In February, the Las Vegas Convention Center was the site of Design and Construction Week, a combined trade show of the National Association of Home Builders International Builders Show and the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. The combined shows covered 1.2 million total square feet of indoor and outdoor display space with 3,700 vendors who welcomed nearly 125,000 attendees. The energy throughout the show was electric and records show that it was the highest level of registered attendance in 17 years.
The general attraction to the show is learning (lots of educational opportunities) and networking (communing with peers, mentors and manufacturers), but most of all, getting to see the latest building and interior design products, giving attendees a leg up over their competitors with respect to their ability to solve their clients’ pain points with the latest product knowledge. For brevity, this article will focus on the products displayed at KBIS.
The overriding trends this year focused on meeting the needs of consumers and designers regardless of project size or budget; more color and texture; and technology to enhance efficiency, convenience, ergonomics and safety for a better quality of life, health and wellness and more.
Best in Show
There were many fabulous products; however, three in particular stood out as worthy of Best of Show for their ingenuity in meeting a tangible consumer need, unique patented materials and each company’s small capitalization.
The Hidealoo is retractable, wall-hung, toilet-mounting hardware that can be installed in a shallow-depth vanity cabinet (depth will depend on the width of the toilet selected). By “storing” the toilet under the bathroom lav floor, space that otherwise would have been devoted to a floor or wall mounted toilet is freed up, providing room for additional bathroom features such as a tub or shower. The applications seem endless, from tiny houses, auxiliary dwelling units and micro apartments, to bedrooms for assisted care patients and laundry and mud rooms — essentially wherever there is access to water and a waste drain. This product has been recognized by multiple U.S. and European awards and is currently produced in Great Britan.
The Copper Shower Company produces a beautiful, unique, cost-effective, sustainable, antimicrobial shower surround that professionals and DIYers alike can install in under an hour. It can be installed indoors or outdoors and is fully recyclable. It is produced in South Fork, Colorado.
The Quatreau TouchTap is exquisite in its simplicity and brilliant in meeting the demand for safe, pure drinking water in all its forms — chilled, hot, sparkling and filtered — from a single dispenser with an intuitive interface. No more single-use water bottles or cans. You actually can taste the difference. This product is produced in Great Britan and has worldwide distribution.
Health and Wellness
Joining the Polar Bear Club and the cold plunge health trend has just gotten easier.
Empava debuted its free-standing, dual-basin, hot (113 degrees) and cold (37 degrees) indoor plunge tub, allowing consumers to experience the health benefits of hot and cold water therapy with just the turn of an integrated spigot. Additional amenities include 22 massage jets, an insulated cover and an app to activate the heating or cooling while alleviating the need to deal with external ice. When filled, this tub can weigh more than 800 pounds, so it’s important to review the structural dead weight of the installation site to ensure a successful installation.
Kohler displayed the Remedy Place Ice Bath with enhanced features, including precision temperature control, ergo-dynamic body positioning, UV-powered filtration system and an integrated light to help guide breathwork, delivering a luxury experience that sets this tub well ahead of the product category pack. The Remedy Place can be installed in both indoor and outdoor environments.
Cabinet Hardware
Cabinet hardware is often referred to as the jewelry of a kitchen or bath project, but equally often, it’s a last-minute decision. A couple of standouts at KBIS in this category include:
- Furnipart, a Danish manufacturer of contemporary cabinet hardware, hooks, etc. offering many beautiful, natural wood (as well as metal) designs that truly fit the bill for midcentury-modern or contemporary designs and restorations.
- Modern Matter, a Virgina-based company offering cabinet, decorative bath and door hardware with flare. Have a simple cabinet or credenza? Install one of Modern Matter’s whimsical and customizable hardware pieces and you can transform the piece with just a screwdriver.
Technology
Many people have a love-hate relationship with technology. However, if you work from home and want to get dinner on the table in a timely manner, you will love the artificial intelligence (AI) camera feature in the Transitional Signature Kitchen Suite’s (SKS) oven with Gourmet AI or GE Appliance’s Flavorly wall oven with app-supported Smart HQ Assistant AI technologies. These wall ovens with their companion AI technology apps can identify the foods you have placed in the oven and provide cooking tips, helpful for beginner and novice cooks alike. You can monitor dinner with the app on your phone, allowing you to maintain productivity at your desk. The gorgeous, satin stainless-steel exterior and multiple cooking modes, including soft-plumbed steam, air fry, convection and more, provide an abundance of quiet luxury.
