KBIS 2017 trends include closets, gold and tech innovations
velart closets

You may have already heard that cabinets made a really big showing during Design and Construction Week 2017 (aka KBIS and IBS). And even if you haven’t, that translates to closets being included in many of those cabinet displays.

There were also aisles of gold, blues and greys as well as tech insights and new devices around every corner.  Some of the most fascinating tech ideas were in the Vriginia Tech FutureHaus, which you can read about here: http://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/closets/intuitive-house-flexible-walls-and-storage-kbis-2017

The closet appearances (of course) were the most interesting.

For starters, the expansion of cabinets of all sorts is a great sign. Now just add a closet line to many of those cabinet exhibits and suddenly there’s a trend.

The takeaway is that closets continue to be on the leading edge of higher end design. All kinds of companies, lots of them European, have incorporated a closet line into their offerings. And many are “repping”, and not manufacturing, the products.

The most dominant elements are 24-inch deep panels and modern looks that resemble Poliform or have backing and brackets that support the sections.

So if you’re speaking with a client and they want their closet to look “just like this one” be sure you’re designing a comparable system (versus a 14-inch deep, 84-inch high system).


One of the companies I noticed this year is Hans Krug, a fine European cabinetry line with US locations in New York, Seattle and Charlotte, North Carolina.

Hanak is actually the manufacturer and Hans Krug reps their product in the US.

I also saw another really interesting company named Velart out of Florida. They have these incredible closet systems that look like leather and according to the rep I spoke with, pricing seems reasonable. They highlighted their ability to do designs (not appealing to me, I’m a designer, but I digress).

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These closets aren’t for everyone, but for clients who want high end, unique, contemporary design, these are the bees knees!

Following cabinets comes hardware trends

It started showing up three years ago in the United States and is now going full force. And that’s shades of gold (though we’re still seeing shades of grey in cabinets)  My first reaction in 2015 was similar to the thought of resurrecting avocado appliances (yuck). But as it has evolved, it has grown on me. The golds and brass aren’t the same as they were in the 90’s. They’re warmer or they’re coated with a layer of antiquing or they’re rose gold. And rose gold against greys and blues looks fantastic. Northern Contours showed an example here:

And Wisdom Stone knobs and pulls showed the most unique and  best priced bling I’ve seen. Widsom Stone refers to their hardware as “dazzling adornments for your home” and I think they’re right.


http://wisdom-stone.com/

If you’re interested in more about closets, specifically design, you can get my five favorite tips here: https://butchkoandcompany.leadpages.co/5-closet-design-tips/.

Have something to say? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

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About the author
Denise Butchko

Denise Butchko is a design and marketing expert who teaches these concepts with the intention of helping people grow their businesses (particularly those in the design/build industries). She’s been a contributor to Closets magazine since 2003 and is a judge for the closet industries “Top Shelf” Design Competition. She's also a member of the first graduating class of Registered Storage Designers. Her design work has been featured in national publications like “Better Homes & Gardens” and The Chicago Tribune and she works with some of the top interior design firms in the country. She’s helped cabinet companies launch closet product lines and trained sales professionals in both design and marketing, including ways to leverage social media and design to increase opportunities and brand themselves as the “go to expert”. If you want to have fun while you learn and bring your “A” game to your business, Denise is the one to partner with to make that happen. You can find her at denisebutchko.com or at the above links.