KBIS spotlights smart kitchens
At KBIS 2026, exhibitors blended smart-home tech directly into premium kitchen and bath design, with editors naming 18 standout products from the show floor (kbbonline.com). Coverage also reminds homeowners that kitchen remodel costs can vary widely because projects combine cabinetry, plumbing, electrical, and finishes—so separating must-haves from showroom features is key (gigwise.com).
At the 2026 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, smart-home features showed up as built-in design choices, not separate gadgets on the counter. (kbis.com, kbbonline.com) Kitchen and Bath Business said its editors picked 18 standout products from the February 2026 show floor, including the SKS Hidden Induction Island System, which puts an induction cooktop under the island surface and pairs it with a concealed downdraft vent. (kbbonline.com) The show itself describes Kitchen and Bath Industry Show as North America’s largest kitchen-and-bath trade event, with more than 600 exhibiting brands, and the next edition is already set for February 2-4, 2027, in Las Vegas. (kbis.com) The design trade had been moving in that direction before the show opened. The National Kitchen and Bath Association’s 2025 Kitchen Trends Report, based on 523 industry professionals, listed “be smart about smart technology,” multifunctional spaces, concealed function, and lighting as key themes for the next three years. (nkba.org) The awards list from the 2026 show pointed the same way. KitchenAid’s Smart Double Wall Oven with Live Look-in won Best in Show, and FreePower for Countertop 2 took the top “Game-Changing Innovation” award. (kbis.com) For homeowners, that showroom push lands in a market where kitchen budgets already swing hard. Houzz said the median spend for a major kitchen remodel reached $60,000 as of mid-2024, while the top 10% of spenders put in $180,000 or more on a high-end major remodel. (houzz.com) Another 2024 Houzz study put the median spend for all kitchen projects at $24,000 in 2023, while its 2024 kitchen-specific study said major remodels with all cabinets and appliances replaced hit a $55,000 median. (houzz.com, st.hzcdn.com) Trade and consumer cost guides keep pointing to the same reason: kitchens stack cabinetry, appliances, plumbing, electrical work, and finishes into one project, so every added feature can trigger labor and material costs in several categories at once. (gigwise.com, jlconline.com) That leaves the 2026 show with a clear split between inspiration and scope. The products drawing attention in Las Vegas showed how invisible tech is becoming in premium kitchens, while the remodeling numbers showed how quickly “nice to have” can become a five-figure decision. (kbbonline.com, houzz.com)
