KBIS Part 2 - Wellness & Innovation in Design

Glam kitchen featuring our favorite SKS 36-inch Dual Fuel Pro Range with Sous-vide Induction and Gas

Now more than ever we are seeking ways to create connected interiors that restore the mind, body, and soul. It’s the reason we love this work… transforming spaces for our clients to live life fully. It can be challenging for me to take time away for industry shows but, it is so important to stay on top of what’s new and next for our clients. It was extra special to return to KBIS (Kitchen & Bath Industry Show) with the opportunity to tour and scout as a Designhound to discover the latest and greatest in the kitchen and bath design world. We were fortunate to have some amazing sponsors and to show my appreciation, I would like to highlight two of them here who are leaders in the world of luxury kitchens and baths.

This year I discovered there literally is an “app for that” to help you cook the perfect meal and even start a luxurious custom steam shower before you step foot out of bed in the morning. I hope this post helps you discover something new you would like to incorporate into your home to enhance your daily living.

A rendering of a current design project with some gorgeous SKS appliances awaiting installation in this beautiful kitchen overlooking Mobile Bay.

Signature Kitchen Suite, the fast-growing luxury brand in the kitchen appliance market and a longtime favorite of ours, is known for innovation. My fellow Designhounds and I were all excited to see what surprises they had in store for us at the show. SKS unveiled the first-of-its-kind 48-inch French door refrigerator at KBIS 2022. The industry’s first 48-inch built-in refrigerator allows the design community to offer clients never-before seen storage flexibility and functionality in the popular French-door configuration. This new model boasts a slew of amazing technical features such as dual ice options and Wi-Fi connectivity to manage and monitor remotely via smart devices. There’s flexible storage as freezer drawers can also be used for refrigeration. However, my favorite feature is the Signature Fit™ Integrated Design. What this means is the intelligent design allows for proud or flush installation, while the integrity of the kitchen’s design lines is protected on the outside thanks to the drawers lining up with standard countertop height. Units are available in stainless steel and panel-ready options. Beautiful, innovative, and versatile – a winning combination that solves design dilemmas rather than creating them. This is exactly what we are striving for – ways to create spaces that are not only aesthetically pleasing but that also improve productivity or relaxation.

While we are on the subject of kitchens… Here’s a little teaser for a future blog post about the first intelligent kitchen assistant that is like having a master chef over your shoulder.  Meet Cooksy! Cooksy watches from above – either mounted over your stove or with an adjustable stand and uses visual and thermal sensors to monitor your pan and guide your cooking via the connected app. More to come on Cooksy but I couldn’t resist giving you a little taste as we are on the subject of kitchen innovations. Stay tuned for cooking demos with Cooksy in the Towne + Beech kitchen.

There was so much to see and experience at KBIS and one of the most exciting discoveries for me in wellness design was the MrSteam shower system.

Luxurious in-home steam shower by MrSteam

It is important to create spaces that not only stimulate our senses in a good way and but also have health and wellness benefits to the people using them. During our exclusive Designhounds preview with MrSteam, we learned that steam showers promote respiratory health, hydrate your skin, boost metabolism, and that you can even incorporate aroma therapy and music. Another fun, innovative feature is MrSteam now works with Amazon Alexa. You can “talk” to your steam shower through Alexa to ask questions or give basic commands on settings and functions. You can ask Alexa to start your steam shower before you even get out of bed. Doesn’t that sound heavenly?

Another bonus is this system is eco-friendly, conserving water by only utilizing 2.2 gallons of water per session, as compared to eighty gallons for a bath. If you are contemplating a bathroom renovation, it’s the perfect time to think about installing a steam shower. Your new bathroom can bring a new level of relaxation and wellness to your life every single day. MrSteam can bring the benefits of a spa quality steam shower into your home with surprising ease. If you would like more information on adding a steam shower and all of its’ health and #wellness benefits reach out to us here at Suzanne Winston & Associates.

Yes, you can have a steam shower in a small bathroom.

While we’re at the end of my sponsored KBIS posts, I’ll be sharing more soon about wellness and innovation in design and how we incorporate these principles into our design work.

Thank you to all of our sponsors, to KBIS, to Modenus Media, NKBA Global Connect, and also to all of my fellow Designhounds for making this tour such an incredible experience. The creative synergy among the designers and exhibitors was amazing. I came away from this time feeling inspired and energized by all of the new connections and possibilities.  Until next time!