Discussing bath and kitchen trends with the pros

Time sure flies when you’re on the road!

BNP Media’s Plumbing Group is finally settling back in after a whirlwind of travel this past month. We’ve been racking up those frequent flier miles attending NKBA’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), IMARK Plumbing, the AHR Expo and the WWETT show. While there was a ton to see at each event, for the purposes of this column, we’re going to focus on KBIS.

KBIS is always one of my favorite events to attend. The bath and kitchen displays are gorgeous, the new products are innovative, and I often return home with bathroom envy, dreaming up new remodeling ideas much to my husband’s dismay. This year’s show was no different.

Among the highlights were the Duravit Japanese soaking tub, Elkay’s Dart Canyon Workstation stainless steel sink, Delta Faucet’s steam shower, Kohler’s ceiling-mount kitchen faucet, Pfister’s QuickConnect mounting system and Rainstick’s water-conserving shower. Don’t miss our interview with exhibitors discussing trends from the show floor.

While manufacturers were able to discuss broader trends in the bath and kitchen market, I got to dig deeper into what homeowners are really looking for when it comes to remodeling these spaces on the latest episode of the Plumbing Group podcast, “And So It Flows,” with Beth Rhoades of Salem, Oregon-based C&R Design Remodel, and Bob Ayer of Stoughton, Massachusetts-based PBZ Construction.

According to Ayer, the big is the latest trend — larger kitchens with larger appliances and pantries and larger bathrooms.

“Larger showers are a big trend, with steam units in the showers now,” he said. “I did a lot of steam showers 20 years ago, but now they’re coming back. I think the steam units are a little more budget-friendly than they were years ago, but still very expensive. Another thing we’re seeing is people want more natural light, so we’re doing bigger windows.”

According to Rhoades, color is the big trend.

“Greens, blues and blacks (cabinetry) are at the forefront of peoples’ minds,” she says. “Definitely looking at stronger colors in things. In plumbing fixtures, as a remodeler, I’m always a little leery putting color in fixtures simply because we rip out a lot of pink and green from the 1950s here. Trying to keep those in certain things rather than in fixtures which are harder to change. We want to look at that timeless approach so our clients aren’t having to update every five years.”

That’s an approach my husband would surely appreciate.

Listen to the full discussion with Rhoades and Ayer on the latest episode of “And So It Flows.”

Want to be on an episode of “And So It Flows?” Contact me at krawcken@bnpmedia.com.