CHICAGO - The Chicago Midwest chapter of the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) hosted "KBIS in Chicago" at The Mart on March 14. The full day consisted of panel discussions with designer insights from KBIS 2024, CEU sessions and showroom tours.

The event opened with lunch and a welcome keynote by Pam McNally, Senior Vice President, Marketing + Digital NKBA, on “The Changing Nature of Luxury." McNally emphasized that luxury is about experience and authenticity. It is hyper-localized and more conscious than conspicuous, she said. Luxury is about balance—not a badge of wealth but values.

Following that session, designers Toni Sabatino, Toni Sabatino Style; Julie Schuster, Julie Schuster Design Studio; and Nureed Saeed, Nu Interiors, shared a few of their top finds from KBIS 2024. Some items on their Trendspotter list included the use of art in projects, sustainable and textured surfaces, ribbed wall panels and doors, the prevalence of shades of green, refrigerated pantries and makeup cabinets, and colorful appliances and fixtures.

Next, attendees were encouraged to visit showroom sponsors to see their latest product launches from KBIS: Artistic Tile Suite, Middleby Residential Suite, and BauTeam.

Sarah Reep, CMKBD, R Consulting Solutions, LLC and Jan Rutgers, B.Sc. H.Ec, Vestabul Design, discussed the value of comparative selling, obtaining an up-front investment range from potential clients and getting the retainer in “No More Free Design - Secret of Getting a Designer Retainer.” The duo also suggested DesignAlign as a tool to educate clients on the complete costs of a renovation project.

In the evening keynote, “AI’s Impact on Interior Design,” Vanessa Dekoekkoek of Cyncly introduced attendees to several cutting-edge AI design tools and explained how to incorporate them into their design businesses.

Wood-Mode, dacor, Signature Kitchen Suite, BauTeam, Artistic Tile and Middleby Residential sponsored KBIS in Chicago 2024.

NKBA Chicago Midwest represents over 1,400 kitchen and bath professionals. Denise Butchko, MSI and Butchko & Co., serves as chapter president.

For more information, visit nkba.org.