To the aesthetic dismay of architects and designers, many jurisdictions have adopted the national electrical code that requires popup power towers in kitchen islands. Mockett, makers of cabinet, table, electrical hardware and more, displayed the PCS136 popup power tower that allows you to finish the top of the unit in material that matches your countertop, providing a more aesthetically appealing alternative to other popups on the market. Includes both 15 a.m.p outlets plus USB-A and C charging capabilities.
FreePower, the developer of concealed wireless countertop charging power units, has partnered with Cosentino and James Alexander Vanities to provide integrated wireless chargers straight from the factory, allowing consumers to wirelessly charge their phones while getting ready for work or bed.
Meeting a Need (or Two or Three)
JennAir (a Whirlpool company) and German appliance manufacturer Bora have partnered to bring U.S. consumers the ultimate downdraft system — quiet, efficient, with no overhead exhaust hood to block the view and potentially the need for make-up air.
GE Appliances, in conjunction with the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), has developed an inclusive tactile sticker kit that can be installed on the majority of GE Appliances including laundry machines and microwaves to provide individuals with limited or no eyesight the ability to safely and efficiently operate these daily use appliances.
The EverydaySafeby Gunnebo is a fingerprint-activated safe that is integrated into a standard-sized cabinet drawer box for the secure storage of valuables and firearms and is accessible even if the power goes out. Think of how many lives, especially children’s lives, can be saved when people store their guns in a proper and convenient safe.
Thirteen percent of the U.S. population speaks Spanish, and GE Appliance’s new inclusive top-loading clothes washer and paired dryer provide Spanish-speaking consumers with confidence that they are using the optimal wash and dry cycles for their clothes with Spanish language control boards.
Austin, Texas-based Ruvati displayed an expanded collection of accessories for its popular workstation sinks including a plate rate, butcher block cutting boards, 5-quart mixing bowl colander set and more. The workstation sinks, along with the many accessories, help compact kitchens feel less cramped and food prep more efficient. Ruvati also launched a workstation laundry sink, available in multiple widths, complete with a wash board.
Color and Texture
Many consumers and designers are shifting their color and texture preferences from muted and smooth to bright and textured. Manufacturers of kitchen and bath products are heeding the call for more color and texture options and nowhere was that more evident than at KBIS.
Toto, a world leader in bidet-style toilets and other plumbing fixtures, has always excelled at function rather than form. This year’s booth demonstrated that Toto’s dedication to water and material efficiency and technology continues to be very strong but is now paired with on-trend, organic shapes and a burst of color options.
XTONE Amazonite, a large-format, through-body porcelain slab by PORCELANOSA, beautifully mimics an Egyptian “stone of hope” pattern in a deep turquoise hue with brown and grey veining in a polished finish.
Hacker Kitchens, a German manufacturer of cabinetry, debuted a beautiful, textural rattan door style, available in three finishes, which simultaneously looks both retro and modern.
True Residential debuted its latest appliance finish at KBIS — olive. A saturated green that is reminiscent of its name — did someone say martini?
Convenience and Efficiency
Products embracing convenience and efficiency were found across many product categories at KBIS.
How many times have you forgotten to preheat your oven? Sharp’s Celerity high-speed wall oven, with Golden Heater technology, fulfills the need for speed — when cooking. This oven can cook a whole 5-plus-pound chicken in approximately a third of the time required in a conventional oven and often without the need for preheating, perfect for busy lives.
Blum REVEGO touch-to-open, bi-fold door hardware allows you to hide things in plain sight. When the doors are opened, they are stored in a discreet, narrow pocket. This product helps create an uncluttered environment that is sure to elevate the overall aesthetic of any room. Available for double and single door applications of various heights.
The Richelieu Sunup brings a dramatic look to any space with a light chamber featuring a vertical light projection for beautiful, back-of-shelf ambient lighting that can be integrated into ultra-slim panels, as little as 18 mm in thickness. Resource efficient and beautiful.
