Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) welcomed builders, designers and more to its annual event, the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) as part of Design and Construction Week (DCW), held January 19-21 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The event highlighted many unique trends and design styles for attendees to soak in, whether visiting vendor booths or attending educational sessions.
Hardware Retailing editor Renee Changnon walked the entire Las Vegas Convention Center, browsing IBS for unique building finds and then heading to the KBIS show, where she kept an eye out for what she thought independent retailers would want to know about trends in kitchen and bathroom design.
Kitchen & Bath Industry Show Highlights Unique Trends
Clearly evident in many of the booths was the inclination toward high-end appliances, which often featured a sleek, modern look. From heavy duty washers and dryers to steam clothing care systems by LG to matching kitchen appliances that pull the kitchen together, many manufacturers are still looking for ways to present a clean look.
In contrast, however, there were several instances that the stainless steel appliance style has a competitor: color. Several vendors featured colorful appliances, like cast iron ovens by AGA, or refrigerators, ovens and microwaves from Elmira Stove Works that mimic 1950s-era kitchens.
The kitchen appears to continue to move outdoors as well. At the show, outdoor kitchens brought the luxury of the indoor kitchen outside. True Appliances even featured an outdoor island with built-in wine cabinets and a built-in, beer-on-tap system.
Appliances also spilled into luxury closets at the show. Electrolux highlighted a customized closet anyone would want, with a washer and dryer built in to the high-end closet. Other vendors also featured their washer and dryers built in to a more customized room in the home as well.
Outside of appliances, the cabinetry seen across the floor was either traditional with some unique detailing or extremely modern, featuring fine, clean lines. Additionally, many vanities had the appearance similar to a functional table with cutouts to store towels, rather than strictly sticking to the traditional bathroom sink in a cabinet.
Robern featured a more high-end bathroom vanity, with the mirrored style and many hidden storage compartments. The manufacturer had several eye-catching bathroom pieces on display. They also had several luxurious mirrors and mirrored-medicine cabinets. One of the medicine cabinets features lighting in the mirror, music that can pipe through speakers on the mirror and even a USB phone charging station.
Many vendors featured high-end toilets with an appearance that was uniquely modern. Toilets from Kohler and other vendors like Brondell had additional features outside of standard toilets, like heated seats, built-in bidet systems, air-drying systems, quiet-close lids and dual-flush options to select between two different amounts of water per flush.
What else should be expected in the kitchen in 2016? According to research done by the NKBA, a few of the top trends to look out for include transitional style kitchens with contemporary kitchens emerging. Prepare to see more gray, white and off-white cabinets; pull-outs, tilt-outs and tilt-ins for storage; wood flooring; quartz and granite countertops; outdoor kitchens; built-in coffee stations and wet bars; pocket doors; special pet spaces and even docking and charging stations.
Take a look at this photo gallery to see the different trends from the floor and get a better feel for what your customers will start looking for, whether it’s a small addition like a new toilet or bathroom vanity or it’s an entire kitchen remodel, including new appliances, cabinets and more.
