Eight key KBB trends spotted at KBB Birmingham previewing the products that will be making an appearance in kitchen and bathroom showrooms over the next year.
KBB Birmingham, the UK’s biggest trade exhibition of kitchen and bathroom brands, took place at the NEC between 1st – 4th March featuring over 400 exhibitors and playing host to more than 16,000 buying professionals over the four days.
Trend-Monitor was there to spot the key trends for kitchens and bathrooms.
KBB Trend #1: Dressed to Impress
While for many years the trend has been to hide clutter and keep items as discreetly out of view as possible, this year’s show demonstrated that the tide is turning. Hints of maximalism were creeping in and many of the stands were dressed with kitchen paraphernalia and bathroom soaps and creams, with neat hooks and rails helping to keep things looking organised while out on display.
KBB Trend #1 Dressed to Impress – The tide is turning on the trend to hide clutter and hints of maximalism are creeping into our kitchens and bathrooms @kbb_birmingham #kkbtrends #maximalism Click To TweetKitchen brands Nobilia and Pronorm were both demonstrating how flexible modular elements can be integrated into a kitchen design to bring items out in the open while maintaining a sleek aesthetic.
KBB Trend #2: Open Season
In the new spirit of putting items out on display, there were plenty of open-shelving products being exhibited. Bathroom Origins was showcasing a range of open-fronted and glass storage cabinets, and in line with the broken-plan trend for dividing up an open-plan space, Nobilia was one of many brands demonstrating how open shelving can be used to break up a large area without creating a solid wall.
Touches of biophilia were also in evidence with houseplants proving a popular way to accessorise designs.
KBB Trend #3: The Dark Side
The trend for dark décor was particularly strong on the kitchen side of the show, with black cabinetry making an appearance on several stands and white gloss very much taking the back seat this year.
Nolte Küchen’s Torino Lack door fronts in black made for a bold and impactful display, while Pronorm was unveiling its Organic Glass doors to a UK audience, and displaying them in a matt black finish.
Other brands who were also displaying dark kitchens on their stands were Rotpunkt, Nobilia, Kesseler and Leicht.
KBB Trend #4: Clear the Air
Extraction was a recurring theme on appliance manufacturers’ stands, reflecting the fact that consumer concern about air quality continues to grow.
Both Novy and Bora were exhibiting their latest downdraft extraction products, which are said to effectively remove cooking vapours at source.
Bora’s X Pure surface induction system has an activated charcoal filter that can be easily changed, and all parts that come into contact with cooking vapours can be cleaned in a dishwasher.
KBB Trend #5: Flexi-Time
LochAnna Kitchens was gauging interest in its new flexible Lifestyle Larder concept, which – due to positive feedback – it is now considering bringing into production.
KBB Trend #5 Flexi-Time – Hard-working kitchen and bathroom products that can be personalised according to a client's lifestyle @kbb_birmingham #kbbtrends Click To Tweet
This larder is a hard-working product that can be personalised according to a client’s lifestyle, which means that it can be somewhere to store food or crockery, house-cleaning products, pet food, small appliances, sports equipment or even toys, depending on the client’s requirements.
KBB Trend #6: Pet Project
With the trend for becoming pet parents still gathering momentum, some brands were showing how they can answer their clients’ needs for a complete home solution by incorporating pet zones – and dog beds in particular – into a kitchen design.
KBB Trend #6 Pet Project – As our obsession with our pets continues, a home is not a home without a built-in dog bed in the kitchen @kbb_birmingham #kbbtrends Click To Tweet
Daval was highlighting its Pembroke range in a Storm Blue finish, with a dovetail drawer-box facility and integrated dog bed, and Uform had created a utility room set with a dog bed incorporated into a storage bench.
KBB Trend #7: Everything’s Rosy
There was plenty of colour on stands around the exhibition but one shade kept cropping up as a particular favourite – pink.
Victoria + Albert Baths’ hot pink freestanding tub was a showstopper, and Caple was launching its sugary pastel Saraya Blush kitchen cabinetry, which it teamed with Saraya Pistachio green doors for added impact, with both proving popular with visitors to the stand.
KBB Trend #7: Everything's Rosy – As the trend for incorporating colour into our kitchens and bathrooms, pink is one shade that keeps cropping up as a particular favourite @kbb_birmingham #kbbtrends Click To Tweet
KBB Trend #8: Natural Selection
When it came to both kitchen and bathroom furniture, textured finishes were everywhere, with the trend for wood and wood-effect doors at the forefront.
The natural wood look is an effective way for consumers to introduce warmth to a design, add an individual touch and also blend kitchen furniture with living furniture in an open-plan space.
The Daval worktop chimed with the biophilic trend for bringing the outside in that we have already seen gaining pace at other shows this year.
Acquabella was unveiling its Urban collection of vanity units with matt black industrial-style structures, shown above in wood, while Pronorm was highlighting its Walnut Ultra Matt finish on its Y-Line handleless range.
