Design Trends from KBIS 2024: Part 1

Every year I look forward to attending the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show.

This year was the 60th anniversary of the show and it attracted almost 120,000 visitors. (A bit crowded but all part of the adventure!)

It was also reported that KBIS 2024 broke records for the most exhibitors to date with 670 booths spread across 3 halls.

There was a lot to see, so I will post a number of VESTA Blogs on my experience at KBIS 2024 in Las Vegas in the coming weeks.

Starting with some trends from KBIS 2024.

KBIS 2024 Trends

I observed 7 main trends from the show floor at this year’s Kitchen and Bath Industry Show.

In this VESTA Blog I will highlight 3 of them.

1. Kitchen Cabinet Interior Lighting

Under wall cabinet lighting, above cabinet lighting and kick lighting have been popular lighting choices for kitchens, but at KBIS 2024. interior cabinet lighting was all the rage.

A variety of manufactures showcased lighting specifically designed for mounting inside kitchen cabinetry.

Let’s look at what I saw.

Base Cabinet Lighting

I will often specify lighting inside the sink base cabinet, but including it in all the base cabinetry would be a great upgrade.

LED strip lights installed on the sides of the base cabinets near the front of the unit illuminates any rollout or pullout within the cabinet.

Since so many contemporary kitchens are void of wall cabinets, lighting the base cabinets for better viewing makes a lot of sense.

Drawer Lighting

I saw a couple of options for drawer lighting.

First a system that included strip lighting along the sides of the drawer box with a special hinged wire holder in the back to coral the electrical connections.

This system works well for illuminating the entire contents of the drawer at once.

In the second system an LED light is mounted above the drawer box within the cabinet carcass, lighting the contents of the drawer as it is pulled out.

This would probably be a more economical approach because it doesn’t require the extra wire hinge.

In both cases, this type of lighting is great Universal Design, especially for older adults that tend to need more light to see.

Adjustable Shelf Lighting

The Hafele booth had a very innovative cabinet lighting solution.

They had developed a system that allowed lighting to be installed in adjustable shelves.

To accommodate this, a metal strip was routed into the side of the wall cabinet that acted as a conductive material that connected to the LED light strip routed into the bottom of the shelves.

This was the first time I had seen anything like this and could see it working in multiple situations.

Light Temperature

The temperature of the light source can make a big difference in the overall feel of the room.

In many of the systems the homeowner would have the option to set the lighting to a warm or cool setting depending on their aesthetic needs.

Battery Operated Lighting

Battery operated lighting was an option shown at the show that would allow retrofitting of an existing kitchen.

In the example above the light source was on the exterior of the cabinetry but the technology can be applied to lighting the interiors of cabinets.

Lighting Niches

One last lighting trend I saw at KBIS 2024 was lit niches.

The LED strips in the first example were inserted on the sides and top of the open shelf unit to highlight anything displayed within it.

The second example is a shallow niche that provides additional task lighting at the cooktop and helps to make the cooking zone a focal point.

This last example is not a kitchen example but merited mentioning. It was a waterproof system shown at the Schluter booth.

It allows LED lighting to be “tiled” into a shower niche. The light is encased in a water proof membrane and can be replaced if needed.

A great way to make finding things in the shower easier!

2. Fluting and Reeding Details

A trend that I saw everywhere on the KBIS 2024 show floor was fluting.

This technique can also be referred to as “reeding” in some applications.

Here is a sampling of the various ways that this trend was used in displays.

Horizontally & Vertically on Cabinet Doors

I saw a lot of examples of fluted cabinet doors for both kitchens and vanities.

Doors could be fully fluted or inset within the door.

Suppliers used this technique to produce both modern and traditional door styles.

Applied moulding doors, mitered doors and even arched doors were represented.

A look I particularly liked was a vanity with the ends of the drawer fluted and another texture in the middle.

Diagonal and Mixed Fluted Cabinet doors

Installing flutes on the diagonal to produce a cabinet door gave a custom furniture feel to the unit.

