This year I had attended KBIS for the first time! For those of you not in the industry, you may be wondering; what is KBIS? KBIS is the premier Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in which thousands of designers, architects, builders, vendors, and industry experts fly in to discover what is new and next. As one of the 2020 Designhounds, I was there to scout the latest and share information from our amazing sponsors (KBIS Official, Thermador, Nobilia, Control4, Mr. Steam, Compac Surfaces, and Modenus).

Here is a recap of my KBIS experience and some of my favorite finds from the show.

DAY 1: the kick-off party

Views from The Nomad Hotel in Las Vegas. Photography by Petra.

I arrived at the Nomad Hotel in Las Vegas and settled into my room. The views of Vegas were just as beautiful as my hotel room itself!

In the evening, I went to the Designhounds Kick-Off Party, where I got to meet and mingle with the 2020 Designhounds, other members of the network, the Modenus team, and our incredible sponsors. It was great to meet in person including new faces and many familiar faces that I admire and follow social media.

Day 2: innovation, SUSTAINABILITY, & WELLNESS

We started the day at Compac Surfaces to learn more about their decorative surfaces. Compac seamlessly blends beauty, art, innovation, and sustainability into one product. Some of my takeaways from Compac Surfaces were that they:

The Compac Surfaces infamous bathtub shot at KBIS 2020. Photography by Petra

Offer large-scale slabs (126” x 61”) which means having seamless islands in most kitchens and less seams on counter tops
Reforested over 30,000+ trees to offset their CO2 emissions
Developed sustainable products by using biodegradable plant-based resins
Reuse 95% of the water that is collected during their manufacturing process

Compac Surfaces Petra Collection in “snow”

If you have been following the #designhounds team, than you may have seen the infamous tub photo that we posted. With something that beautiful, how could you not share it? The tub designed by Arik Levy was carved from a solid mass where 84% of the stone was removed revealing a beautiful sculptural tub that resembles the movement of water.

Of course, the tub was not only my favorite but a fan favorite too!

I admire Compac’s products and ethos as they are not only focused on aesthetics but sustainability as well. In fact, the Petra collection is made of recycled glass which was another favorite product of mine.

Next, the Designhounds and I attended Design Bites with Kelli Ellis, which is like speed dating for brands. Brands have 3-minutes on stage to share their product. There were many innovative products featured but the one that got my attention was Plum Appliances.

As a wine lover, I can’t seem to keep enough of it in my house. Since I rent and don’t have the luxury of owning a wine refrigerator or a wine cave (#homegoals), Plum sparked my interest. Think of a Keurig machine for wine…. but better. Plum is the first appliance to store, chill, and dispense wine. It has two individual chambers which will chill your wine to the perfect serving temperature. Simply drop the bottle in, cork and all, while Plum scans the label to analyze the proper temperature to store your wine. Better yet - you will receive a text message when it’s the best time to drink your wine. (Side Note: isn’t there always a time for wine?)

After Design Bites, we ventured to Thermador to learn more about their new products.

Following the wine theme, Thermador introduced the first Glass Care Dishwasher, for all your stemware and steins which was definitely my favorite! If you enjoy entertaining and hosting parties, this is the appliance for you! Gone are the days of hand-washing all of your stemware. Oh, and lipstick smudges? Don’t know her. Lipstick stains wipe away in one cycle!

As I mentioned earlier, I’m a wine lover and love to entertain while still being eco-friendly. When I host, I don’t use plastic cups or silverware so when NYE rolled around… I wish I had the Glass Care Dishwasher to take care of all my champagne flutes and stemware!

Thermador Home Connect App and Glass Care Center Dishwasher

Have you ever tried to put your wine glasses in a regular dishwasher? You have to lay them awkwardly on the top shelf and they fill up with water due to the angle. When the cycle is complete, one half is clean and the other half has a watermark, and you STILL have to hand dry your glassware… or go back to wipe off lipstick. Now there is an efficient way to clean these items! This would be a great addition to butler’s pantry, bar area, or in a location where you entertain as it only takes care of stemware, steins, and small plates.

Thermador also launched the Home Connect app which connects to all their smart appliances so food storage, cooking, and cleaning can be controlled and monitored from your mobile device. Now you can check the status of all your Thermador appliances at any time. Monitor internal temperature of your refrigerator, confirm the oven is off, and check much more from the palm of your hand and guarantee peace of mind.

aN EVENING with mr. steam

The ‘Hounds and I spent the evening with Mr. Steam learning about the benefits of steam first hand by heading to the spa. This experience was not only enjoyable but beneficial to understand the power of steam therapy. Believe it or not, I have never used a steam shower before…. but now that I have, I want every shower I own or design to have steam!

There are 40+ benefits to steam which you can read about here. Steam can improve your respiratory health, skin, physical health, and well-being. We enjoyed a great presentation put together by Martha and Hilda, who showed us how every shower can be transformed into a steam shower. Now — I just need my own! Add that to the #homegoals list too!

