Tag: kbis

30 Years of NKBA Membership: What Are NKBA Benefits?

Peter Salerno Inc.

30 Years of NKBA Membership: What Are NKBA Benefits?

What are the advantages that professional designers can enjoy by becoming members of the NKBA (National Kitchen & Bath Association)?

Peter Salerno, CMKBD, is the founder and owner of our parent company, Peter Salerno Inc. Since 2002, no other kitchen and bath design firm has won more national design awards than Peter Salerno Inc. The benefits of these awards (and the notoriety attached to them) have assisted Peter and his team in becoming a truly global brand, with their designs in homes and businesses in multiple countries across 3 continents. The past several years have seen Peter Salerno Inc.’s reach continue to spread across America, while new installations reached Canada and Russia.

Peter Salerno in his award-nominated Peter Salerno Inc. showroom.
Peter Salerno in his award-nominated Peter Salerno Inc. showroom.

Peter Salerno has been a member of the NKBA since 1990 – seven years before Peter Salerno Inc. became an incorporated brand in 1997. In the 30 years Peter has been an NKBA member, the experiences gained, knowledge developed, and platforms presented through the NKBA have been invaluable to the development of Peter’s skills as a master custom kitchen and bath designer, as well as to the success of Peter Salerno Inc. as a world-class design brand.

Peter Salerno was interviewed by the NKBA for their series “The Member Advantage”, discussing how membership in the NKBA is an asset to any kitchen and bath designer or design team. The conversation dealt with the benefits of NKBA membership, NKBA chapter meetings, being a part of KBIS (the NKBA’s annual Kitchen & Bath Industry Showcase and conference) and more.

The NKBA's Ash Sukumar films Peter Salerno in his showroom for a KBIS presentation.
The NKBA’s Ash Sukumar films Peter Salerno in his showroom for a KBIS presentation.

Here are a few of our favorite excerpts from this exclusive Q&A, which you can find on the NKBA’s website.

NKBA: What do you consider to be the best benefits of your membership?

Peter Salerno: The best benefits have been the exposure to cutting-edge products in our industry. This availability of information can better my skills as a high-end designer.

NKBA: How do you share your knowledge? Have you ever been a VFTI speaker or considered becoming one?

PS: I would enjoy being a speaker. I just did a presentation at the Mid-Atlantic Chapter Meeting in Princeton. It was standing-room-only. I received such a wonderful response, it got me thinking: why not share my 36 years of experience with the next generation of designers?

NKBA: What are some positive experiences at KBIS that stand out for you?

PS: The positive experience at KBIS comes from leaving the show with at least one great idea. That idea can be implemented the day I return to work. It may come from a seminar I attended or a product that impressed me. One year, after speaking to Gary Vaynerchuk, a keynote speaker, I came back from KBIS and started my blog. It was a great addition to my social media marketing strategy.

For the complete interview with Peter Salerno about the member advantages of the National Kitchen & Bath Association, click here.

RangeCraft Provides Custom Range Hood Design and Innovation

Peter Salerno Inc.

RangeCraft Provides Custom Range Hood Design and Innovation

We love great kitchen design. Which is why we love RangeCraft Hoods.

The range hood for your kitchen’s cooking area is one of the most overlooked elements in most kitchen designs. Instead of seeing it as just a ‘necessary piece of hardware’, why not treat it as an appliance you can customize to your own unique kitchen design and taste?

The gorgeous RangeCraft custom range hood exhibit at KBIS 2018.
The gorgeous RangeCraft custom range hood exhibit at KBIS 2018.

That’s the mantra of RangeCraft Custom Range Hoods. Based out of Fair Lawn, New Jersey, RangeCraft has developed a reputation over the last 3 decades of quality, customized range hood design. Their commitment to excellence and versatility in design makes RangeCraft the one name our world-class kitchen design contacts keep bringing up in conversation.

From RangeCraft’s official website:

RangeCraft Manufacturing is well known by discerning buyers for its popular product line of Made-to-Order range hoods. Skilled artisans, trained by Master Coppersmiths, create every custom designed range hood, one at a time. Superior craftsmanship and attention to detail with respect to welding, rivets, bands, tight joints and rounded corners, have created the strong “top of the line” reputation that separates RangeCraft from the competition. RangeCraft maintains its standard of excellence with state of the art production machinery to insure the finest quality and selection of Range Hoods and Universal Inserts for kitchen ventilation.

