Several brands also announced low- and no-silica products—an important step forward for the surface world. Neolith announced it would be launching its silica-free products globally from June 2024, following their debut on the Australian market, and Cosentino is also planning to launch a <10% silica product before the end of this year.
Bold color is here to stay
While surfaces simmer in a soft, neutral palette, kitchen appliances and bathroom accoutrements show no signs of diluting their palettes. The point was perhaps expressed best within the Café booth, which partnered with maximalist interior designer Isabel Ladd to create a kaleidoscopic kitchen vignette drenched in pattern and pigment. (In November, the manufacturer also worked with Ladd to debut the Emerald Green capsule collection of its Cafe Dual Fuel Commercial Style Range.) In continuing the color story, the appliance maker let KBIS attendees vote on the next punchy hue for the Capsule Collection: Breeze Blue, Chartreuse, or Poppy.
For the bath, Kohler reintroduced a trio of archival greens to its Heritage Colors Collection; KBIS first-timer (and recent Kohler acquisition) Kast debuted its speckled Holm and spritely Wave collections of concrete basins; and Michelle Gerson’s Game On collection for Artistic Tile offers hushed colorways within mosaic and large-format geometric combinations.
Slimmed-down appliances
While 2023 saw several brands expand the size of their appliances, this year was all about slimming down in size. Consider it the kitchen’s Ozempic moment: These lean appliances cater to small-space living, energy-efficiency ratings, and also offer more optionality for column configurations. True Residential launched its 24-Inch Freezer, Refrigerator, Wine, and Beverage Columns, while Dacor previewed its 24-inch Dishwasher. Bertazzoni delivered on the 24-inch offerings with a new induction range as well as a built-in induction cooktop (also available in 30- and 36-inch sizes). And Monogram unveiled its svelte new 24-inch Wine Column within a shou sugi ban wood-paneled kitchen “fit for Bruce Wayne,” as designer Richard T. Anuszkiewicz described it.
At Whirlpool Corporation, the slimming down wasn’t in width, but in depth. The manufacturer’s proprietary new SlimTech Insulation Technology is a powder-based insulation that eliminates the need for bulky polyurethane foam insulation, reducing refrigerator wall thickness by up to 66%—down to a slender two centimeters instead of the traditional five centimeters required for foam. That means up to 25% more capacity within the unit, as will soon be evidenced in JennAir’s 30-inch SlimTech Insulation Column Refrigerators (available late 2024), then extended to fellow portfolio brand Kitchen Aid in a couple of years’ time.
Routine business
These days, the impact of the beauty industry simply can’t be ignored, and bath brands are keen to get a cut, coming up with inventive ways to cater to multi-step skincare routines and complicated grooming regimes.
Kohler, for example, introduced the Collage Lighted Medicine Cabinet, tricked out with storage features for beauty products, and even a showcase cabinet for displaying perfumes or other beautifully packaged cosmetics. Kohler also unveiled the SpaViva Handshower, which combines custom spray technology and a built-in cleansing device to transform a morning rinse into full-blown spa treatment, while Delta previewed a showerhead brush that can detangle even the curliest hair in minutes, rather than hours.
Other wellness-related launches included Brizo’s Pristive Tankless Reverse Osmosis System (available fall 2024), which filters contaminants from drinking water without losing important minerals, as well as Delta’s Clarifi Shower Filter (available Winter 2024) and Kohler’s Cinq Filtered Showerhead, designed to reduce impurities such as chlorine and sediment in shower water that may cause dry skin and hair.
