Designers Urged to Show Value

On Sunday, John Gidding of HGTV’s Designed to Sell addressed interior designers and kitchen/bath industry members in a session entitled “Design and Inspiration.”  Gidding emphasized that designers must provide value in order to succeed in the current economy.

He advised designers and industry professional to abide by the three principles below:

1. Modify existing and prefabricated products – bargain shop at furniture floor sales and national prefabricated wholesalers.  Don’t limit your thinking by accepting pieces as they are, consider adding new fabrics, knobs or even turning a piece into something entirely different.
2. Rethink familiar materials  - Gidding recommended using butcher block for countertops and back splashes and shared examples of added plywood to these countertops for additional design elements.
3. Innovate looking forward – think about designs that are sustainable, thus proving value to the homeowner and practicing environmental good choices.

• Seeing Green – What to expect at KBIS 2010

Homeowners Incorporate Essential Luxuries into Their Homes

At the National Kitchen and Bath Industry Show this past weekend, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey and Interior Designer Carole Freehauf from This Old House held a session on “Technology and Trends.”  Thoughts were shared regarding how the economic strain is impacting homeowners and the smart decisions they are making in response to it.

As homeowners seek solace from the current economic crisis in their homes, they are focusing on incorporating essential luxuries into their spaces, including easy-to-use products and those that offer sustainability, organization and energy efficiencies.

The speakers also shared the following two findings from a recent AIA study.

1. Homeowners are seeking smart makeovers in their homes including larger pantry space, dedicated recycled centers and renewable materials. 
2. With a focus on better living, there is a decline in unnecessary products like pot fillers, wine refrigerators and warming drawers.

So, what’s next for kitchens and baths? According to these experts, homeowners can expect the kitchens and bathrooms of the future will include smarter products that make living spaces more energy efficient and create optimal organization within a space.  

• Seeing Green – What to expect at KBIS 2010

This past weekend, the city of Atlanta hosted the annual National Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS). Attendees enjoyed a plethora of innovative new products specifically designed to enhance kitchens and bathrooms.

Below are a few product and trend highlights from the show:

• Space savers – As more homeowners want to make the most of their spaces without having to undergo an expensive remodel, manufacturers are developing new products that save space and time. Compact washer and dryer units are not only more stylish, but also more efficient than ever before. Additionally, cabinetmakers introduced innovative racks, ironing stations and various organizational storage solutions.
• LED Lighting – LED lighting is being heavily promoted as an extremely energy efficient light choice as well as an ideal solution for under cabinet lighting.  LED is also showing up in unique places include sinks, tubs, faucets and showerheads – it brings a fresh design application to kitchen and bath products while also offering task lighting.
• Color Trends – Several booths revealed new color lines including muted pastels, earth tones, whites as well as bolder colors in the kitchen.
• Sustainable Products – Several innovations to sustainable living were introduced including bamboo outdoor cabinetry, WaterSense certified faucets, water saving toilets, waterless urinals, water efficient showerheads and solar water heating systems.

• Seeing Green – What to expect at KBIS 2010