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Kitchen & Bath Industry Aligns With Home Furnishings & Lighting at High Point Market
For many years, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) held their respective annual trade shows in different months and cities. Eventually, they realized there was greater synergy in holding those trade shows at the same venue and timeframe since there was an overlap in interest and exhibitors.
Similarly, Dallas Market Center representatives from Lightovation had a presence at those shows for a number of years to help those industry professionals discover additional lighting resources for future projects. For the January edition of Lightovation, a recent promotion to NKBA members reads, “Great Lighting Sells Kitchens” with an enticement to attend the upcoming show.
Noting the crossover in interest between NKBA members and designers attending High Point Market, NKBA first offered its members special Market tours and educational sessions at High Point Market in 2018. Last year, NKBA returned to Fall High Point Market with “The Tent,” a designated area for attendees to enjoy educational programming led by kitchen and bath designers and manufacturers.
In May of this year, NKBA | KBIS announced its most comprehensive initiative, an alliance with the High Point Market Authority (HPMA). Said Bill Darcy, president and CEO of NKBA | KBIS at that time, “Our partnership with High Point Market Authority represents a powerful alignment between two organizations committed to inspiring, empowering, and supporting the interior design community. At NKBA, we’ve seen kitchen and bath design trends expand their influence across the entire home, driving new ideas and inspiration for the broader interiors industry. Through this alliance, we’re excited to share NKBA’s unique brand experiences, educational resources, and foster business-driving connections that add value to the design community as a whole.”
Last month’s Fall High Point Market saw the debut of a new showroom space in the Broad Hall building. Billed as NKBA’s design hub, Broad Hall was a market destination for brands and designers to see how kitchen, bath, lighting, and surfaces define the future of whole-home design through immersive vignettes. The exhibit space was curated by NKBA board member Kerrie Kelly in partnership with Cosentino and Codarus. The highlighted brands were Kichler Lighting, James Martin Vanities, Ferguson Home, Sherwin-Williams, Fabuwood, BlueStar, Signature Hardware, Miele, Urban Bonfire, FreePower, Blanco, Lutron, Feeney, and Azenco.
Among the educational sessions featuring prominent speakers on design trends, color trends, and entrepreneurship, was the lighting-specific session, “Designing with Light, Finish & Form” with panelists Thom Filicia and Michel Smith Boyd (NKBA Design Council members), Kristina Christopher (Kichler), and Caroline Danielson (Ferguson Home) who explored how materials, light, and detail define emotion in space. “Lighting must be considered early — it supports the architecture; it’s part of the story,” stated Thom Filicia. Panelists then discussed lighting trends such as adjustable color temperature, living finishes such as brass and bronze, and the beauty of imperfection (i.e. materials that age gracefully and tell a story).
Toasting the success of the new show space, Darcy stated during a VIP cocktail reception, “Just a few months ago, Broad Hall was only an idea — a vision. Today, it stands as a symbol of what’s possible when design, innovation, and partnership align…What began as a vision became something truly extraordinary. Thank you to everyone – our team, partners, and brands – who helped bring Broad Hall to life.”
The home furnishings, kitchen and bath, and lighting industries will likely forge more collaborations in the coming months and year that will further advance the collective design expertise shared by the various trades throughout interior design.
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