My overall impression of the KBIS Kitchen & Bath show this year is that every one of the manufacturers intended to raise their level of luxury offerings by several notches. Perhaps that is why the majority of attendants dressed like Elon Musk, in jeans and T-shirts! This in contrast to previous shows where attendants dressed in business casual attire and if you go back 10+ years, in suits & ties. The show was well attended, and most booths were crowded.
Cabinet manufacturers broadened their offerings in both colors and styles. The larger companies are attempting to cover the entire gamut from very low to very high-end offerings. Traditional framed suppliers have added frameless so they offer both traditional and euro style flat panel doors. Color options have expanded significantly, both in paints and laminates. Nonetheless, natural wood was the overall theme in natural browns and stains. The expansion to custom cabinet offerings was also prominent.
“Skinny shaker” has become an industry standard, new variations have been added as well. Last year Rift Cut Oak was a luxury offering, this year it has become available almost universally. Color consistency however may become an issue, I got an email from 1 manufacturer dropping the line just for that reason!
Appliance manufactures too have increased their range to stretch toward luxury. Did you know that all the GE appliance brands are now owned by Haier? Similarly, Whirlpool has consolidated a number of appliance brands Maytag, Amana, KitchenAid under its wings. There are of course a number of luxury only appliance brands like Wolf & Viking that continue to thrive. I looked at one brand’s new offering, a free standing 30” electric range with purported high-end features, a whopping retail price of $26,500.
Back to the Future: Appliance manufacturer Smeg has captured the trend to move back to 1950’s with smaller refrigerators and rounded top porcelain finishes, in bright colors like red, white & blue. Manufactures of pulls & knobs have grabbed onto the “mixed metals” trend of mixing two different colored metals, for example a round knob in brass and the plate below a silvery or black shade and not necessarily round, for a square plate makes a bigger statement. The faucet people embraced the trend with a goosenecked black body and a gold spray nozzle. Finishing trends also included a manually hammered look and “coining” (ridges lines like the edge of a US quarter) were prevalent. Natural brass was everywhere, and “patina” (natural tarnish) was often incorporated into the design!
Bath manufacturers too have moved toward luxury offerings. Luxury shower & doors, electric toilets, automatic faucets with brass & gold everywhere.
Extending the kitchen outdoors is a growing luxury trend thanks to COVID. The deck & patio aren’t just for the summer BBQ. It’s now a year-round extension of your leisure space, to relax, shmooze, dine, have a cold beverage & cook everything including pizza, smoke meats and of course BBQ. Outdoor designers today have many choices and new issues to tackle to create the perfect all-weather refuge.
The show planners lumped many similar vendors together. Foreign manufacturers, Asian parts, cabinet makers, European custom kitchen offerings and appliance manufactures all tended to be in the same proximity. For an industry so integrated and interdependent on both domestic and import sources to provide their wares, the upcoming tariffs will play a major role and perhaps havoc on the supply chain & prices!
