I spent most of last week at the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show and International Builder’s Show combined expos. After a hellacious travel day on Monday, I finally landed at 6 PM, ready for an early start the next day. I had moved my Monday flight earlier to spend the afternoon at the Las Vegas Market’s Ukrainian Pavilion, but the endless delays meant missing those appointments. (I did finally meet with them on Thursday afternoon, but there was less to see and fewer brands to talk with on the last day of their show.) I’ll be writing more about the Ukrainians in a bit, but let’s look first at KBIS/IBS — the main reason for my trip.
The shows were back to pre-pandemic strength, I’m glad to report. My first piece on the event was the various KBIS awards, since they point to what top specifying judges like, this year highlighting both wellness and sustainability. You can read that here.
I’ll be posting more in the weeks to come, so be sure to subscribe to Gold Notes if you don’t already!
Induction cooktop makes using this technology simple and more powerful for home chefs.
(GE Profile)
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UKRAINIAN PAVILION
As I mentioned, I wanted to spend some time at the Ukrainian Pavilion within the concurrent Las Vegas Market. It was a great opportunity to see the style and quality of workmanship in this country’s home products manufacturing sector.
I’m very glad I went, though I wish I’d been able to see more earlier in the week, as planned. My hope is to be able to share these offerings with American designers. I was surprised to hear that despite the war, many of these brands are exporting on shorter timelines than those of other European manufacturers!
Here is one company I did meet with there. Garant makes kitchen, bath, home office, closet and living room cabinetry for the European market, as well as panels for Ikea kitchens. Here’s an example from their catalog. Check them out for your design needs!
Ukraine has an impressive furniture and cabinetry manufacturing sector.
(Garant)
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BONUS NUGGETS
I was delighted to be quoted in a Dwell.com article on the benefits of induction cooking — something you know I’m a big fan of. (I was delighted to see so many new induction tops and ranges at KBIS and IBS last week!) Just as an FYI, even though the government isn’t coming to confiscate your gas stove, the health, safety, convenience and cooking performance benefits of induction cookers make it obsolete! All of the innovation will be on the induction side going forward.
I was also delighted to contribute insights on universal design for Realtor.com. Whatever physical condition you’re in, having features that make your home more accessible benefits you, your household and the value of your property too.
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SOCIAL GOLD
Coming to Clubhouse next week:
We love the warmth of a fireplace on a chilly day or night. We also enjoy fire pits and fire tables in our outdoor living areas. What should you know about adding these to your home? Find out in our next WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS conversation on Clubhouse. The discussion takes place February 15 at 4 pm EST, 1 pm PST (and all the related time zones). I hope you’ll join us.
COMING IN 2023
- 2/15 Designing with Fire Features (Fireplaces, Fire Tables, Fire Pits, Etc.)
- 3/1 Kitchen & Bath Industry & Builder’s Show Pro Recap
- 3/15 Wellness Design and Dementia
- 4/5 Tile Trends and Coverings Show Preview
- 5/3 Designing with Water Features (Swim Spas, Fountains, Pools, Etc.)
What other topics do you want to hear about in the new year? Comment below and let me know.
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PAST CLUBHOUSE RECORDINGS
Here are links to Clubhouse recordings from past sessions.
2023 Recordings:
- 1/18 Healthy Home Improvements with Best ROI —Recording Link
- 1/4 Creating Home Fitness Rooms — Recording Link
2022 Recordings:
- 12/7 Best Healthy Home Upgrades for 2023 — Recording Link
- 11/16 Top Kitchen & Bath Design Trends — Recording Link
- 11/2 Creating Serene Home Spaces — Recording Link
- 10/19 Creating a Quieter Home — Recording Link
- 9/21 Creating Great Garage Spaces — Recording Link
- 9/7 Smart Home Innovations — Recording Link
- 8/17 Creating Healthy Work from Home Spaces — Recording Link
- 8/3 Creating Healthy Back to School Home Spaces — Recording Link
- 7/20 Wellness Benefits of Co-living — Recording Link
- 7/6 Beat the Heat — Recording Link
- 6/15 Designing with Plants — Recording Link
- 6/1 Wellness Design and Pets — Recording Link
- 5/18 Wellness Design and Art — Recording Link
- 5/4 Spa Bathrooms — Recording Link
- 4/20 Wellness Design and Appliances — Recording Link
- 3/16 Healthy Bedroom Spaces — Recording Link
- 3/2 Wellness Design and Tile Trends — Recording Link
- 2/16 Wellness Design and Autism — Recording Link
- 2/2 New Technology Ideas — Recording Link
- 1/19 Healthy Pantry Spaces — Recording Link
- 1/5 Top 2022 Wellness Design Trends — Recording Link
2021 Recordings:
- Find these links on their new archive page!
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GOLD DUST
Here are some fab finds from around the Internet that touch on wellness design topics.
- Technology-related: Coolest Home Tech Products at CES 2023 (House Beautiful)
- Plant-related: Hardest Working Plants That Clean the Air in Your Home (HouseLogic)
- Health-related: Light Sleepers (Washington Post via San Diego Union-Tribune)
