Last week I was at the amazing KBIS show in Orlando. According to their website they describe KBIS as the following:
KBIS, in conjunction with the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) is an inspiring, interactive platform that showcases the latest in industry products, trends and technologies. KBIS is the voice of the kitchen and bath industry and has been for 50 years.
Me, along with nearly 25 other designers were sponsored to cover the show, put on by Veronica Miller and Flo Von Pelet of Modenus and Design hounds. Our blog tour covered several vendors so I will start first with the plumbing category.
When it comes to any kind of kitchen or bath project no space is complete without the latest in design and technology for plumbing fixtures. These are items that you use in your home everyday. They truly take a beating and it’s important that they earn their keep. You want a line that is backed not only by reputation but a sound track record. I have personally used all three of these brands and many of my colleagues have used them for years too. Here are the top 3 plumbing brands that interior designers use:
American Standard
Ok so be prepared to be blown away. The innovation that this company has brought to the table in the last several years is no laughing matter. I remember years ago when I did model homes American Standard was a huge favorite amongst builders. It was by far the preferred brand. At the time I wasn’t sure what the allure was until I started to recognize their incredible innovation combined with an incredible price point.
At the show there were two pieces that really stood out that I know will be quickly showing up in homes. The first is a self cleaning toilet. Yes! You read that right. It has a cleaning cartridge in the upper part of the tank and two buttons. One is for a light, one minute clean and the second is for a 10 minute deep clean.
I should also mention that another fine feature of all American Standard toilets is the easy click system toilet seat. They easily click on or pop off with out having to deal with screws! Brilliant!
The second product that I thought was ingenious was the self measuring faucet. All you have to do is set the faucet at the amount you need and voila! Instant measuring cup right from the faucet. Genius!
For more info on American Standard visit their website here. They can also be found on Facebook, instagram and twitter.
Grohe
Grohe has a lot of really great products. One of my favorite faucets is their Ladylux touch faucet. It is ideal for a kitchen.
Another Grohe product that I loved from the show and was just introduced last year is their Smart Control Shower system. You can read the press release here to check out all the features but in a nut shell, this shower system allows you to completely customize your shower experience. Plus it’s pretty!
And then of course no kitchen is complete without a massive stash of color!
DXV
As many of you know, American Standard is an iconic brand. In fact they’ve been in business for nearly 140 years! What you may not know about is their DXV brand. Here they have put together a portfolio of luxury kitchen and bath items that span decades of their iconic mastery. As quoted by their website:
As American Standard Brands enters its fifteenth decade of business, it proudly launches DXV by American Standard, a flagship portfolio of luxury bath and kitchen products that celebrates the company’s distinguished 140-plus-year heritage by re-imagining the most influential design movements during that time.
DXV fixtures and fittings do not merely reproduce styles from each era; rather they are inspired by historically significant designs, reinterpreting them in light of today’s aesthetic and performance demands. Each of the DXV movements includes one or two bath-fixture suites and complementary faucet collections. The portfolio also includes a collection of kitchen sinks and fittings, as well as the AT Series, a state-of-the-art smart toilet and bidet seat that perform as superbly as they look. DXV products are available exclusively through luxury showrooms.
This area of the showroom is where the rubber really met the road. Beautiful fixtures, high-style designs, and luxurious vignettes that were drool worthy. Here are some of my favorite pieces from the show:
And then of course the vignettes from their design panel were nothing but extraordinary!
All of these products are under the Lixil Brands. For more info and inspiration you can them here:
American Standard – Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Grohe – Facebook | Instagram |Twitter
DXV – Facebook | Instagram |Twitter
And be sure to look up the hashtag #BlogTourKBIS or #DesignHounds to see all the photos from the tour! Sponsored by KBIS, Veronica Miller and Flo Von Pelet of Modenus and Design hounds.
I really loved reading this article! very enjoyable.