Bold colors, indulgent culinary demos and house-sized—and sometimes styled—exhibits were on hand at the 11th annual Design & Construction Week, comprised of the co-located International Builders Show (IBS) and the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), which together brought more than 117,000 attendees and 2,400 exhibitors to the Las Vegas Convention Center Feb. 27-29.
Dubbed the largest annual light construction trade show in the world, IBS grew 12 percent this year, with attendance at the highest level since 2009, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), which owns the show. KBIS also marked the most successful show in its 60-year history with a record number of kitchen and bath design professionals, including a 30-percent jump in exhibitors compared to 2023.
Resisting the temptation to break the bank on a kitchen remodel, EM walked the floor looking for exhibit design trends and inspiration.
GE Appliances, a Haier company
How do you showcase six brands with very distinct personalities under one roof? Cue in the 16,000-square-foot glamorous Design District by GE Appliances, complete with dj beats and cocktails. The experience brought together the bold colors of CAFÉ, luxurious art galleries by Monogram, the futuristic tech of GE Profile, the timeless heritage of GE, and the urban living vibes of Hotpoint and Haier in an experience that felt like a playground of design inspiration. “We do a lot of color research because colors, and we love to incorporate beautiful lighting and music to create an emotional appeal and keep people pumped up,” said exhibit designer TK Wismer. Here’s a deeper dive. Partner: Deckel & Moneypenny
ClosetMaid
Not another house, said the team behind ClosetMaid, which leaned into dramatic angles, smart use of overhead space, and strategic lighting to create an exhibit that made a statement yet felt intimate—not a small feat for a 50×50. Positioned at an angle to the main aisle to invite traffic, the space was anchored by three display areas that featured the company’s latest innovations and hardware and touchscreens with the company’s digital experience platform. “We wanted this to be like buying a new car,” said George Hanus, marketing manager at ClosetMaid Pro. Overhead signage with a parallelepiped screen made for easy wayfinding, and soft lighting inside made more for creating a “safe and comfortable” vibe than a make-shift house ever would. Partner: The Trade Group
LX Hausys America
South Korean manufacturer of building and decorative materials leaned into its cultural heritage and the concept of Naturegraphy—the art of taking photos of nature—for this thoughtful and beautiful exhibit. Attendees started their journey by the projection screens with misty nature images and walked across the stone walkway to the Zen garden. In the heart of the exhibit, the brand’s surface lines were displayed around a stone water feature and mirrored the tone-on-tone designs found in nature. The final touch? Trays with miniature zen gardens on the main counter as an invitation to make the space your own.
Kohler
Water, water, everywhere… and 3D-printed sinks, and soothing scents… The 15,000-square-foot exhibit by Kohler showcased the latest in design and innovation from the company’s portfolio of brands—Kohler, Ann Sacks, Kallista, Kast, Klafs, Robern, Sprig, and Sterling in an environment that felt like a glossy design magazine. Attendees were dazzled by the fluid space integrating numerous water features and splashy projection displays and explored sensuous brand vignettes that made up the fabric of the exhibit. The main stage deep inside the exhibit offered a full schedule of celebrity panel discussions and book signings. Attendees could also enjoy hand-crafted Kohler Original Recipe Chocolates for that extra dash of decadence.
Caesarstone
Rich hues and art deco touches surrounded attendees in the 3,200-square-foot exhibit by Caesarstone, a surfaces manufacturer, that showcased how its products transform indoor and outdoor spaces into a warm and inviting environment. Attendees lingered by the fireplace, took a minute to relax on the plush couches, and gravitated towards the central island to watch cooking demos and chat, just like in a real kitchen. Amber golds and moss greens brought a sense of sanctuary to a busy showfloor. Partner: WBE Exhibits
Delta Faucets Co.
For its 70th anniversary, Delta Faucets Co. expanded its exhibit footprint to 14,600 square feet to showcase the newest products of its brand lines—Brizo, Delta, Kraus and Peerless—and still was busy even on the last day. One particularly popular activation was a water-tasting station featuring the reverse osmosis and remineralization systems, where attendees could watch the system in action and also taste the difference for themselves. Another crowd-pleaser was a hand shower demo for people with textured hair, another nod to tactile experiences both on and off the showfloor. Signs around the exhibit reminded attendees that all the water features were using recirculated water. Partner: CenterPoint
Sherwin-Williams
“We’re seeing a lot more color this year after being neutral for so long,” Holly Hillis, designer account executive with the paint manufacturer Sherwin-Williams, told EM. The display in front of her was arguably among the most popular touchpoints of this sprawling exhibit—an assortment of flat lays showcasing the brand’s forecasted colors. Describing the feature new to this year’s exhibit, Hillis said: “This is exactly how designers would work to put these concept boards together for a project. They could pick a swatch and touch the textiles, the tiles, the yarns. It shows how it all works together on the color scheme, and Sherwin-Williams is a partner in that collaboration.”
Rockwool
Over at IBS, it was all power tools in action but the stone wool insulation manufacturer Rockwool grabbed attendees’ attention by appealing to their sense of adventure (and promising a moment of quiet). One wall of this island exhibit was “the sound tunnel,” as in a short, but very secluded, maze made from the company’s insulation, and attendees lined up to walk through it. Some even ran their hands along the wall to feel its wool-like texture. The front of the tunnel served as a backdrop for the presentation stage. Additional focal points included displays highlighting the product’s fire- and water-retardant capabilities. Partner: Acer Exhibits
Murphy Door
“You have to check out the speakeasy door,” was the buzz among attendees of the Murphy Door 2,000-square-foot exhibit. The space featured the brand’s products in different settings, including a a bedroom, a kitchen and game room, as well as comfortable lounge. The contrast between the matte-black structures, the wood elements and the soft in-house setting make for a space that felt substantial and yet approachable. And yes, the speakeasy door, armed with a fingerprint scanner and a magnetic lock, was impossible not to test, and yes, it does lead to a different dimension. Partner: Rise Exhibits
Weyerhaeuser
Rooted in its ethos as a land steward, Weyerhaeuser’s 1,000-square-foot exhibit incorporated the company’s manufactured wood products in key design elements, including the trees, meeting rooms, and the honeycomb canapé that gave it a grove look. Attendees could touch the samples mounted on the trees and explore them deeper on the touchscreens, as well as engage in live demos. Each exhibit design element was there for a reason. “The triangles represent foliage but also the geometric shapes stand for the science behind wood and the biology of how we manage our forests,” Carolyn Atkinson, exhibitor with the company, told EM. “The honeycomb represents the cellular structure of the wood fiber and also interconnectedness and strength of our entire ecosystem.” Partner: ImpactXM