A custom RangeCraft range hood dazzles in this Moscow kitchen design by Peter Salerno Inc.
A custom RangeCraft range hood dazzles in this Moscow kitchen design by Peter Salerno Inc.

We love RangeCraft’s adventurous spirit in terms of tackling any and all challenges. Recently, RangeCraft designed a custom range hood that ended up in a world-class kitchen in Moscow, in a design created by award-winning Peter Salerno Inc., also of New Jersey.

RangeCraft’s partnerships don’t simply extend to world-class kitchen designers. In 2016, they cemented an exclusive agreement with Swarovski Crystal to build even further luxury and greater options to their custom range hood designs.

The stunning Submarine range hood from RangeCraft, at KBIS 2018.
The stunning Submarine range hood from RangeCraft, at KBIS 2018.

RangeCraft was recently a featured exhibitor at KBIS 2018 in Florida, showing off some awe-inspiring custom range hood designs. We absolutely fell in love with the “Submarine Hood” – and the picture below should say all you need to know about why!

A closer look at a custom RangeCraft range hood design.
A closer look at a custom RangeCraft range hood design.

The function of a range hood is essential to keeping a clean, safe kitchen for you and your loved ones. RangeCraft marries that function with exquisite form to turn a simple appliance into a work of art. It’s no wonder that so many award-winning kitchen designers around the United States (and the world) turn to Ramona Panus and her team for range hood solutions.

EXCLUSIVE KBIS 2020 Design Floor Videos From Peter Salerno Inc.

Peter Salerno Inc.

EXCLUSIVE KBIS 2020 Design Floor Videos From Peter Salerno Inc.

There’s nothing better than seeing the world’s greatest kitchen and bath design conference from a world-class designer’s point of view. When Peter Salerno, CMKBD (of Peter Salerno Inc.) gave us the opportunity to see videos from the exhibitor’s floor of KBIS 2020, it was an opportunity we couldn’t refuse.

The videos, courtesy of the official Peter Salerno Inc. Instagram account, showcase what an award-winning designer loved about his VIP visit to KBIS 2020. As the moderator of his own KBISNeXT 2020 expert panel, Peter Salerno is one of the most renowned and trusted names in custom kitchen and bath design. Winner of the most North American kitchen & bath design awards since 2000, Peter Salerno Inc. is synonymous with luxury, personalized design and forward-thinking innovation.

If we’re talking innovation and luxury… did you know SMEG USA and Dolce + Gabbana teamed up to make a line of kitchen appliances?

Another winner from the exhibitor’s floor of KBIS 2020 was this outstanding open hearth oven from Monogram Appliances. It was no surprise that the pizza oven features were a “WOW” factor to Peter Salerno and his team, who were so enamored with its form and function they had to share this video:

This video took our breath away… has cleaning vegetables in your kitchen ever been this simple?

Peter came back from KBIS 2020 raving about these glass vessel sinks from Maestro Bath, and how they were going to “be so huge” in 2020.

Of course, one of the main reasons Peter Salerno attended KBIS 2020 was to moderate a panel on How to Win a Design Competition. If you’d like to watch the entirety of that presentation, you can do so here!

Of course… Peter couldn’t resist having a little fun before leaving the exhibitor’s floor!

And we haven’t even shown you all of Peter Salerno’s personal videos and photos from KBIS 2020! If you’d like an even greater “inside peek” visit his official Instagram account!

Best of KBIS 2020 | Your Guide To This Year’s KBIS Awards + Trends

Peter Salerno Inc.

Best of KBIS 2020 | Your Guide To This Year’s KBIS Awards + Trends

If you didn’t attend KBIS 2020, you missed out on a tremendous celebration of kitchen and bath design, innovation and technology. But you’ve stumbled upon this article, which means you’re about to get the next best thing!

The NKBA presents KBIS 2020: the Kitchen and Bath Industry Showcase from Las Vegas.

The kitchen and bath design industry is still buzzing from this year’s KBIS in Las Vegas, Nevada. Each year, the NKBA’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Showcase (KBIS) shatters expectations – and attendance records – for the kitchen and bath design industry, raising the bar of ingenuity, inventiveness and innovation to new heights.

KBIS brings together world-class design innovation, an unparalleled floor of exhibitors, tremendous entertainment and seminars with kitchen and bath design experts. 2020 was no exception, as the NKBA brought together a stellar array of designers, ideas and products to guide the kitchen and bath industry into a new decade.

