If you follow Bella Domicile on Facebook or Instagram, you’ll know we recently attended KBIS (pronounced “k-biz” to those in the industry). KBIS stands for the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. It is the only trade event and conference in the kitchen and bath industry to focus exclusively on all things related to residential kitchen and bath design. Three of our staff members attended the show in Orlando: Abbey Weiss, our Director of Operations, Dondi Szombatfalvy, our Lead Designer, and our President, Dan Luck, who was also honored to speak at the Voices from the Industry conference series. Not only were they glad to escape the snow for a few days in mid-January, but they enjoyed exploring new products, learning about new technologies, and connecting with other designers.
Attending KBIS is important to us at Bella Domicile because it’s the only event where we are given unparalleled access to the latest trends, designs, and technologies — all in one location. In short, it’s the biggest and best way for us to connect with our industry. We’re able to interact with displays from over 2000 vendors, which gets us just a little bit giddy. (That whole saying about “kids in a candy store”? That’s us attending KBIS.) We love the chance to get hands-on with products just as clients love interacting with our displays in our own Madison showroom.
KBIS allows us to meet with a wide variety of vendors face-to-face from all across the world. We learn from the brands themselves just how their products are installed and function. We see how they can improve the health, wellness, and sustainability of our own clients and homes. Being able to touch, control, compare, and interact with products right at our fingertips gives us a better understanding of their real-life applications. Seeing photos of a product on a screen just can’t compare to interacting with them in real life. We discover new technologies and color and material trends at KBIS each year that make their way into real-life projects right here for our very own clients. It’s exciting to see a product we’ve interacted with in a display make its way into a client’s project.
We also have the opportunity to meet with other designers and showroom representatives from across the country. We gain valuable experience through these conversations and learn what’s trending in their areas, their favorite products, what’s important to their clients, and more. It’s exciting to compare notes and hear about what the kitchen and bath industry is up to in other parts of the country. Building relationships with other professionals and benefitting from their knowledge and ideas is one of our favorite parts of the show!
Here’s a sneak peek at some of our favorite pieces from KBIS 2018. Maybe you’ll see them in our showroom or even your own home sometime soon!
Interested to hear more about what we learned at KBIS and the trends and technologies we can incorporate into your own kitchen or bath project? Contact Bella Domicile to meet with one of our talented designers today! Call (608) 271-8241 or fill out an appointment request form here.
