What's New at KBIS? - Part 2 - Kitchen and Bath Industry Show
“Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things.”
Are you an avid foodie or chef? Get ready for Part Two of my What’s New at KBIS 2022 - The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. As I write, it’s getting close to the lunch hour and my appetite is increasing from reviewing my photos! We’re going to be exploring a luxury appliance line, created to meet all skill sets in the kitchen, as well as a German cabinet line, designed to span the preferences of multiple generations.
As a side note, these companies were some of our sponsors for our Designhounds Tour and I’m covering their product lines in appreciation.
If your kitchen has the capacity for a 48” range, this would be my top pick! It’s the only one with a built-in sous vide, a cooking method that keeps those steaks and proteins super tender and moist. I love the combination of different cooktop elements - from gas to induction.
Signature Kitchen Suite
Signature Kitchen Suite . . . . Where to even begin to cover all of their amazing features?! My biggest takeaway, from having experienced their product demonstrations, was how thoughtfully they’ve incorporated multi-purpose use in their appliances.
For example, having a sous vide built-in to make it easy to transfer from the water bath to the grill for the perfect cut of beef.
The sous vide process in action. Image: Signature Kitchen Suite
Though not a new cooking method, here’s a little tutorial as to why many foodies love the results:
For meats, when you sous-vide, the ideal temperature is reached for the enzymes to break down tough protein strands without going to a higher temperature and having the food dry out.
Most people prefer a sear on their steaks, so having the grill top at the ready, makes for an easy transfer from one cooking technique to another. The results are like dining in a superior steak house in your own home.
Images: Wanda S. Horton and Signature Kitchen Suite - Wine Cave Technology Under Counter Wine Refrigerator
Having just moved into a 55+ community, it’s been of particular interest as to how we can enjoy the freedom of this lifestyle without minimizing the niceties. When I saw the 24” inch wine refrigerator by Signature, I paid attention! It’s panel ready to allow it to mesh right into your cabinetry.
Small but mighty, it stores up to 41 bottles with a special technology that “eliminates vibration, temperature fluctuations, limits light exposure and optimizes humidity, protecting collections from wine’s most damaging elements.” It mimics the ideal environment for storing your special vintages, thus, “wine cave technology”.
There are also two independent temperature zones for red, white and sparkling wine. They can be set between 41 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit to address any variety. You can read more about it here.
Though we were all eyes and ears in taking in the show, I participated in a little comic relief. Can you tell I’m camera shy? I did give one of my top ten picks for Signature’s new, 48” wide, counter depth refrigerator. No feature was overlooked. There’s flexible storage as the freezer drawers can be used for refrigeration and vice versa. The French doors make it super accessible to the biggest of party trays. It was so exciting to see their prototype in place.
The world’s largest European cabinet manufacturer, nobilia European Kitchen Furniture, produces 3,500 kitchens daily. That’s pretty impressive! And they have all of the parts down to a science, based on the Bauhaus influence of form following function. Building kitchens and baths based on what the user really needs. Of course, they offer beautiful colors and textures to surround you with style, too.
nobilia European Kitchen Furniture
Shifting trends in design. Nobilia leads the modern aesthetic with their modular systems.
As I previously shared, in Europe, there’s a leaning toward modular systems for kitchens and baths, which may feel a little foreign to our methods in the states. Though we refer to our cabinets as furniture-like, the folks at nobilia reference theirs as a “furniture system”. Be it a kitchen, a bath, a laundry, a closet, or a living space, they look at the space as an opportunity to put together components of function to rise to meet the inhabitants.
They also emphasize the democratization of design, making their products more available to all, with innovation being more obtainable. From millennials to boomers and everyone in between, we’re more alike in our creature comforts being met than we may consider.
Image: nobilia
Just think of putting together your own layout with all of their options! Truly design-within-reach, on so many levels.
While we’re at the end of my sponsored posts, the KBIS show was vast and I’ll be sharing more of my favorite finds, as well as some photos of The New American Home. I’m catching my breath to get back to clients, because, after all, that’s why designers slip away to observe and absorb. It’s an important aspect of our work . . . staying on top of what’s new and what’s next.
Thank you to all of our sponsors, to KBIS, to Modenus Media, and also to all of my fellow Designhounds who made this tour entertaining and educational. We learn a lot from one another and I feel like we’ve made some long-lasting friendships. XOXO!
All my best!
Wanda