Trends and takeaways from the industry’s largest show

This year I had the privilege to travel to Las Vegas to attend the KBIS 2019. For those of you who don’t know, KBIS is the largest kitchen and bath show in North America. At KBIS you can see all the up and coming products, finishes, colors, trends and more. All in all, besides for the fact that it snowed when I was there (yes, snow,) it was a very successful trip. In this entry I will go through what I found to be the most important takeaways.

Color, Color Everywhere!

It was impossible to ignore, and so very fun! Color is in in a big way! Countertops, hardware, sinks and even appliances – all have ventured out of the safety zone and are introducing bold and bright hues.

• 

• 

• 

Traditionally, if you wanted some color in your kitchen you were limited to the use of cabinetry paint, colorful backsplashes and countertops – all of which are big ticket items or expensive to replace. Today it seems that every manufacturer wants in to the color trend. This is useful if you want to infuse a bit of color into your design using something that can be more easily switched when trends change. Faucets, hardware and decorative sinks are some examples of items that won’t break the bank to put in or replance. More expensive items like hoods and appliances were colorful as well for those who don’t mind to be daring.

Biophilia

Biophilia is connecting with nature. Bringing nature into the kitchen featured strongly at KBIS 2019. Many kitchens are incorporating mini gardens in the islands, by windows, and almost anywhere. In addition to this, wood grains and wooden finishes are making a huge comeback. Reclaimed wood featured strongly on island countertops, stove hoods and bar stools. More and more kitchens are featuring wood as an accent in their cabinetry as opposed to painted finishes. See our gallery for a Design it Kosher kitchen featuring biophilia.

Sabbath Mode

This is super exciting for kosher kitchen consumers. More and more companies are jumping on the Sabbath mode bandwagon. With the growth of technology, appliances have gotten more and more difficult to safely use on Shabbos and while most brands offered Sabbath mode ovens, not all had the feature on the fridges as well. At the show, I spoke with a Miele representative who confirmed that their newest model will have this feature added to it. This is great for those of you looking for an alternative to Sub Zero for a fully integrated look in the kitchen. Other companies like Dacor now have Sabbath mode as well. Additionally, Bertazzoni says that getting a certified Sabbath Mode on their ranges is something they are planning in the near future. (To see a full list of appliances currently certified by the Star K visit Star-K.org)