Best of KBIS Awards

By Dianne M. Pogoda

Your washing machine might be talking to you soon, while your bathroom vanity might predate the Pyramids.

These concepts were winners of the Best of KBIS Awards, which honored four brands for top products at KBIS 2018.

Chosen from among thousands of products showcased at the January trade show, the winners represent a combination of elegant design and cutting-edge technology.

Winning both Bath Gold and Best of Show was Kallista, for its new Grid by Kallista faucet and fixture collection. Honored for its spare, minimal design as well as innovation, the faucet is produced using 3-D printing technology to achieve its open form and discreet interior channels through which the water flows. The collection will be available this summer. Kallista is a Kohler brand.

The Bath Silver award was presented to Cosentino’s D-Kauri line, designed by Daniel Germani. This freestanding furniture is a vanity and storage solution for the bath, a collaboration among Germani, Cosentino, Riva 1920 furniture, Fantini fixtures and Juniper Design lighting. The wooden credenza is crafted from rare, ancient Kauri wood sourced by Riva 1920 in New Zealand. The piece includes a washbasin crafted from Cosentino’s Dekton, faucet from Fantini Rubinetti and adjustable rod lighting from Juniper.

Kitchen Gold honors went to Tresco Lighting by Rev-A-Shelf, for its Snap Panel Lighting, a sheet panel system designed for use behind translucent countertops and backsplashes like onyx. The lighting snaps apart or back together to create a customized shape, with no waste.

Kitchen Silver and Smart Home Technology awards both went to Samsung Electronics. The kitchen honor was for the company’s new FlexWash + FlexDry washer and dryer, a versatile laundry pair that provide flexibility to wash and dry multiple loads of laundry at the same time. In Smart Home Technology, a new category, Samsung’s front-load washer with QuickDrive took the prize. Equipped with faster wash time and enhanced smart capabilities, the washer also offers an intelligent Q-rator laundry assistant that connects to a mobile device. It simplifies the washing cycle with intuitive features that provide automatic recommendations for optimal wash cycles and cycle-time management, and monitors the washer to keep it operating at optimal performance.

Judges included Molly Switzer, AKBD, principal designer and owner of Molly N. Switzer Designs; Jeremy Parcels, AKBD, designer of Christopher’s Kitchen & Bath; Suzanne Scott, lead designer and owner of Suzanne Kristine Interiors; Austin Pike, principal and lead designer of Showroom Marketing, and Craig Couture, designer at Cypress Design Co.