Where do designers go exactly to find out what’s new for kitchens and baths? Well usually to the annual Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) held someplace warm each winter during the month of February.

This year, however, the show was to be entirely virtual (thank you pandemic). I had never been and was excited about the prospect of “attending” this year, but a virtual show with 30,000 attendees, seminars, breakout sessions, chat features, and hundreds of different exhibitor platforms, some with virtual interactive showrooms all in different formats, is a massive, complicated, and risky undertaking.

Unfortunately, technical difficulties meant the exhibit halls had to shut down, but the incredible event coordinators found a way to pivot the seminars and breakout sessions to other formats so we were able to still attend those and learn about some of the new products and trends coming up!

The number one trend I saw?

Customization

As people are spending more time in their homes, a space that reflects their personality and preferences is now more desirable than ever before.

I got a peek at the GE Monogram Cafe showroom before the system crashed and it was fantastic! One of 4 all-virtual kitchens from Cafe, this sexy black display featuring the cafe series matte black finish on the appliances took my breath away. Talk about drama and elegance!

Cafe appliances are always customizable with different metal finish choices for the handles. This year they have added a sleek glass front option for a contemporary look that is equally easy to draw on and wipe off.

For the ultimate in bespoke customization, Bluestar is an industry leader in the luxury market. A recent announcement prompted much excitement:

“BlueStar® is bringing never before seen design solutions to the world of appliances. BlueStar® offers an exciting assortment of more than 1,000 colors as well as custom colors and a rainbow of knob colors and 10 metal trims. Now, the ability to apply any graphic to a range or refrigerator will transform the kitchen into a stunning showcase of design.”

Coming in mid-2021 you will be able to add ANY image to their appliances - wallpaper, art, photo, mural…whatever you can dream up! Here is an example of a fridge created in a Mural Wallpapers design. How fun is that?

Another trend in evidence was

Versatility

Appliances that can be adapted to different situations are on the rise. From LED strip lights that can be tuned to any color as the mood, strikes, to this fabulous under counter 2 drawer refrigerator/freezer from Signature Kitchen Suites, the luxury line from LG Appliances. Each drawer is programmable to a range of temperatures from -5’ to 50’ depending on what you need to store and can be changed at any time, right from your phone.

This would be a fabulous option for a game/media room, home bar, or office! Got a red carpet party coming up? Stock it with charcuterie and champagne. Need a secret stash of ice cream? Stock it with your favorite flavor of Haagen Dazs!

and of course, always on trend is

Space Efficiency

These new drawer organizers from Rev-a-shelf can revolutionize your drawer storage! Introducing the Maxx Drawer. With a top section that folds out and a set of customizable dividers and clips, no more wasted space or deep narrow compartments where things go to die!

And winning one of the Designers Choice awards was this laundry tower from LG. An all in one appliance that fits neatly into cabinetry making laundry sleek and efficient. Easy to tuck into a kitchen, pantry, laundry room, mudroom, or master suite closet, this vertical unit offers full size capacity in just a sliver of floor space, freeing up precious square footage for all kinds of other possibilities! Now…if only it would fold the laundry and put it away too, I might have to marry it!

Another item in the final design stages coming out this year is an all in one sink cabinet wash station from Elkay. Sort of a sink as appliance, it is a slide-in sink unit that features a faucet with a filtered water button for drinking water, a tilt down panel to access the built in filter unit, and two deep drawers custom built around the plumbing to revolutionize and maximize the efficiency of under sink storage. The plans include offering an option for the drawer fronts to be cabinet panel ready for a seamless look.

And finally…a peek at the popular metal finishes trending for faucets and cabinet hardware - it is no surprise that

warmer toned softer finishes are in

From brushed gold and brass to soft black, new finishes are less aggressive and more elegant - a beautiful counterpoint to both the still popular neutrals and the newer richly colored cabinets in shades of blue, green, and black.

This new touchless Tone faucet from Kohler with pull down 3 function spray and temperature memory, is available in a variety of finishes including this matte black and brushed brass one. Smart AND pretty!

And here are some of the cabinet hardware options from one of my favorite companies, Top Knobs. New honey bronze and ash black finishes are the softer color iterations. And two new very classically inspired collections were featured, Regent’s Park and Ellis.

Top knobs has a variety of high quality hardware from classically inspired to modern

And a mixed finish was introduced for the elegant Bit Pull shown here in flat black with honey bronze

And, while there was also a lot of buzz around smart home systems and appliances as innovations arise to help make life easier and safer, that is a whole other post!

I’ll be doing some more sleuthing as the KBIS 2021 news from various exhibitors continues to roll out!