Fresh off the plane from Orlando, and straight to the presses at Stanislaus Magazine, here are the newest and greatest in kitchen and bath from KBIS. It’s the largest kitchen and bath show in the country with more than 70,000 people in attendance and displays covering over 7 million square feet.
These were the standout trends and features from the tours I led for the Interior Design Society and the National Kitchen and Bath Association:
Coolest kitchen/bar area feature: Zipwater. This incredibly handy device works much like a reverse osmosis machine. It has an effective water filter and dispenses boiling water, carbonated water, cold water and room temperature water. The unit is only 18” deep and 12” wide and is designed to fit in a traditional kitchen sink cabinet. It has an option of installation separate from the kitchen sink as well, providing an elevated bar or coffee station water dispensing experience. It comes in a variety of finishes: polished nickel, brushed nickel, stainless steel, brushed gold and matte black. The company originally focused on commercial installations, now making its components a great fit for active families. (us.zipwater.com/)
Hottest finish trend: Mixed Metals. Everywhere I looked there were interesting finish combinations for metal fixtures in the home: cabinet hardware, plumbing trims and even appliances. Gone is the requirement to match every piece of metal in the home in a single metal finish color. Now there are all kinds of blends: stainless and polished nickel, matte black and brushed gold, matte white and burnished bronze. Standouts in this area were Emtek hardware (where your hallway metal can be one finish and your room’s interior may be another. You can find a great display of this at Modesto Door and Window on Carpenter Road), House of Rohl Plumbing, found at Abe’s Discount Plumbing on 9th Street, and GE Cafe Appliances, found at Direct Appliance on McHenry Avenue. Visit emtek.com/ products/cabinet-knobs; houseofrohl.com; cafeappliances.com.
Latest “must have” in primary bathrooms: bidet toilets. Once reserved for only the most luxurious bathrooms, bidet toilets are becoming more common in primary bathrooms for health and convenience reasons. I use them in nearly every ADA and aging-inplace bathroom I design. Bidet toilets mitigate the risk of urinary tract infections in women and keep people more healthy as their mobility and continence may decline with age. The most well known brands are Toto and Kohler. They have all sorts of options available, such as heated seats, fragrance, music, sani-flush cyclone technology and lighting (used as a night light most often). You can find a couple on display at Abe’s Discount Plumbing. Visit www.totousa.com or us.kohler.com.
