KBIS 2016 Trend Recap | Kitchen and Bath Trends

Last week I traveled to Las Vegas with the team from Sharp Communications to attend KBIS (Kitchen and Bath Industry Show) and IBS (International Builders’ Show) to uncover the top kitchen and bath trends.  As usual, the show floor was buzzing with excitement as designers, members of the press, kitchen and bath dealers and buyers traversed back and forth between three massive exhibit halls filled to the gills with the newest products in kitchen and bath design.

Over the course of 3 days,  I observed emergent trends unfold, followed the evolution of ongoing trends, and witnessed a plethora of new product introductions and innovations being demonstrated, and I captured everything I saw on my social channels using #SHARPxKBIS.   Here are some of the biggest trends I spotted:

The 7 Top Kitchen and Bath Trends

• Matte Black

• The At Home Gourmet

• The Evolution of Concrete

• Textile Inspired Tile

• Artisanal Finishes

• Innovation

• Touchless Controls

MATTE BLACK

There is no doubt that the kitchen is no longer a place for women only.  Men are spending more time in the kitchen, and the products and finish offerings reflect that. Finishes in the kitchen haven gotten sleek, sexy, and are inspired by the matte black car finishes that I have been seeing on the high-end, 6-figure cars I see cruising down the streets of West LA on any given day.

Viking 7 Series: Carbon Fiber Concept Range

Viking had their Carbon Fiber Concept Range displayed front and center in their booth.  At this point it is only in the concept phase, but given the “oohs” and “aahs” I heard as I walked by, this should be in the line in no time – especially if men continue to have a say in what gets put in the kitchen.

Lava Calda by Ann Sacks Tile

Ann Sacks Tile displayed quite a few new introductions with matte black accents from Kelly Wearstler’s new collection, but Lava Calda is a rich, matte black field tile complements the darker , richer metal finishes we are seeing in the marketplace.

Balletto Vanity, Robern

Robern’s submission for “Best of KBIS”, their Balletto Vanity, won them “Best in KBIS Bath – Silver”.  With tip out drawers in front and on either side, don’t let it’s  small footprint fool you – there’s plenty of storage within!

Neoroc by Kohler

Kohler is one of several companies debuting new matte black sink surfaces in the kitchen.  Kohler uses a proprietary material called “Neoroc”.

Ikon Apron Front Sink in Silgranit, by Blanco

Blanco debuted amatte black apron front sink, Ikon, in their patented Silgranit material.

THE AT HOME GOURMET

With the newest kitchen innovations to hit the market, the consumer no longer has to venture outside the home for gourmet food and drink.

Grohe Blue Chilled & Sparkling Faucet

Grohe Blue Chilled & Sparkling combines the modern look of a designer faucet with a high-performance filter, cooler and carbonator—and is as easy to use as an ordinary kitchen faucet.  The right lever is used to mix hot and cold tap water, while turning the left handle provides filtered and chilled medium or full sparkling water.

Freddy Blast Chiller by Irinox

The Freddy is the first blast chiller designed for home use.  Unlike a regular home freezer, which takes several hours to freeze to the core, Freddy  freezes to the core in a speedy 90 minutes.  The shock freezing cycle at -18°C extends food storage life to up to 6-18 months. The more rapidly the liquid contained in food is frozen (micro-crystallization), the better the product’s quality is when thawed. Furthermore, low temperature cooking allows Freddy to gently cook meat and fish, maintaining a tender consistency.

My favorite feature is one that all working families will consider a godsend.  Before leaving for work in the morning, one can put the evening’s meal inside the Freddy cavity, where it will be kept refrigerated for most of the day.  Program Freddy to when you will return home, and Freddy will switch to cook mode to start cooking in time for you to come home to a piping hot meal.

I have imagined a product that would do this same exact thing in my head for YEARS, as cooking after returning from a full day of work can be even more stressful than a day at work. This goes on the top of my list of “must haves”. Tomorrow is my birthday —let’s see if someone’s actually reading this!

Zero Professional Vacuum Sealer by Irinox

Zero, also by Irinox, is the first built-in professional vacuum sealer.  Vacuum sealing removes air from the food and liquid, increasing food storage life five-fold. This “gadget” is invaluable for the homeowner who also owns the Freddy chill blaster.

Monogram Pizza Oven

The Monogram Pizza Oven can cook pizzas in just two minutes after a speedy 30 minute preheat.  Using regular electric power, the Monogram Pizza Oven delivers precise zone-controlled heating, enabling exact temperatures for your perfect pie. Brings authentic old world taste to today’s high-end kitchen.

European Hydroponic Kitchen Garden Station powered by Loox LED Lighting for Häfele

A hydroponic garden complete with homegrown herbs and spices is now possible with Häfele’s Loox LED lighting system. Fresh herbs are now at your fingertips while cooking and it also makes for a pretty kitchen!

THE EVOLUTION OF CONCRETE

We’ve been seeing a whole lot of concrete being used in and around the home lately —in tile, furniture, lighting and home accessories.  The recent popularity of concrete may have to do in part with the revival of the brutalist period, where concrete was used in simple blocks and forms,  left raw and unfinished.

However, every trend evolves, and concrete is now not as rough and raw as it once was.  The form has become more sculpted, and the texture more polished and refined.

Kaza by Walker Zanger

Judging by the frequency I saw Walker Zanger’s Kaza Collection show up on my Instagram feed during market, it was VERY well received by those in attendance. So well received that Kaza was awarded “Best of KBIS-Kitchen, Gold” That means 1st place, and as you can see, it was well deserved!

NativeStone® Sinks and Bathtubs

NativeStone® is a proprietary material from Native Trails that mimics concrete yet is more sturdy and environmentally friendly.  Natural jute is used in combination with concrete and then is permanently sealed with a water-based, non-toxic Nano-seal, making it impervious to water. Using natural jute allows for a much lighter product without sacrificing durability.  It is available in 3 finishes.

