What a week at KBIS2017! I had a blast seeing so many beautiful and innovative kitchen and bath products AND connecting with so many of my designer friends from all over the nation.

This trip was a walk-a-thon, believe me, but I feel inspired and refreshed in all aspects of design and ready to attack the new year. The convention center in Orlando seemed more spread out than Vegas (if that’s possible), so I was so happy to have a few little pedi-cab rides for a couple of jaunts from the parking lots. :-)

2018 Attendee Tip >>> I know now that staying in the Hyatt (located between the two main buildings of the show) would have been ideal. :-) I’m gonna book now for next year and I know I need a lot of great projects between now and then to pay for it, so contact me please for your whole house redo! :-)

I have so many cool things to share and if you’ve been following me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, you might have seen some of the products I found really interesting and innovative.

I’m breaking things down here, grouping some products together as trends, so you can see what’s coming in the world of kitchen and bath design. This post will be divided up into a few parts, because there’s just so much that fascinates me and that I want to share. I want to get some real insight into the effects of these products on the way we live in our homes. Some of these items are new releases, some prototypes, but all are on the cutting edge of what’s happening now.

Trending in Kitchen and Bath, Part I | Sinks and Faucets

Kitchen sinks are getting bigger and more elaborate!

Kitchen sinks are becoming the prep areas of a kitchen. I couldn’t believe how many ginormous kitchen sinks I saw out there. They are wider, deeper, with added layers for racks, cutting boards, colanders, etc. Here’s the funny thing, you can actually save space in your kitchen by working more “in your sink”.

I recently talked with the chef at Bistro Menil, Greg Martin, when we were down there over the holiday, for a meal. I had checked out his own home kitchen makeover when I was booking for the restaurant, and asked him about his remodel. One of his favorite things about his kitchen that he finds really handy is the kitchen sink that has layered prep areas. He says he does more there now, keeping a lot of work off the countertop! There ya go!

Check out this sink prototype from Rohl. I talked with the sink’s designer there at the show and he showed me how this very wide sink's drains can be installed in an 18” wide cabinet. The drains are located in the center, with a full size disposal too. More room is then created for storage in the adjacent cabinets below.

Rohl extra wide prototype sink with drains centered in 18" wide center cabinet and maximum storage below in adjacent cabinets.

Rohl extra wide prototype stainless sink with centered drains

Over at Elkay, the granddaddy maker of stainless steel sinks, they can make anything you want. They had some custom stainless options in their display that were really jaw-dropping. Their chef was cooking at a kitchen station that had this huge double compartment sink with two faucets.

Then this whole island countertop with all kinds of customization was on display.

Their prototype farmhouse sink with stainless backsplash and many other cool features, can handle just about anything. The sales rep told me that this really makes a countertop installation very easy, as you can see. Both backsplash and countertops can just butt up to the sides of this piece. I love the deep drain and strainer basket with it's cover too. :-) Those ridges in the splash are places where some 3D printed drying racks can be magnetically attached.

Elkay stainless steel prototype sink with tip out storage, sliding chopping board and strainer and stainless splash w/ wall mount faucet.

Elkay stainless steel sink with deep drain

Colorful sinks and faucets were getting lots of attention.

Bright colored sinks made a debut at Elkay.

These colorful hoses on faucets by Grohe were so fun.

Vessel sinks are as popular as ever.

Just when I think these sinks have had their run, they come out with even more. These below are beautiful.

DXV vessel sink and wall mount faucet - Designers: Pulp Designs

These hammered metal vessel sinks from Native Trails caught my eye. So beautiful!

These colorful sinks from Villeroy and Boch will be used in some bathroom designs this next year done by some of my designer friends for the brand. Can't wait to see what they do!

Touchless kitchen faucets are on trend.

Lastly, the big trend I see in faucets today are the touchless variety.

They call them touchless, you do have to touch them, just not with your hands. More and more manufacturers are realizing that people want to keep the spread of germs at bay, especially in the kitchen where you could be handling raw chicken, etc., and more people come in contact with the faucet. The touchless variety comes in handy there. Check out this one from Danze with the light that pops on with the water. Very sleek.

And this prototype below, a voice-activated model from Price Pfister, is quite amazing. Listen to the video to the voice commands. We have voice activated information at our fingertips with Echo and other products. Why not in the kitchen?

Check out more of my finds on my Instagram profile and subscribe to my blog for more upcoming insights and inspiration from KBIS 2017!

I'll be sharing some organizational tips with my design friend, Amanda Gates, on Monday. Tune in to our teleseminar and you can chime in with questions or insights of your own.