Home Improvement

ASHLAND CITY, Tenn. — Lowe’s is teaming up with American Water Heaters to offer homeowners the ability to remotely control their water heaters from their smart phones or tablets.

Iris is Lowe's exclusive smart home solution allows homeowners to monitor and control virtually everything in the home, including Energy Smart electric water heaters, which will feature Iris-compatible control modules. Homeowners can use the controls to set water temperatures and select operating modes, including the "Vacation" mode.

Oak Brook, Ill. -- Inland Diversified Real Estate Trust announced Monday the acquisition of a majority interest a portfolio of six grocery/home-improvement-anchored retail properties located in Las Vegas.

The properties were acquired in a joint venture between a subsidiary of Inland Diversified and affiliates of the seller Territory Inc.; the joint venture valued the portfolio at about $296 million.

Hyphen Solutions has appointed Ken Pinto, a former supply chain executive for Toll Bros. and other national home builders, as its VP supply chain.

Pinto brings 21 years of supply chain management expertise to Hyphen's real estate and software management team. He most recently served as the director of supply chain at Toll Bros. and has held similar positions at Standard Pacific and Pulte Homes. Pinto also heads the Supply Chain Benchmark Group, which is a coalition of the purchasing leaders of some of the largest home builders in the United States.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Lowe’s will unveil the next wave of products and services for Iris, its cloud-based smart home solution, at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show.

Iris enables homeowners to monitor and control their homes from anywhere via smart phone, tablet or computer with a free basic level of service. Lowe’s will showcase more than 15 new Iris devices and services developed since the smart home solution’s launch in 2012 at the show.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Lowe’s Creative Ideas magazine is extending its reach into cyber territory to offer consumers home-improvement project ideas for the New Year.

Since its launch in 1998, the nearly 15-year-old magazine has enjoyed what it touts as one of the largest circulations for a free publication nationwide. Evolving with the times, the magazine now has a top-rated free iPad app in the iTunes Newsstand, as well as a robust following on Pinterest and more than 1,000 how-to videos available online at YouTube.com/Lowes.

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — Whirlpool brand's Whirlpool Gold Gas and Electric Ranges with TimeSavor Convection cooking systems earned the Good Housekeeping Seal from the Good Housekeeping Research Institute.  

Whirlpool’s TimeSavor Plus True Convection cooking system and AccuBake temperature management system work together to circulate hot air over, under and around food, which allow the range to cook and bake dishes evenly.

The Woodlands, Texas -- Conn’s announced the opening of three Conn’s HomePlus stores in El Paso and Fort Worth, Texas, and Tucson, Arizona.

The new Conn’s HomePlus store format showcases furniture and mattresses in addition to the leading brands and the latest technologies in consumer electronics and home appliances.

New York -- Third quarter same store sales at Bed Bath & Beyond were negatively affected by Hurricane Sandy, but the nation’s leading home good retailer still managed to grow profits.

Bed, Bath & Beyond said net income for the third quarter ended Nov. 24, increased 1.8% to $233 million.

Sales increased 15.3% to $2.7 billion, largely due to two acquisitions earlier in the year, while same store sales advanced 1.7% and were negatively affected by an estimated .9% due to Sandy.