The Future Of Kitchen And Bath Design
Every year, Marks-Woods sends our design team to KBIS, North America’s largest trade show dedicated to all-things kitchen and bath. This is the perfect place for our team to find inspiration to bring back to Alexandria homeowners to take their home renovations to the next level. Our team spent days meandering through hundreds of booths and scouring the show floor for the latest products, trends, and just “wow” design items that we think you will love. We’ve come up with a list of the five things that really impressed us this year and that we will definitely be incorporating into design plans for our 2022 projects and beyond!
Bold, Fun, and Dramatic colors
We love the look of a classic white or neutral kitchen - it will always stand the test of time. But something about bold, fun, and unexpected colors excites us. The second we walked into the show, we found ourselves bopping from one booth to the next, all full of fun colors used in imaginable (and unimaginable) ways. From bright pink cabinets contrasted with floral wallpaper and natural wood to all-out Dolce and Gabbana kitchen appliances, designers are having fun with color, and we love it!
Hidden and Concealed Features
We can’t count the times we nearly walked by a booth because “we just didn’t see anything,” only to look closer and realize Narnia was right in front of us. Hiding and concealing items isn’t new when you think about panel-ready appliances (i.e., using cabinet fronts over appliances to have a seamless look in your kitchen), but suppliers are taking this trend in new and exciting directions. We fell in love with the concealed dishwasher from Monogram and had fun with the cabinet draw fridge. Oh, and that stone wall, that is actually a fridge.
Smart Home and Tech
Smart homes are becoming more and more accessible to all homeowners as technologically advanced products become more prevalent and, consequently, affordable. This year, almost every appliance and “power” item were enhanced with technology. Microwaves with television screen fronts, smart ovens that can be pre-heated while you drive home, and even Bluetooth-enabled showers that allow you to pre-set the temperature are no longer futuristic ideas but actual items you can incorporate into your home!
Space Solutions
We love storage and space-saving solutions. In fact, our master carpenters have created award-winning built-in features in several of our client homes. So, when we saw space-saving solutions as far as the eye can see, we were giddy with joy. We found some elegant wine storage options we plan to spec for a current client, along with fantastic cabinet inserts that make organization a breeze. We stumbled on one really cool feature: kitchen cabinet doors that slide on a track system instead of opening on a traditional hinge.
At-Home Luxury
Covid left us home-bound, but the silver lining to this forced isolation was that it opened the door for our companies to get creative when it came to bringing our favorite luxuries home. With the new water features and showerheads Kohler is now offering, the spa will feel like a downgrade. Who needs a trip to the vineyard when you can elegantly store your entire collection. Concealed sound systems make you feel like you are not at, but in, the movie? You may never leave your house with these luxuries!
