My Rookie Trip to Vegas For KBIS DMMas a Design Hound - Part Two

Okay, back to all things KBIS for part two of our Vegas shenanigans. We had a lot to soak in over four days but there were some distinct themes we noticed: a focus on wellness as a key element of design, the innovative use of traditional materials like sculpting quartz into a tub. The use of smart home technology to make things life at home as stress-free as possible - think WiFi operated ovens, remote temperature-controlled wine closets, remote control screens to bring the outdoors in and to pop televisions from the ceilings, a remote control to turn on a fireplace. 

Our sponsors Control 4, elevated the smart home by showcasing so many ways technology can make life at home soooo much easier. 

Like this television that with the push a button on a remote control, tucks away in the ceiling when not in use; connecting the outdoors to the indoors with remote controlled screens and a wine room that's temperature controlled remotely. Genius and I need one. 
 

There was also a great emphasis on the kitchen as furnished space with modular cabinets, creative storage and negative space as a design element, not something detrimental or overlooked in the design process as highlighted here in the kitchens showcased by Nobilia. The German brand is available locally with a 6-8 week lead time, and prides itself on stylish yet modern and functional cabinets that are easy to assemble and install.  

I was obsessed with the lighting along the edges of these base cabinets. So much so we are incorporating this in two modern kitchens we are currently working on. 

I also loved this mix of open storage paired with cabinets from Nobilia, emphasizing again that the kitchen can be a great place to showcase art/accessories as well as the functional items needed for a kitchen.

One of the most refreshing moments as a Design Hound was to experience a steam shower and spa experience courtesy of Mr. Steam, the 100 year-old company that's arguably the leader in all things steam. Imagine, sitting or standing still in an enclosed shower and allowing steam, to seep into your pores and relieve the stress of the day. The benefits of steam, which can be supplemented by adding your favorite essential oils, are endless - Detoxing our system, reducing inflammation, breathing easier to name a few. While adding steam capabilities to your bathroom will add roughly another 25% to your overall budget, the long term benefits are clearly worth the cost. Environmentally, a 15 minute steam shower only uses 2 gallons of water, while we use an average of 40 gallons of water for a standard tub bath - holy what! 

Steam us all you want! Design hounds soaking in the benefits of steam and a moment to relax. 

Thankful to our gracious hosts from Mr. Steam. 

Just an FYI: Designers love to eat and drink and admire all things design/archictecture. A lot. So kudos to our sponsors for indulging us every step of the way...

Loved the opulence at the Bellagio Hotel, where we had dinner with the team from Mr. Steam. 

Loved the moody vibe of The Cellar, a restaurant at the Nomad Hotel. 

Ultimately, the most resounding theme during this experience was friendship. Running a design business as an entrepreneur is an often lonely adventure. So spending quality time with like-minded individuals, who understand the joys and struggles, and having curated sessions to offer tips on how to grow our respective businesses was the added bonus from this trip. 

So thankful to Veronica, Florence, Sarah and the entire Modenus team for bringing us all together for such an exceptional experience. 

Loved the DMM Talks Lounge chats curated by Modenus and Design Milk. 

 

Cheers to the amazing sisterhood forged in Vegas!

My Rookie Trip to Las Vegas for KBIS as a Design Hound - Part One

Late last year I received the amazing news that I'd been selected as one of the design hounds who would have an all-expense paid trip to the annual Kitchen and Bath Industry Show aka KBIS to scope out all the latest and greatest in the world of kitchen and bathroom designs. This was an incredible opportunity curated by Modenus, which connects brands directly with design influencers to get their product seen by people who will actually use them one day. 



Our sponsors on this whirlwind experience would be Nobilia (a German manufacturer or modern kitchen cabinetry), Mr. Steam (the leader in all things steam for an exceptional shower and spa experience), Thermador (the appliance brand that created the wall oven), Compac (leader in the quartz and solid surface industry) and Control4, the company revolutionizing smart home technology.  
Over the course of four days we would swoon over some pretty transformative new designs in the industry and as a bonus, make some true connections with industry leaders and fellow design hounds, fueled by exceptional meals and lots of wine and spirits. If you missed all the hoopla while I bombarded you with coverage last month, you can still view my behind the scenes excursions of the trip via the KBISDesignhounds highlight in my Instagram stories. 

But here's a photo recap of our experience. Let's Go! 




After geeking out over the Vegas skyline we mixed and mingled at the welcome mixer. 

Influencers, and swag bags who dat! 

 

Fully rested and kinda hydrated we hit the Vegas streets the next day and my heart would be aflutter for hours. Let's go!

Kitchens and bathrooms are my jam so my heart skipped many beats when we saw the innovative ways Compac had engineered their quartz and the new ways to integrate slabs including this geometric shaped island made by molding several slabs together. This statement island and other pieces unveiled at KBIS are the brainchild of designer and international artist Arik Levy. The Spanish brand worked closely with Levy who created the Ice Black™ and Ice White™ designs for the Ice of Genesis collection, a collection which has set a milestone in the world of quartz.

But it was this tub that stole the show. Carved from one piece of slab, the design showed the endless possibilities of working with quartz to make a statement. And by statement I mean, how to fit three design hounds in a tub!

I think it's safe to say we are attentive students who now know a LOT about quartz and how it can be manipulated to make our designs as amazing as can be. 

Our next stop was Thermador, so daring and bold with their designs that they kinda tell ya to do you! Literally. 

The appliance brand is loaded with innovative appliances including wi-fi activated ovens, a new line of wine refrigerators and just in case you party too hard and serve too much wine, a dishwasher dedicated to glassware with special lipstick removal capabilities. Genius. 

Okay. We did a LOT during this whirlwind trip so stay tuned for more of my recap tomorrow. But first, a selfie because #designhounds