From the Best of KBIS 2020 Awards to the KBISNeXT Stage to the vast exhibitor floor of the convention itself, KBIS 2020 offered more information and innovation than one person could take in alone. So let’s focus on the bullet points: what are the key takeaways from KBIS 2020?

We’ve pulled out a short list of notable award winners and trends from this year’s KBIS event – enjoy!

Key Trends + Awards From KBIS 2020

1. U By Moen Smart Faucet Wins KBIS 2020 Smart Home Technology Award

Innovation is at its finest when it’s just one step ahead of the user, offering smart and usable solutions that make practical sense in daily life. The U by Moen Smart Faucet achieves this balance, staying ahead of the curve while not “outsmarting the consumer”. Easy to use and full of invention, it’s a wonderful choice for the KBIS 2020 Smart Home Technology Award.

From the KBIS 2020 “Best of KBIS” page:

U by Moen Smart Faucet provides convenience, precision and intuitive technology to conquer daily kitchen challenges. It’s the only voice-activated faucet on the commercial market to dispense water amounts as small as one tbsp and as large as 15 gal. at a specific temp. Users can ask Amazon or Google voice assistants to start/stop water flow, activate presets and perform specific tasks like fractional measurements, temp –precise (90°) or generic (hot)– and combined requests (1 cup of 90° water).

2. hansgrohe Rainfinity Wins KBIS 2020 Impact Award

Extravagance. Relaxation. Fine design. Rainfinity by hansgrohe is an absolute marvel of bath design; a shower experience that manages to feel high-end. A massive overhead shower coupled with versatile hand shower, multiple jet types, Rainsoft micro-droplet technology, all presented in a sleek, transitional design?

All of the above, please. Rainfinity is a revolution in luxurious shower design and experience.

3. Kitchen Trend Alert: Black Appliances Gaining Popularity

If you can’t believe that black kitchen appliances are trending, think about the bigger picture. In a kitchen bathed in white – white backsplash tile, white cabinetry, etc. – black appliances immediately stand out as sleek and transitional. Black also pairs well with neutral tones and stone surfaces.

Black stainless steel appliances have been penetrating the market more heavily since the mid 2010s, but 2020 is when a larger percentage of buyers (and designers) will take the plunge.

4. Gold Fixtures in Kitchen and Bath Design

Metal is still in, and we noticed a lot of gold fixtures and features in outstanding kitchen and bath designs at KBIS 2020. From pulls to drawers to range knobs and handles, the opulence of a gold finish on these “flourishes” adds a real sense of luxury to kitchen and bath design in 2020.

Would you try gold metal for your kitchen and bath fixtures?

5. KBIS 2021 Takes Place Feb. 9-11, 2021, in Orlando, Florida.

This is all. See you there!

WATCH: Peter Salerno’s Kitchen + Bath Design Panel, KBIS 2020

Peter Salerno Inc.

WATCH: Peter Salerno’s Kitchen + Bath Design Panel, KBIS 2020

KBIS 2020 is in full swing, and we’d love to share some of the NKBA & KBIS’ exclusive footage of a panel from Day 1!

“How to Win a Design Competition” was moderated by our very own Peter Salerno, CMKBD – owner of Peter Salerno Inc. and winner of the most national kitchen and bath design awards since 2001.

Originally filmed on Day 1 of the 2020 Kitchen + Bath Industry Showcase (KBIS 2020, presented by the NKBA) in Las Vegas, the panel engages in frank, insightful banter about what makes a great awards submission, and how to increase your odds of being noticed.

From the official KBIS 2020 website:

The KBISNeXT Stage hosts design experts, celebrity hosts and young professionals, all sharing insights into the industry’s need-to-know topics to educate, inspire and connect members of the kitchen and bath industry.

This year’s programming will include more than 15 programs, including four awards events, and 50+ industry-leading voices and personalities. This year’s topic will range from health and wellness, resilient design, and business development.

This presentation, and all others on the KBISNeXT 2020 stage, was sponsored by Houzz Pro.

DJ Carey is the Editorial Director of CT Cottages & Gardens. Bob Borson, FAIA, is the Associate Principal of BOKA Powell. Kendall Ansell is Principal of Kendall Ansell Interiors.

For more information about Peter Salerno, the moderator of this exclusive KBIS 2020 panel, please visit his official website.

KBIS 2020 | Your Guide to the KBISNeXT Stage

Peter Salerno Inc.

