jets, twin waterfalls, twin ice buckets, waterproof floating remote and Fiber Optic lighting. Another version is the Sony Spa which has AM/FM and CD functions, 40 jets, Fiber Optic lighting, twin waterfalls and a waterproof floating remote among its highlights. "The stereo spas have been very popular, but this new home theater model is taking the product into a new realm for relaxation and luxury," explained Rick Phillips, the owner of the business. And keeping spas cleaner and running with more energy efficiency has never been easier. "Our industry has made constant progression over the years in making our (spa) units more maintenance-free, because we want you to spend more time enjoying them and less time working on them," said Tim Offenhauser of Hot Springs Spa in Traverse City. "In every area, from heat to sanitation, new improvements are continually being developed and the customer reaps those benefits." Offenhauser cites the example of changes in the exterior of spas that use a composite of wood fiber and plastics to produce the aesthetics of a traditional wood look, but with the benefit of being much easier to keep clean. Another recent upgrade is in 100 percent no-bypass filtration systems which work around the clock with multiple filters to maintain the quality of the water and make it more efficient. In doing so, the need for chlorine and bromine is reduced. "There's a lot that's new out there and customers are always impressed to see how they can go a long way with very little effort these days," Offenhauser said. Nancy Sundstrom is a freelance writer and arts critic who lives in Traverse City. |