Viva Las Vegas!
NKBA’s sign is big and the Kitchen and Bath Show is even bigger!
Vegas, Baby!
Some people go to Vegas to try their luck and (hopefully) win big, other people go for the lights, music, and food, while still others go for the latest in bathroom and kitchen design. You can guess which category I fall into!
At the end of February, I dragged Ernie along to attend my first-ever Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS for short) in Las Vegas, Nevada and, much like my beloved High Point Market, it was an amusement park for lovers of elegant and innovative design.
“K-BIS ” the business of Kitchens and Baths
As the name implies, KBIS is devoted to all things remotely associated with kitchens and baths. In today’s home, kitchens have become the beating heart of a family’s communal space while also doubling as a focal point for entertaining. Meanwhile, bathrooms while being an area that gets the most foot traffic are also evolving into multi-functional sanctuaries. If you want to put your “bucks” in the optimal “bang” areas of the home, look no further than bathrooms and kitchens.
KBIS is a tradeshow for professionals only, in this blog post I’ll pull back the curtain to discuss all things bathroom and kitchen!
Viva Las Manufacturers!
Let’s start with demystifying KBIS. Like most tradeshows, KBIS gives manufacturers the opportunity to showcase their latest products and present visual insight into industry trends --- essential to us designers!
Nothing says 'kitchen and bath' like cabinets and tile, and beautiful tile alongside imaginative cabinetry were displayed everywhere throughout the convention center. I’m always on the hunt for new inspiration on how to take classic designs and refresh them for today’s tastemakers (aka my clients!)
I’ve mentioned my love of tiles before (oh, just once or twice on the blog!), and KBIS did not disappoint. It was the perfect place for three sister brands to combine in one amazing booth display. Classic patterns and techniques turned into contemporary and future-forward design!
Blue and white is a classic and this tile display shows how one tile pattern can be turned into numerous patterns.
Future-forward ideas in cabinetry were on full display. Reeded wood is a definite trend in cabinetry and I loved these reeded wood panels from IKONNI. The flexibility to curve these panels creates movement that is eye-catching, innovative, and ultra-modern!
Networking: The Key to Success
Often, the design process is equal parts “what I know” and “who I know”; by going to a tradeshow, I can establish one-on-one relationships with vendors so that when I have a client who dreams up a custom specification for a kitchen cabinet, for example, I have the right numbers to call and turn those dreams into realities!
My Number One Connection
For me, the highlight of KBIS was meeting La Cornue’s General Manager, Édouard Laclavière! Édouard graciously showed us the ins and outs of everything La Cornue (spoiler alert--- La Cornue is referenced A LOT in this blog post!). Spending time with Édouard, not only endeared me to the La Cornue brand but gave me a connection and an invite to the La Cornue factory the next time I’m in Paris!
I love this photo of Édouard and I –even if it does cover up the absolutely gorgeous La Cornue range behind us!
A major player in the kitchen appliance world since 1908, when founder Albert Dupuy reimagined what haute cuisine cooking could look like, La Cornue prides itself on “remaining, at its core, a craft manufacturer.” This means the handmade ranges are built to order and always bring French elegance to a custom space. The level of detail that goes into each range speaks to my design philosophy and makes it easy to daydream about having my own La Cornue range!
The KBIS Game Plan
As in any good design plan, getting the most out of a tradeshow experience begins with a good game plan. I always frame my time at a tradeshow to look at products through the lens of my clients’ design aspirations and their spaces’ requirements.
For example, one of my clients and I have been searching high and low for a pegboard hanging system to fit into locker-style cabinets: the perfect organizational tool for the mudroom! It was proving hard to find just the right thing until I stumbled across a cabinetry booth at KBIS and voila! the perfect pegboard.
You don’t have to hit me up for me to reveal that Rev-A-Shelf was the hero of the hour and designed this lovely pegboard, which is sold as inserts for kitchen drawers. I absolutely love this innovative twist on a product, showcasing a truly creative use of their product!
A Few of My Favorite Things
Organizational Tools
The pegboard story leads me to one of the biggest takeaways from the show: the abundance of organizational and space-saving accessories that help make day-to-day life easier.
A perfect example, again(!), was the La Cornue booth – the details you can add to your cabinetry will give you a little jolt of happiness every time a drawer is opened! Can you tell I would love to work with a client on their own customized La Cornue range?!
Specialized refrigeration was everywhere with indoor and outdoor models. I loved this bottle storage that allows you to stand the bottles up vs. laying them down on top of each other-brilliant!
Functional cabinetry was inspiring. This pullout cabinet gives a place for all kinds of hair styling tools. The metal inserts mean you can put the curling iron out of sight, even if it’s still hot to the touch!
There is an appliance for every cook and KBIS showed them off. This built-in open rotisserie spit from (who else?!) La Cornue was the stuff of Ernie’s daydreams!
Natural Materials
Another on my list of favorite KBIS finds was the wood bathtub by Woodbridge. It’s no fun getting into a cold bathtub, and the wood finish in this soaking tub guarantees to be warm from the start. The wood felt as soft as silk, what an unexpected detail in a Zen-themed bathroom!
I absolutely adore the tub’s rustically inspired aesthetic married perfectly with comfort-conscious design.
This bathtub was incredibly inviting, prompting me to give it a try! I can vouch for its comfort, enticing you to sink in, soak, and relax after a long day of alpine skiing, and hiking—or even after a day spent walking the convention center floor!
Unconventional Design
And, why not add to our imaginary bathtime by including a perfectly paired glass of wine fetched from another of Ernie’s favorite KBIS finds: a Genuwine wine cellar in the floor! Yes, you read that correctly: a wine cellar in the floor!
We were invited to take a trip down a spiral staircase, descending into a wine wonderland. I suddenly knew what Alice felt like!
Genuwine Custom Cellars have been visionary pioneers in wine cellars for twenty-eight years, building a reputation of excelling beyond the mundane to deliver truly innovative cellar designs. It’s easy to see why!
Color was everywhere at the show and Barbie Pink was a favorite. I saw it on everything from appliances to vanities.
This refrigerator and freezer from True would be perfectly placed in Barbie’s dream house!
In this charming vignette, a 'pretty-in-pink' vanity seamlessly complements the marbleized wallpaper and the glow of a backlit vanity mirror.
In Summary
My first time attending KBIS revealed new trends, reimagined classic designs, and presented creative solutions to everyday kitchen and bathroom problems.
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