This was most often seen in vanity cabinets which would be the perfect focal point in a bathroom.

I also observed some great designs where horizontal and vertical fluting was mixed within the same unit.

As the examples show this mix could produce a modern or a mid-century vibe.

Fluted End Panels

An interesting use of fluting was seen at a cabinet manufactures booth where the designer could mix and match end panels for a custom look.

Fluted cabinet fronts were on the vanity and then a variety of applied end panels could be ordered to customize the vanity.

About half of the options for these decorative end panels had fluted detailing.

Kitchen Island Fluted Details

A great place to add fluted detailing is on the kitchen island.

In this first example, texture in the form of fluting was added to the dining bar apron between some carved posts.

A bar back consisting of wide flutes was added to this simple blue island to elevate it.

The final example featured oversized fluted detailing finished in a matte gold paint.

A great way to add glamour to a client’s kitchen!

Fluted Free-Standing Tubs

Fluting was added to multiple bathroom products including tubs.

Both vertical and horizontal fluting was featured on free-standing tubs.

Fluted Vanity Sinks

Vanity sinks were also getting the fluted treatment.

A variety of designs were featured in multiple different materials throughout the show floor.

Fluted Stone Products

Stone slabs were treated to carved fluting in many different forms.

A few examples I snapped on the floor included a fireplace surround, mirror frames, counter edges and island backs.

I could imagine many different ways to incorporate fluted stone in my design projects.

Reeded Glass

When fluting is applied to glass, it is often referred to as reeded glass.

Reeded glass is the perfect way to provide privacy in a shower door.

In one of the booths, they featured reeded glass throughout, producing multiple decor style looks.

Additional Fluted Details

As mentioned above, fluting and reeding was seen throughout the KBIS 2024 show.

It was used as wall panels, decorative hood details, glass door inserts, decorative hardware, display back drops and even upholstery.

There was no limit to how this technique could be applied to kitchen and bath products.

3. Curves or Soft Geometry

Kitchen and bath design has been dominated by square and hard lines for the past decade and curves and soft geometry are coming on as strong trends.

Multiple displays displayed circles and rounded edges.

Soft Geometry on Islands

A place that soft geometry was seen throughout the show was on kitchen islands.

This trend allows people to easily move within the kitchen without bumping into a hard edge.

There were different ways this was done including curving the island counter and supporting it with a curved apron, including a radius corner post, or adding a radius to an island end for a social dining bar experience.

Soft Accents

Adding a curve as a detail was a popular component of displays.

In years past we would have seen right angles, and these soft curves allow the eye to move easily throughout the space.

Oversized Round Hardware

Circular hardware was a popular choice on both vanities and kitchen cabinets.

These oversized pieces of hardware make a statement and is a great way to insert this trend into a client’s kitchen without a major commitment.

Curves in Bathroom Design

Where I really saw soft geometry at play at KBIS 2024 was in bathroom design.

There were multiple round and oval basins, mirrors, light fixtures, faucets, hardware and even cabinet shapes in the bathroom displays.

Bathroom design is the perfect place to experiment with soft geometry in your designs.

Kitchen Covered in Curves

One of the more colorful kitchens on display was in the GE Appliance booth and it also featured multiple curves.

There was hardly a square line in this display.

One feature I really liked was the circular glass doors above the refrigerator and the wall ovens.

Additional curves can be seen in the light fixtures, the dining bar counter, and the cooking hearth.

Combining Fluting & Curves

Fluting and curves are a great combination.

To wrap up these first three trends seen on the KBIS 2024 show floor I wanted to share some pics of the combining of the #2 and #3 trends.

Fluted & Curved Bathroom Elements

Fluted & Curved Kitchen Elements

That’s a wrap on the first 3 Trends I saw at KBIS 2024.

I’ll be posting more soon!

Did you see yourself incorporating these trends in your client’s designs this year? Let me know in the comments below.