Kitchen Bath Industry Show highlights new trends

One of the largest kitchen and bath trade shows in North America was held Feb. 25-27 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It was three days of product reveals, demonstrations, networking and programming.

Organized by the National Kitchen &Bath Association and produced by Emerald Expositions, the Kitchen &Bath Industry Show brought together architects, designers, builders, remodelers and other professionals to showcase innovations, trends and opportunities in home design.

“We’ve invaded the city with a lot of people and a lot of brands, and the energy (was) just amazing,” said Global President and CEO of KBIS and NKBA Bill Darcy. “We have 55,000 members mostly across North America, and internationally as well, and they were so excited for this event.”

The show featured two new Italian pavilions, a growing German pavilion and a British pavilion and Brazilian pavilion.

“The trend we’re seeing is international manufacturers are looking at our trade show as the place to reach the North American trade,” Darcy said. “Technology continues to grow such as smart home tech. It is also about customizable living with wellness as a factor.”

As for trends in kitchens, the biggest one is the introduction of the flat-plate convection and induction range, cooking on a flat surface, which can be incorporated into a countertop.

“The flat-plate panel and the beauty of those is obviously cleanliness and less visual clutter,” said local designer Brian G. Thornton, IIDA, of Brian G. Thornton Designs LLC. “People are looking for more functional countertops in kitchens. Other than the floor, the next largest horizontal surface area in kitchens that needs to be addressed are countertops.

BlueStar’s new 48-inch Platinum Series Induction Range was launched at KBIS. BlueStar’s core product, the new Induction range, showcased Dual Fuel Range in one of this year’s color of the year (Signal Brown) and the brand’s legacy gas range, the Nova Series.

“We are excited to introduce such a unique product that merges the visual cues of a traditional gas range with induction cooking,” said Ann Muth, vice president of marketing at BlueStar. “In listening to consumer feedback, we focused on groundbreaking features that speak to chefs and home cooks, alike.”

Miele expanded its induction range category with its new 36-inch induction range featuring a sleek, easy-to-clean, more efficient cooking technology with a larger capacity for baking and roasting. With two PowerFlex Zones and one large round induction zone, the ranges’ cooktop provides flexible space for different cooking vessels.

Miele also launched its newest generation of cooling technology with the MasterCool Line offering first-in-class refrigeration with enhanced cooling performance and a sleek aesthetic. The new Miele MasterCool line provides a more customized, convenient and sustainable solution with new technology and an intuitive, modern design.

“Functionally and versatility are two things that most designers will agree that these are two important aspects. Builders are now incorporating terms such as curated kitchens making color a focus,” Thornton said. “Along with induction range cooking, larger islands are also trending for house storage. The hub of the kitchen, even when not cooking, is always going to be the focal point for entertaining and people gathering together.”

Colors of the year

The 2025 color of the year for KBIS selected by Pantone is Mocha Mousse, a rich, warm brown. Other colors selected included Olive, Signal Brown, Juniper and Black Ore.

Olive is a bold, earthy and sophisticated hue that blends into modern and classic kitchen designs. Signal Brown is a timeless shade of brown with deep hints of rust chosen by San Francisco-based designer Tineke Triggs for the BlueStar. Juniper combines a dark green with a touch of blue and metallic flake. Black Ore blends a deep, metallic black with subtle graphite undertones. Other color trends for 2025 includes Rumors, a bold, ruby red from Behr and Future Dusk, a balance between deep blue and purple.

Other 2025 color trends

Dark cabinets, including browns, deep reds and black.

Cinnamon tones, deep lilacs and burgundies.

White oak kitchen cabinets.

“While blue painted cabinets are still popular, I’m starting to see wall colors in that plum family, the rusts and the deeper tones as well as a dramatic look in the kitchen where the peripheral walls are painted in one color surrounded by more muted colors,” Thornton said. “I recently designed a home with all-white kitchen cabinets with blacked hardware instead of brass or brushed nickel and this is definitely a trend.”