Tony & Hayley were invited to attend the KBIS exhibition, as part of the NKBA global connect programme. During their time at the event, they attended the Gala Awards evening, where the NKBA and KBIS were celebrating their 60th year. They were also asked to be part of a discussion panel, talking on the main stage about global trends and how these were influencing the Kitchen and Bathroom markets in the UK and Europe.
On their visit, they noticed key trends – this blog post shares their findings.
Sinks & Basins (Sinks are in kitchens, basins are in bathrooms)
What was trending?
From a practical perspective, there were various brands showcasing ‘multi-functional’ kitchen sinks. Sinks included an internal ledge that allowed various accessories to rest and slide within the sink including colanders, chopping boards, drainers etc, all focussing on making the sink much more functional for preparing and rinsing food, as well as washing up and draining.
In terms of materials, thin ceramics, coloured ceramics and matt composites were showcased, which added a twist to the traditional styles, such as the Butler style, whilst introducing modern materials and a sleekness. Minimal under-mounting was another feature, which is an almost invisible join between worktop and under-mounted sinks or basins.
Colours ranged from candy colours, to earthy putty tones, to classic black and white.
We talk about the importance of each part of your kitchen and how you can maximise functionality. With the addition of a ledge space, the sink is your wash, preparation, and cleaning station. We think this is a great addition to a kitchen, especially to ones which are smaller and have a limited amount of worktop space.
Kitchen Appliances
What was trending?
Gas remains the preferred choice in the US market, which is very different to the UK where we are seeing a shift towards induction technology and worktop hob extraction.
It was very exciting to see what individual hobs (gas induction) allow for design freedom and the positioning of the hob rings. Many hobs are either square or rectangular, referencing back to early 1800’s when the domestic cooking appliances were first introduced in the form of a ‘stove’ These were often free-standing, much like the ‘Range cookers’ today, suggesting the combination of oven and cooktops dictated the proportions and layout of hobs.
Contrasting to today, we tend to separate the oven and hob functions. Ovens are positioned at eye level for ease of use, with hobs positioned in a linear, panoramic style, slightly set back from the edge of the worktop resulting in a more practical, safer composition.
Another feature noticed was to inset the same material as the work surface into the hob plate, merging the worktop and hob. This creates an invisible solution where the hob plate is located under the worktop, whilst allowing the heat to travel through and becoming a hot plate. This results in a very minimal, easy to clean design.
The control knobs included digital icons and visual indicators for ultimate control.
Colours and Textures
What was trending?
Colour in interiors remains a key trend, candy colours, metallics (copper brass and bronze), natural stones, and more interestingly Travertine seems to be making a return.
Another interesting trend in colours is combing colours, for example free-standing basins in satin brass and gunmetal, and taps in matt black and polished brass.
In terms of textures, fluted and ribbed details featured in furniture, wall panelling, free-standing baths and tap handle details.
A pink concrete bath with fluted detailing was one of our favourites. Curves and soft organic shapes featured in brassware, basins, sinks and accessories, which soften interiors and creates a more inviting and tactile space.
At Day True, we are not afraid of colour or texture. We love to embrace it, and it was great to see that it was trending at KBIS to add character to a space. It’s interesting to see that Travertine is making a come-back too, especially as it was big in bathroom design when we were at the beginning of our careers. We think it’s becoming a popular choice as we are starting to move away from grey and cooler tones to warmer and more classic hues. It adds movement and texture to a space too.
Products and Materials
What was trending?
Concrete baths and basins- combining colour and texture. It was interesting to learn about ‘New concrete’ concrete done better, mixing jute and natural materials to result in a lightweight concrete combined with artisan techniques.
Bizarrely, we learnt about ‘Hemp concrete’ use in the construction industry, which is based on its greener credentials. From our taxi driver that collected us from the airport (a very chatty chap) he informed us of the vast scale of investment and construction that is happening in Las Vegas over the next few years. Construction is known to consume around 40% of the world’s global energy, 25% of the global water and 40% of the global resource. This consumption can be drastically reduced with the substitution of mineral aggregates by plant aggregates, such as hemp concrete, which helps to combat climate change. The taxi driver was very concerned where they will find the resource of skilled labour to aid this construction program, which is also a hugely relevant topic to the UK construction and home improvement sector.
We love to include hand-made products within our designs to embrace true craftmanship from different areas and cultures of the world. From Zellige tiles and hand blown Murano Glass Bowls, bespoke products like these add character and personality to a space, as no two are the same.
Wellness in the Bathroom
What was trending?
Wellness and our mental and physical health remain a hot topic- bathrooms can be a great tonic to help smooth, restore and rebalance. Infinity pool style bathtubs that overflow were trending, providing the ultimate at-home bathing experience. Compact baths were too, allowing you to separate the functionality of baths & showers in smaller spaces, maximising functionality for showering with ease & speed, and bathing for relaxing & resting.
Shower heads that included containers to diffuse essential oils during showering, providing an awakening or relaxing experience, were popular too.
Visit our IQ Hub to read more about Spas
Wellness and self-care are important to us, with the bathroom being an intimate area to relax and unwind. With the introduction of spa-like features in the bathroom, you can create your own luxury space. We love compact baths too, specifically Rexa’s Dip bath, as they provide a deeper bathing experience.
Visit our IQ Hub to read more about Spas
We also took part in a panel discussion
During the exhibition we were invited to take part in panel discussion on global trends. The discussion started with a presentation from Patti Carpenter who gave an overview of the Macro global trends that were influencing the way people live and what they purchase. These trends covered various topics focussing on Social, Political, Economic, Nature and Technology.
This was reassuring as they reinforced to us that the UK Kitchen & Bathroom design market are already embracing these trends, with a key focus on wellbeing, health and nutrition, sustainability.
We felt that the US kitchen market showcased ‘kitchen sink’ solutions very well, with multi-functional usage and the use of waste disposal, which is something the UK market could improve on. Where we think improvement could be made is on global trends in sustainability, nutrition and wellness areas, utilising technologies such as induction, venting hobs and steam.
In bathrooms, the focus was on wellness which reflects in the UK, with some fantastic ideas around aroma and the senses, whilst introducing artisan products to add personality.
Thank you to KBIS and NKBA for inviting us along, allowing us to discover trends and to compare the European and American kitchen and bathroom market. It was also great to share our design philosophy, and to inspire others.