Luxury
What exactly is luxury? Many consumers define luxury by price point (especially with cars and watches) or the bragging rights from having “limited edition” products (defined by scarcity and exclusivity) such as Macallan limited-edition single malt scotch. Luxury can also be defined as design features and materials that are timeless and require minimal maintenance, providing consumers with more enjoyment, more convenience and lower ownership costs due to less frequent replacements.
Want to make a statement in your entry, wine cellar or game room, etc.? Move over, wallpaper. For over 50 years, Antique Mirror S.R.L of Siena, Italy has been making artisan glass products to meet the discerning needs of designers and consumers alike while delivering a “wow” factor to projects across the globe — such as this unique backsplash.
The Kohler Anthem+ digital shower system is categorized as quiet luxury. In line with the health and wellness trend, this shower system provides a luxury experience with multiple showering options, steam, sound and light with just one customizable product rather than several integrated products. The system can be controlled by the Kohler Konnect app or a manual control panel inside the shower enclosure. Can’t you just imagine how the Anthem+ sends all your stress down the shower drain?
Few people have ever said, “I bought the house for the closets.” For many, having an organized closet is a luxury. Kesseböhmer Clever Storage has expanded its line of smooth-operating convenience hardware to include sleek closet components such as the CONERO pulldown closet rod with an integrated shelf and CONERO metal drawer boxes with tinted glass fronts for ease of viewing. Additionally, Kesseböhmer has partnered with EcoDomo, allowing homeowners to customize their closet components with four of EcoDomo’s beautiful and sustainable recycled leathers — Black Shagreen, Pebble Shagreen, Greystone Shagreen and Paloma Grey.
Outdoor Living and Entertaining
This category of residential design (and associated materials) continues to grow, as evidenced by the findings in a nationwide study by Statistica Research Department, released in the fall of 2024, which showed that nearly half of all U.S. homeowners are considering upgrading their current backyard, with the majority focused on enhanced entertaining and cooking space.
Several well-established manufacturers showcased updated outdoor cabinet lines, cooking equipment and outdoor-rated countertop materials. One pain point in this category is the lack of selection of outdoor-rated sinks and faucets.
Danver, founded in 1998, featured three new lines, all of which start with a stainless-steel base that is powder coated in one of several on-trend colors. The Cosmopolitan is a low-profile, open-slat shelf style that can be augmented with drawers and appliances such as the Kenyon electric grill. The Ascento, a collaboration with Brown Jordan, has beautiful, rounded corners and a distinctive contemporary look that also comes with exquisite walnut interiors and a variety of accessories, including a matching dog dish. The Urbane Collection, a collaboration with architect Daniel Germani, is a very stylish, transitional look with the potential for two-toned doors for a beautiful pop of color that is not overwhelming. Lastly, Danver debuted the Primitive fabric collection, a collaboration with Sunbrella high-performance fabrics, to provide beautifully coordinated furniture cushions and awnings for its various cabinet lines.
True Residential, manufacturer of luxury indoor and outdoor refrigeration units, has forged a partnership with Caliber high-performance barbecue grills to offer high-quality, customizable outdoor kitchen appliances and cabinetry in a rainbow of colors. The benefits of the partnership go beyond the aesthetics and performance of the products offered by Caliber and True Residential individually to include long-standing expertise in the luxury appliance market as well as True’s well established, cutting-edge production methodologies.
New York-based Kraus is a manufacturer of quality, affordable kitchen sinks and faucets. Kraus debuted its Kore Outdoor sink and faucet, one of the only outdoor-rated sink and faucet at KBIS 2025.
Surfaces
Neolith, a leader in sintered stone products for countertops, interior and exterior wall cladding, shower walls and more, released a variety of innovative new finishes from the Atmosphere Collection including WhiteSands, Rapolano, Artisan and Ignea. These through-body, half-inch porcelain slabs are an excellent choice for outdoor kitchens.
LX Hausys released several new finishes in its TERACANTO porcelain surface brand and its HIMACS brand, providing cost-effective ways to clad shower walls, create countertops and backsplashes and more.
Caesarstone released Icon, an 80% recycled-content, fused-stone product that doesn’t contain crystalline silica. Available in several beautiful finishes, many of which can be successfully backlit.
Seeing, experiencing and meeting many of the inventors of the newest kitchen and bath product innovations at KBIS never gets old. From the inception of the ideas to the roll-out on the factory floor and all the points in between, it is a pleasure to hear their stories and to review their products.
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