TEXTILE INFLUENCED TILE

Arizona Tile Digitalart Series

Digitalart is a porcelain tile made by Arizona Tile that is heavily textured to emulate the look and feel of fabric but with the durability and maintenance of a solid surface.

The Knit Collection by Walker Zanger

Walker Zanger often looks to fashion for inspiration, and this season was no different.  As you may recall, last year Walker Zanger’s Sterling Row Collection line was inspired by the many patterns seen in the finest tailors throughout Europe. This season an emphasis was placed on the luxurious textures found in fashion, rather than pattern.

Below the texture of tile is reminiscent of a fine wale corduroy. The matte porcelain allows for a subtle play on light and picks up the detailed fine ribbed texture.

Below, the texture is a play on a twill weave, in which the hexagon shaped tiles are stacked like shingles.

PALE AQUA BLUE

Pale aqua blue was seen at every turn, but because of it is timeless, classic quality and its ability to be read as a neutral rather than color, it was overlooked by many as a color that is trending.

Couleur Collection curated by Suzanne Kasler for La Cornue

For Suzanne Kasler’s curated Couleur Collection curated for La Cornue, the city of Paris served as the inspiration behind the colors chosen, and of course shades of  gently worn, pale aqua always come to mind when thinking of Paris.

Aquatint from Etchings, Silestone’s Influencer Series

For the fourth year, Silestone has gathered leading designers and influencers in the world of design to form the Silestone Trendspotters.  This year’s group of 6 Trendspotters collaborated to come up with the newest Influencer Series, Etchings.  The first two colors from the series were presented at KBIS, and one of those colors just so happened to be “Aquatint”,  a pale, clear shade of aqua mixed with shards of white Dekton.  They don’t call them Trendspotters for nothing – this group of 6 designers travel the world to report on the trends emerging around the world so they are right on top of what is trending!

Below is a photo of my two friends, Denise McGaha and Christopher Kennedy, two of this year’s Silestone Trendspotters. I was lucky enough to run into them while I stopped by the Cosentino booth, where they are pictured in front of Ink, the second of the two colors from the Influencer Series.

Masterbrand Cabinets

Masterbrand Cabinets displayed a retro inspired laundry room in a painted pale aqua blue.

AGA

AGA had several new introductions, many of which sported a more modern interpretation of the kitchen range.  However,  I will always associate AGA with their cast iron ranges, available in a rainbow of colors, but displayed at KBIS in none other than a pale aqua blue.

Masterbrand Cabinets

Masterbrand Cabinets shows a pale aqua blue door to provide pop against matte black cabinetry in the kitchen.

ARTISANAL FINISHES

Textured surfaces in ceramic and metal emphasize the importance of “one of a kind” and  hand made, celebrating artisans and their craft.

The Derring Collection, Kohler

The Derring Collection of ceramic sinks from Kohler sports raised edge details that add depth and definition.

The Palmer Vanity, Thompson Traders

Thompson Traders brings the old world technique of hammered copper to today’s modern home in the form of the Palmer Vanity in an antique satin gold finish.

INNOVATION

Viking Incogneeto™ Induction Warmer

The Viking Incogneeto Induction Warmer is mounted underneath a stone or engineered stone countertop and allows the countertop or stone topped furniture piece to be transformed into a warmer for entertaining. Once mounted, simply place the trivet on the countertop, along with the induction compatible cookware for an instant warming station. When not in use, store the trivet and you have your countertop back with the heating element concealed beneath the countertop surface.

Last year  LG Hausys debuted Tech Top, a wireless charging surface that charges  mobile devices simply placing it on top of the LG Hausys Hi Macs Tech Top surface — similar in concept to the Incogneeto Induction Warmer.  There is no telling what next year will bring!

Shadowbrook 3D Printed Faucet from DXV

DXV had their three 3D printed faucets, operational and on display for the first time ever at KBIS.  Although I saw Vibrato installed while visiting the Bienenstock Furniture Library in High Point last October, Shadowbrook is my favorite of the three and KBIS was the first time I saw water run through its 19 laser printed  spouts.

TOUCHLESS CONTROLS

LadyLux3 Café kitchen faucet, Grohe

Grohe’s LadyLux3 Café kitchen faucet features Foot Control Technology, which allows the user to easily switch the water flow on and off with a tap of the foot on the activation plate installed discreetly in the toe space of the cabinet.  This hands-free mechanism eliminates the need to use a handle to operate water flow and keeps the faucet clean and bacteria-free.

Häfele Touchless Trash Enclosure

There’s nothing like cutting up chicken in the kitchen just to have to pull open the trash with your dirty hands. Häfele has come to the rescue with a foot control designed for built in trash drawers, which eliminates germs and bacteria from contaminating the outside of the built in trash area.

As always, KBIS offered an almost endless amount of new products to see and gave me a comprehensive view of emergent and ongoing kitchen and bath trends.  Of course, what I’ve presented here is what I saw through my own individual lens and each attendee may have picked up on other trends that were present, but I may not have mentioned!

In less than 2 weeks I leave for Frankfurt, Germany to report on Ambiente, the international trade fair for consumer goods.  Again, I’ll report back on the trends and my favorite finds, and with over 4800 exhibitors from over 90 countries, I have my work cut out for me!  Until then, I am busy getting the finishing touches of my showroom and store together so that I can open my doors in an area of  Old Town Pasadena that is quickly becoming the Pasadena design district. I’ve partnered and collaborated with some great brands and manufacturers and I can’t wait to share what I’m up to, so keep posted!

This post was sponsored by Sharp Communications, but as always, all observations and opinions are my own.