Where do designers go exactly to find out what’s new for kitchens and baths? Well usually to the annual Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) held someplace warm each winter during the month of February.
This year, however, the show was to be entirely virtual (thank you pandemic). I had never been and was excited about the prospect of “attending” this year, but a virtual show with 30,000 attendees, seminars, breakout sessions, chat features, and hundreds of different exhibitor platforms, some with virtual interactive showrooms all in different formats, is a massive, complicated, and risky undertaking.
Unfortunately, technical difficulties meant the exhibit halls had to shut down, but the incredible event coordinators found a way to pivot the seminars and breakout sessions to other formats so we were able to still attend those and learn about some of the new products and trends coming up!
The number one trend I saw?
For the ultimate in bespoke customization, Bluestar is an industry leader in the luxury market. A recent announcement prompted much excitement:
“BlueStar® is bringing never before seen design solutions to the world of appliances. BlueStar® offers an exciting assortment of more than 1,000 colors as well as custom colors and a rainbow of knob colors and 10 metal trims. Now, the ability to apply any graphic to a range or refrigerator will transform the kitchen into a stunning showcase of design.”
Coming in mid-2021 you will be able to add ANY image to their appliances – wallpaper, art, photo, mural…whatever you can dream up! Here is an example of a fridge created in a Mural Wallpapers design. How fun is that?
