Las Vegas Market + KBIS Recap 2023

Welcome to the R+D of the design industry - markets! Our Las Vegas Market trip this year was a special one because we were there for Design Construction Week, and five different industries were all showing at the same time. The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) is held in Orlando and Vegas, and luckily it was here this year! And yes, colored toilets were a surprise that we were intrigued to explore - how do you feel about it?

Have a look through what staples we're seeing stand the test of time, and other trends we have yet to see how they'll be received by normal homeowners! Give us your feedback - don't be shy.

Team MND were marathon rockstars - four days in Vegas is entirely too much time for me, but we made it through multiple shows with good shoes and multiple lists of things we were looking for!

Softer curves and interesting shapes are still here to stay, and very soft textures and boucle fabrics are going strong. Are you a fan of these types of fabrics?

Greens were a big trend we saw in multiple showrooms, across multiple categories of furniture. Deeply saturated color in general was popular throughout market, and I love the change of pace from purely neutral spaces, as we've seen in the past few years.

I do see a lot more traditional silhouettes coming back in modern fabrics or modern colors. This goes along with this Granny Chic style that is all over social media, so I'm curious how it will be received by all of you!

We spent two days specifically at market looking for vintage rugs for multiple projects, and left with 11 purchased - half earmarked for projects and the other half saved for future clients.

Our paper lists were going strong, as you can see above. Before we left, we went through all active projects and measured for the ideal size rug and the maximum size rug possible for various spaces, since vintage rugs are not standard sizes. We prioritized this for our first day because rugs are very popular to shop for at market, and we didn't want to be balancing our laptops trying to measure rooms in the moment. Pre-planning for this is my hot tip for you if you haven't shopped at market before!

Since we knew what clients we were shopping for, we also prepped them to know that we would be shopping for rugs 10am-12pm on Sunday morning, and we would be calling and sending photos in the moment. A decision would need to be made right then - designers don't play with rugs!

It's quite an adventure and takes a good bit of elbow grease to move rugs around to find what you want, so be prepared. We're going to cover everything you need to know about vintage rugs in a post later this month, so watch out for that if you're in the market for one.

Overall, I do feel that we saw a lot of the same pieces from High Point in October, or even vendors that weren't showing at all that usually do. In talking to vendors and other designers, it seems that vendors are not wanting to invest so much time and energy into showing new product when they're behind on current orders. Hopefully this is the year of catch up, and we can start innovating again soon!

The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) was new to all of us, and we didn't know how to really plan for it. This show was in a massive convention center, and I couldn't believe how crowded it was!

I also couldn't believe how intricate and involved the booths were for how much time they had to actually set up the spaces. We're talking fully tiled booths with running water and tubs full of water everywhere! It was amazing to see, knowing how much work has to go into build up and tear down, with only three days of exhibiting.

Color was alive and well here too - colorful pedestal sinks and drop in sinks were on full display! How do you feel about this choice - too scary or a playful take on something that is overlooked for color?

I'm not sure how well these will go over with clients, but you tell us - maybe we're wrong!

These toilets may seem out there, but one of these could be a fun touch in a small powder room with a monochromatic style! Or a fully blown out colorful bathroom if you love a specific color - who knows! I appreciated the different take on something so utilitarian that we often take for granted.

Gorgeous colored appliances like this were shown as well! This color mixed with the brass would fit in beautifully in a traditional or transitional coastal home! Any takers?

The International Builders Show (IBS) was fascinating as well because their booths were focused on showing and talking about how to install certain materials or products, rather than showcasing the beauty of a specific product. I loved seeing how contractors invest in their own knowledge base, and someone attending this type of show is definitely the type of contractor I want to be working with.

I am invested in contractors who are invested in their own learning and value attending this type of show annually, end of story!

We're tired as all get out from this trip, but it was well worth it to see all of this, secure vintage rugs, and meet new people. Until next year, Las Vegas!

What did you like from this market trip? Let us know in the comments!