My favorite find from Mr. Steam was the iTempo and iTempo Plus controls which the simple to use and elegant control panel to operate your steam unit. Both controls can be connected to your mobile device or Amazon Alexa to control your system with a click of a button or verbal command. This technology allows us to seamlessly blend smart-home technology with ancient steam therapy to elevate our wellness and self-care routines.

Later that night, we bonded and enjoyed the most amazing dinner at Sadelle’s in the Bellagio with the Mr. Steam (Martha, Hilda, and team). We shared family-style meals and heart-felt conversations with each other; it was truly an unforgettable night.

DAY 3: the TECHNOLOGY, QUALITY, AND SAVVY DESIGN

Control 4 Home OS 3 operating system and universal Neeo remote

We started the day at Control 4 for a mini smart home tour at KBIS. Control 4 is a smart home operating system that can control your home and other devices in one simple-to-use system. No more multiple remotes. With the Home OS 3 operating system and Neeo Remote, you can control nearly every device with one powerful universal remote. This includes controlling your television, automated window treatments, security system, HVAC system, lighting, and so much more. We will be joining Control 4 for an in-home experience on The New American Home Tour later in the evening (more on this later).

Next, we enjoyed a luncheon presentation at Nobilia to learn more about their product lines. Nobilia is a German brand known for modern design, exceptional quality, and moderate price point. As the world’s largest manufacturer of custom kitchens, the Nobilia factory produces nearly 3,000 complete and factory assembled kitchens every day…. Every day!

The Nobilia Cabinetry booth at KBIS 2020. Photography by Petra

Nobilia excels at customization and attention to detail. There are an endless amount of options to compliment any home. Some of my favorite features were the pull-out drawers, LED under-counter lighting, automatic lift-hinge systems, soft-closing cabinets and drawers, and highly-optimized storage solutions.

Another feature that I love about Nobilia cabinetry is that they view cabinets as kitchen furniture. Therefore, base cabinets are on adjustable feet to level cabinetry and installers never have to use a box of wood shims ever again — finally.

Next, we had free time to explore, so I made my way over to Unique Design Solutions to check out their tile options. At Unique, you can create your own unique mosaic tile. Simply choose a pattern, select your colors, and ta-daaa! One of a kind mosaics specifically for you! I am definitely going to get creative with this. I can see myself coordinating fabrics and tile in a whole new way now! Who’s ready to renovate their bathroom?!

In the evening, the ‘Hounds and I went on The New American Home Tour with our sponsors from Control 4. The New American Home Tour was the large-scale version of their mini smart home. On the home tour, we got to experience first-hand what it could be like living in a smart home.

Imagine — waking up in the morning, clicking a button that says, “Good Morning” which triggers your shades to open, the curtains to push back, the tv turns on the news, and maybe getting your morning routine started by connected with one of your smart appliances for a cup of coffee. Pretty sweet, right?

Control 4 double-switch with custom labeled buttons for each theme

Control 4 can connect with Alexa or Google Home so you can even use verbal command if you want to be hands-free.

While some may be on-board for smart home technology, there are some resisters - for valid reasons. Most are concerned about the security of their home; can someone hack into my security system and unlock my doors? To answer your question, Control 4 has strict measures in place to make sure that does not happen. In fact, certain things are controlled by wifi while other tasks are controlled through the “brain” or the in-home operating system which would be located in your utility closet. I am putting this in simple terms as I understand it. If you want to learn more, I recommend setting up an appointment with Control 4!

DAY 4: The finale

The final day of KBIS, we had the morning free to ourselves to explore the rest of the show and attend panel discussions.

I had attended the “Kitchen Design Disrupters” panel discussion sponsored by Nobilia hosted by the Design MIlk x Modenus Lounge. The panel discussion was filled with more insight and information on German cabinetry versus American-made cabinetry.

Brian Malarkey from Top Chef cooking lunch at Monogram Appliances using the Smart Hearth Oven

In between events, I enjoyed lunch and a show at Monogram Appliances. Celebrity chef Brian Malarkey from Top Chef made one of the best margarita pizza’s I have ever had! I was beyond excited to watch him work his magic live! He added lemon zest on top which was a refreshing twist to a classic pizza. Ahhh, delish!

The pizza cooked in five minutes with the Monogram Smart Hearth oven. Now, you can make your own … or attempt to at least!

At the end of the day, the Designhounds and I had attended the 2020 Designhound Influencer Awards — where many of my new friends had won awards in several different home categories. I am so happy to have been surrounded by a wonderful group of talented, smart, genuine, BOSS women!

To celebrate the evening and conclude an amazing trip, we had our KBIS Designhounds Farewell Dinner at The Cellar in the Nomad Hotel which was sponsored by the INCREDIBLE Modenus team and White Good.

I’d like to give a special thank you to Veronika, Florence, Sara, and the rest of the Modenus team for organizing an unforgettable and educational experience. I will cherish the moments we have spent together and the new friendships that I have made. Thank you for including me! I am so honored to have shared this experience. I would also like to thank our generous sponsors: Thermador, Nobilia, Compac Surfaces, Control 4, and Mr. Steam for your support, time, and training. I can’t wait to start my next Kitchen & Bath project so I can incorporate all my new findings or maybe I will start my own renovation to make my #homegoals happen!