In a recent technology study, more people are opting for smarter homes. Though there are already smart products available on the market, we are anticipating that more home products and appliances with an emphasis on smart technology applications will be introduced.
Looking ahead, the new decade has a lot to offer. With people becoming more tech-savvy, it’s no surprise that technology is one of the most desired features in every home. Imagine your homes with devices that could connect to the internet; you can automate, activate, and send commands to control your home.
With the styles and technology trends that we’ve seen already, the question is, are we ready for new kitchen and bath trends that will shape the years to come?
As we continuously seek for technology innovation, more than 600 leading companies and suppliers flocked to Las Vegas to showcase their most innovative kitchen, bath, smart home, and outdoor living products in the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) 2020. KBIS is North America’s largest trade show devoted to kitchen and bath design.
KBIS, in conjunction with the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), is an inspiring, interactive platform that showcases the latest industry products, technologies, and trends. Attended by over 31,000 interior designers, architects, contractors, and manufacturers; we were able to explore the top products and brands displayed under one roof, while connecting with the global product suppliers to build network and exchange ideas for business.
Here’s what I saw in the wide range of product technology solutions at KBIS 2020.
Avoir One-Piece Tankless Toilet
Kohler, a global leader in kitchen and bath products, introduced a new platform in the tankless space with an enhanced design aesthetic to blend seamlessly into any space: Avoir, a battery-powered one-piece tankless toilet. It does not require access to an electrical outlet, needing only four AA batteries to power the toilet for a full year.
Avoir is an excellent solution for those who want an intelligent toilet with a quiet close seat and cover hinge mechanism feature. It is equipped with ReadyLock installation system, and an optional remote single-button actuator, a back-up actuator in case of battery failure, and optional wireless flush remote.
Graze Touchless Faucet
Graze, a touchless pull-down kitchen sink faucet, comes with a three-function spray head. Three-function pull-down spray head allows you to switch between stream, sweep, and BerrySoft spray. From the standard stream spray, the sweep spray transforms into a wide, powerful blade of water that sweeps your dishes and sinks clean with a single push of a button, while BerrySoft is a light spray ideal for washing hands, rinsing delicate dishware, and preparing fruits and vegetables.
Graze is a bold statement piece that uses a state-of-the-art motion sensor for reliable touchless activation. It also features a temperature memory that allows the faucet to be turned on and off at the temperature set during its prior usage. In delivering superior performance, the Graze touchless faucet collection has voice capability through Kohler Konnect that will simplify turning the water on and off, and dispense a measured amount of water.
At KBIS, I was able to meet and have an interview with Kohler’s president and chief executive officer David Kohler. Kohler is a global leader in kitchen and bath products offering a wide range of designer bathroom and kitchen products including luxury toilets, showers, taps, baths, and enclosures.
Sharing the company’s goals and values, I get excited about how the brand will thrive in the industry in a big way after introducing its newest kitchen and bath products with cutting-edge design, style, and innovation.
As one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies, Kohler is making a major impact on its goal in terms of sustainability.
“In 2008, we decided to really dig deeper and recommit to a more aggressive sustainability strategy. Since that time, we started to reduce our environmental footprint of over 25 percent. We’ve driven significant progress to more environmentally friendly and innovative products,” David says of Kohler’s sustainability goal — a net-zero carbon and solid waste footprint.
On that note, the company believes that an enterprise can be very successful and sustainable at the same time and that two factors come hand in hand. As an early mover in sustainability, Kohler commits to reduce three percent environmental footprint per year to help achieve its objective of net-zero in terms of environmental impact in 2035.
The company aims to continually drive more and more product solutions that can conserve water or energy. “We’re going to be the best manufacturer, environmental citizen as much as we can in terms of driving down our use of energy, use of water, reducing our waste to the landfill, and try to manufacture in the most sustainable way possible,” he added.
With a lot happening in the innovation front, the technology, electronics, digital technology, the whole movement around a smart home and bringing electronics into their kitchen and bath products, the convenience it offers is now a major trend.
In looking closely at our industry, he stated, “Personalization is also now a big product trend. There’s a big trend now on personalization in terms of Kohler’s materials and finishes, so you’ll be able to personalize your bathroom environment with the designs, colors, and finishes to reflect exactly what you care about and your personal design as an individual because our homes are the reflection of us. It reflects what we care about, our personality, our passion, so we want to make the biggest and the best palette of colors, materials, finishes, designs, and textures for the designers and architects around the world that create beautiful spaces.”
With his 28 years of experience in the company and being passionate about the values, culture, vision, and mission of Kohler company, we ended the conversation as David Kohler shared his guiding principles from the English philosopher John Ruskin, which states, “A life without labor is guilt. Labor without art is brutality.”