Innovative Design “Bites” for 2021

Oh My! It has been a hot minute since the last time we sat down and chatted about design. Today I want to give you a sneak peek into KBIS, our industry’s national kitchen and bath show. This year I was honored to be on the DesignHounds for a second year as a design influencer. For the virtual show this year, I was invited to be on the Design Bites Panel hosted by Darren Keefe to review and vote on the newest and greatest innovative technology for our homes.

As you are sipping your coffee or wine…no judgments here….you are wondering what is Design Bites? It is so cool! Think speed dating for brands and designers. The major companies showcase their awesome innovations for 2021 that will have availability come summer of 2021.  

 

  

So, let’s check who I learned about and how they will change your future decisions for your homes:

MIELE

This year, Miele introduced the G5000 dishwasher series. The latest model is honing in on homeowners with aspirations for the luxury market.  t is labeled at the entry-level of luxury!  Nice, right! Perks on your budget in the kitchen is the best way to gain your dreams. But what makes this dishwasher so special you ask? First, it has ultimate cleaning performance. It will clean and dry your dishes in 58 minutes. It is efficient with perfect results! It has additional features as well. Some include:

• Flexline baskets for easy loading (this is the third-row rack that holds more than just utensils)

• Energy star rated

• 18” dishwasher capability 

CONTROL 4

Control 4 is an amazing company that connects all of your devices together in a Smart Home Operating System. At Design Bites, Control 4 introduced the Video Chime Doorbell. I get it…there are many of those out there, but trust me, Control 4 capabilities are totally different. This doorbell is not one-dimensional. It allows you to use several of your Smart Home capabilities in one place. They are connected and automated! Essentially, when someone arrives at your door you can see, speak to and let them know what to do from the comfort of your home or office. It is fantastic! You can easily have this system installed in your area. Simply find a pro in your area from their website and schedule a consultation. Go for it! You will never go wrong adding Smart Home functions to your home in 2021.

 

 

SIGNATURE KITCHEN SUITES (aka: SKS)

SKS prides themselves on combining technology with cooking and translating that into the home chef. They have coined the term Technicurians as the best way to describe these two concepts into one! During Design Bites, SKS introduced to the panel 24” convertible drawers. These drawers can be used as a freezer or a refrigerator. I know you have seen something like that before, but this stands out as a true innovation because it has the capability to change based on your needs on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. You can choose one day to use it as two refrigerators. Next week, you can decide you need an extra freezer, so you can program it as a freezer if you need to as well. This piece lives in your home and you decide how you need it to work for you as your lifestyle changes. Cool right!

BRONDELL

Covid-19 has really changed our lives in so many ways. Brondell is an innovative product because its goal is to help bring back some normalcy. This product purifies the air and has been proven to eliminate 99.9% of Covid-19 viruses in 15 minutes. Incredible! This will not replace all of the healthful measures in place currently: masks, hand sanitizer, hand washing and social distancing, but it will give us more control over our environment. Brondell has just given small businesses a boost of confidence knowing that we can start to interact more confidently!  

LG WASH TOWER

For 2021, this Wash Tower was the winner! Really, it was! As panelists, we voted for the best innovative product of 2021 and this tower won. It is pretty amazing! The Tower is a single vertical unit laundry solution. It has full-size wash capabilities and full technological features. Thinking outside the box, LG Wash Tower reinvents the laundry space and routine. They have Smart Home advantages with the Think Q app and Smart Learner ability. The tower gives you a built-in look without the bulk. The washer is located on the bottom and the dryer is on the top. What is key here, is that the control panel is in the center for both machines!! No more step stool needed when stacking your machines! Genius! Now, we laid out how it is half the space of a regular washer and dryer, but it also washes in half the time. Laundry can be completely washed in 30 minutes! Talk about efficiency. I for one, am looking forward to this product coming out in the summer of 2021. Plans are brewing already for my laundry space. (Watch this video below! So much fun!!)

KOHLER

Kohler is number one when you think about innovative faucets for your kitchen. Their new collection Tone is a showstopper. This new collection has five styles and six finishes. The faucets have clean lines and a fresh take on a mid-century modern style. In addition, the faucets have touchless and voice-controlled functionality. Of the six finishes, Tone has added in a two-tone finish that is sleek and modern. JLI absolutely loves this collection. This is going to be a perfect addition to JLI curated kitchen collections! 

WELLBORNE

Wellborne introduced the Reflective Modern cabinet line to Design Bites. The Reflective Modern line showcases the New Traditional Style that is taking over as a superpower style in our industry. When presenting, Wellborne focused on their new Sapphire Blue color cabinetry that was pure magic! It was bright and vibrant and works well with so many interiors. The new collection offers touch to open and close doors as well as streamlined materials such as the Gola Hardware. Wellborne is an incredible cabinetry line and we are in love with all of the functionality!

MONOGRAM

Monogram notably elevates everything! Their focus is on craftsmanship and performance in all of their products. During our time on Design Bites, Monogram presented their newest range, the Pro Range. When constructing this masterpiece, Monogram used solid metals throughout. The heat source on this gas range delivers consistent temperatures. The 23,000 BTUs enable the burner to go really high and really low for the more delicate parts of the recipe. More importantly, Monogram focuses on the experience while choking with their Pro Range. They incorporated guided cooking modes with guided chef recipes. These are accessible on the Heston Q app. Finally, Monogram stepped up their game and incorporated the easability to upgrade your appliance using Wifi and Bluetooth. Monogram increased your ROI by allowing your appliance to have more features and functionality than the day you purchased it. It will send these upgrades all digitally! Holy smokes, this just blows my mind!

Wow! Am I right? There were some pretty cool, innovative appliances showcased here.  

Definitely some food for thought as you are planning out your next kitchen right?

If you have questions and want further information, please reach out to me below or use the contact form. Our team would love to hear from you!