Home Elevator Trends

Mississauga-based manufacturer sees customers’ tastes evolve.

by Florence Facchini

Over the past few years, Federal Elevator has seen new trends emerging for residential elevators, including automation and customized finishing.

Customers are looking for personal elevators that can fit their existing home, décor and lifestyle. Here are a few marketplace trends:

1. Automatic sliding doors: Elevator cab entrances have evolved over the years. Manual accordion doors are now the exception, rather than the rule. New styles of automatic door options are now available and increasingly popular. Automatic bifold doors offer a sleek, modern cab entrance. Automatic sliding doors are available with a higher budget. These offer a much more commercial elevator look.
2. All-glass elevators: Designers and builders are selecting all-glass elevators for clients to highlight the elevator as an aesthetic focal point within their clients’ homes. This makes the elevator the “jewel of the home,” with modern elegance. Glass elevators also allow for beautiful sightlines, and passengers can enjoy the view while they travel. “We have seen an increase in demand for glass elevators in the last couple of years and glass cab doors fulfill this demand,” says Lucas Piatti, dealer/sales at Federal, which recently introduced new glass door options to meet customer requests.
3. Staying in the family home: Residential elevators provide an alternative to downsizing from your home, and a big trend is more customers who want to “age in place.” Due to recent events, more people are choosing to extend their time in their homes — not making the transition to downsizing or assistedliving centers. Staying in the family home with a residential elevator is a solution for accessibility. Home elevators can increase the value of the home. Solutions for customers looking to retrofit an elevator in their existing homes brings peace-of-mind as homeowners age and can help people who live in multigenerational homes.
4. Customization: There has been a clear shift from the practical, economical home elevator to a more customized showpiece. Showrooms like Federal’s often feature running elevators and showcase the latest products and innovations. This allows customers to test ride before they buy and provides inspiration for customization.
5. MRL elevators: When space or environment is a concern, a machine-room-less (MRL) elevator is a solution that is also a growing trend. Without the need for a room for a controller, less space can be dedicated toward the elevator. “There is increased demand for MRL elevators,” observes Piatti. “Our clients like to have the option of both that and the hydraulic system to choose from.”

In business for the past 32 years, Federal is a family-owned elevator manufacturer headquartered in Mississauga that sells to homeowners, developers, general contractors and architects. Its dealer network includes companies across Canada and the U.S. “Our customers buy complete packages that can range from a standard to highly customized elevator,” Piatti says.

As the residential elevator market continues to grow, Federal continues to update its product line to suit customer tastes, preferences and design trends.