By Dianne M. Pogoda

 

COMPANY NEWS

NEW EDC FOR BSH: BSH Home Appliances is opening an Experience & Design Center in the CityCenterDC complex in Washington, D.C., in early 2023 The 7,125-square-foot BSH facility, on the ground floor at 950 New York Avenue within the complex, will offer immersive experiences from its brands Bosch, Thermador and Gaggenau. This will be the seventh BSH EDC in North America. Visitors will have an opportunity to learn about the latest design trends and smart-home solutions, participate in interactive cooking sessions and more. The company’s other centers are in Irvine, Calif.; New York City; Chicago; Montreal, and Toronto, along with a location scheduled to open in Miami this year.

HIRI PROJECTS LEVELING OUT: The Home Improvement Research Institute forecasts that consumer spending on home improvement will steady after two years of robust demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. HIRI predicts the total building products market to grow by 4.2 percent in 2022, with the consumer side growing by 2.6 percent and the professional market growing by 7.9 percent. Between 2024 and 2026, the consumer market is expected to average about 3.2 percent growth, and the professional segment will average around 4.8 percent growth. Over the last 10 years, the consumer market grew at a healthy 2.8 percent, but in 2020 and 2021 alone, consumer spending on home improvement soared to 15 percent and 13.3 percent, respectively. KBB has more.

LG WINS TECH AWARD: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has honored 43 refrigerator-freezer models from LG Electronics with the Energy Star® Emerging Technology Award. The winning models feature advanced adaptive compressors and use R-600a, a refrigerant with very low global-warming potential, and are recognized as having “innovative technologies that meet rigorous performance criteria to reduce energy use and lower greenhouse gas emissions,” said the EPA. Refrigerators earning this distinction outperform the federal minimum standard by at least 25 percent. Many feature LG’s InstaView technology that allows users to knock twice to illuminate the refrigerator door’s glass panel and see inside, paired with LG Door-in-Door technology, which provides easy access to drinks and snacks while minimizing cold air loss, saving energy and keeping food fresh.

LUXE HOME ADDS VADARA QUARTZ: The LuxeHome portfolio of premier boutiques for home building and renovation, has added Vadara Quartz, distributed by UGM Surfaces to its Design Resource Center in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart. The newly opened space, in Suite 163 on the first floor of the Mart, represents an exclusive collaboration with UGM and Vadara. Designer Kerri Callahan of Polymath Design joined the collaboration to create large displays and to keep the aesthetic welcoming, open and functional. UGM is the exclusive distributor of Vadara Quartz in the Midwest, with additional showrooms in Detroit, Milwaukee, Cleveland, St. Louis and Omaha.

SNAIDERO STARTUP: Dario Snaidero, CEO of Snaidero, the Italian luxe cabinet manufacturer, has launched MandiCasa, an enterprise bringing made-in-Italy designs, first-to-market collections and premium products from a range of Italian suppliers to the North American market. MandiCasa is launching with seven exclusive kitchen designs and based in Los Angeles, has showrooms there and in New York and Miami.

NEOLITH GROUP ACQUIRED: CVC Capital Partners VIII, an international private equity platform, will acquire the Neolith Group, a pioneer in the sintered stone industry that has been controlled by Investindustrial and its founders, the Esteve Family. Neolith, with business in over 100 countries, offers innovative and sustainable solutions that combine design and function for applications ranging from kitchens, bathrooms and designer furniture to building façades and coverings for architectural projects. CVC is a private equity and investment advisory firm with 25 offices throughout Europe, Asia and the U.S., with approximately $122 billion in assets.

NKBA Summit: The Luxury Bath | Virtual Conference | June 22-23. Register Now >

 

EVENTS


COVID POSTPONES ANOTHER FAIR: Design Shanghai, which had been scheduled for June, has been postponed to Oct. 13 -15, due to challenges and restrictions stemming from the latest outbreak of COVID-19 in China. The venue will remain the same — the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Centre — and organizers will update details of the event as they become available here.

 

PEOPLE NEWS


OBITUARY: KEVIN LIPPERT: Kevin Lippert, founder and publisher of Princeton Architectural Press, died on March 29 of complications from brain cancer. He was 63. He wrote the 2015 history book “War Plan Red” and was a recipient of an American Academy of Arts and Letters award in architecture. His entrepreneurial venture began as an effort to bring smaller reprints of rare architectural books to more students, and eventually grew into a publishing house known for high-quality books on varied topics like design and visual culture, and ultimately became a champion of emerging architects.

CHAPTER NEWS

MULTI-ASSOCIATION MINGLE IN SOUTH FLORIDA: Get together for a community-building event in Dania Beach, Fla., with NKBA’s South Florida Chapter on May 17, 6 to 8 p.m., at Design Center of The Americas, 1855 Griffin Road, Atrium B. “An Evening to Reconnect” includes AIA of Fort Lauderdale, ASID Florida South, the U.S. Superyacht Association and Crestron. Share perspectives from different areas of design and architecture and enjoy light bites and refreshments. The evening is supported by Eggersman Kitchens | Home Living, Gloster, Strega, Herederos del Marqués de Riscal and Santa Teresa 1796. It’s free to attend; Register here.

A SMASHING GOOD TIME IN IOWA: The Iowa Chapter is hosting a membership drive on May 18 at Smash Park, 6625 Coachlight Drive in West Des Moines. The evening, sponsored by Vent-A-Hood, runs from 5 to 7 p.m. and is free to attend. Members are encouraged to bring guests who may be interested in joining NKBA, and those who bring a non-member guest may enter a drawing to win prizes. Mingle, enjoy snacks and drinks and play games like corn hole, Ping Pong, Jenga and giant Connect Four. Register here.