KBIS 2020 | Your Guide to the KBISNeXT Stage

Every year, forward-thinking designers and innovators gravitate towards one feature of the Kitchen and Bath Industry Showcase: the KBISNeXT Stage. It’s the stage on which forethought, innovation and bold ingenuity help shape the upcoming year in kitchen and bath design.

The NKBA presents KBIS 2020: the Kitchen and Bath Industry Showcase from Las Vegas.

The KBIS 2020 edition of the KBISNeXT Stage is certainly no exception; on the contrary, it may be the best version of KBISNeXT to date. This year’s KBISNeXT is sponsored by Houzz Pro, and features some of the elite names in kitchen design, bath design, interior design, green design and design publications.

Beginning on Tuesday, January 21st and culminating Thursday, January 23rd, the 3-day KBISNeXT Stage presentation slate covers trend forecasting, green design, improving one’s financial bottom line, awards ceremonies, panel discussions, and the NKBA “30 Under 30” – a nod to the future of the design industry.

From the official KBIS 2020 site:

The KBISNeXT Stage hosts design experts, celebrity hosts and young professionals, all sharing insights into the industry’s need-to-know topics to educate, inspire and connect members of the kitchen and bath industry.

This year’s programming will include more than 15 programs, including four awards events, and 50+ industry-leading voices and personalities. This year’s topic will range from health and wellness, resilient design, and business development.

What should you make sure to attend on the 2020 KBISNeXT Stage? To be frank, you can’t possibly take in every KBISNeXT presentation if you hope to do anything else KBIS 2020; there simply isn’t enough time. Between the massive exhibitor space, floor exhibits, DCW Technology Tour, awards presentations and specialty events, your attention will be drawn in far too many directions.

We’ve pared down the 2020 KBISNeXT Stage to 8 events that we think you’ll enjoy – and from which you’ll derive a tremendous amount of benefit. We’ve kept our list diverse and made sure to leave you ample time to browse the rest of this year’s KBIS 2020 convention in Las Vegas!

8 KBISNeXT Stage Sessions to Attend in 2020

Tuesday, January 21

  • 9:30 AM -10:00 AM: Meet the new NKBA Thirty Under 30 Class
    • Each year the NKBA recognizes the brightest young talent working in kitchen and bath design and remodeling as part of its Thirty Under 30 program. Who made the list of young innovators and tastemakers for 2020?
  • 11:00 AM -12:00 PM: How to Win a Design Competition
    • You’re not going to find better advice on how to win a design competition than from Peter Salerno, CMKBD, owner of Peter Salerno Inc. Since 2001, Peter has won more national design awards than any other North American designer, including a myriad of NKBA & KBIS awards. Peter moderates an expert panel on presentation, intrigue and “wow” factor.
  • 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM: The Dawn of a Decade – What to expect from the “Roaring 20s”
    • Kerrie Kelly leads a stellar media panel on a ‘first look design journey’ of the decade to come. Will the 2020s roar as loudly as the 1920s? Technology, wellness, sustainability and design trends will all be discussed.

Wednesday, January 22

  • 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM: Zero Waste Kitchens – Upcycle and Recycle.
    • “This panel will explore how to effectively think about recycling and upcycling building products. Winners of the NKBA Renovation Angel Luxury Kitchen Recycling Awards will be invited to discuss how they work with clients to remove existing kitchens – addressing shipping, storage and recycling/reconstructing them into new homes.” (site)
  • 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM: Avenues to New Revenue: A Road Map in Improving Your Bottom Line
    • How can industry members continue to make retail profitable in 2020? Moderator Nick May of the Chaise Lounge Podcast discusses brick-and-mortar, online and social media strategies.
  • 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Best of KBIS Awards
    • LUXE Interiors + Design sponsors the prestigious Best of KBIS Awards, honoring the top new kitchen and bath design industry products of the year. Not to be missed!

Thursday, January 23

  • 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM: How to Win at Wellness
    • Julie Jacobson, Founding Editor of CE Pro, has helped curate a list of 5 projects that promote purpose-driven wellness. How do you design a home for wellness from the ground up? You’ll find out here.
  • 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM: New Rules for Social
    • The penultimate KBISNeXT session of KBIS 2020, Leanne Wood of Flying Camel moderates a panel on the new rules for social media in 2020. From content to voice, tagging to search, this is a must-visit panel for brands struggling to invigorate their social presence.