KBIS, or the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, is the largest kitchen and bath show in North America, held at the end of February in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year, our entire Gravel Lane Design team made the trip to Las Vegas to tour the show, explore a wide range of exhibitors, and enjoy some quality time as a team.

Our trip started out with a late flight into Vegas on Monday night where we got checked in to our hotel, grabbed a quick bite, and headed off to bed. Tuesday morning, we all joined for breakfast and then made our way to the Las Vegas Convention Center to grab our badges and start exploring KBIS. There were three halls to explore filled with displays of cabinetry, countertops, tile, storage inserts, lighting, plumbing fixtures, appliances, and so on.

In the first hall…

We explored a few kitchen displays with several featuring slab-front doors and drawers with minimal hardware. Other displays boasted bold countertop colors and interesting storage concepts. We also found some vibrant exhibits that would make any maximalist swoon!

We also got to view the newest countertop colors from several vendors, and even ran into our Illinois countertop rep from Viatera! There were several full-slab countertop displays as well as walls of smaller samples from which we requested a few colors to have back at the showroom to share with clients.

As we were about to call it a day, we heard that Shea McGee from Studio McGee was speaking at the Kohler exhibit so we jumped in to catch an interview with her where she shared more about her design process and her success within the interior design industry.

By the time we caught a ride, we were ready to grab some dinner, so we had the driver drop us off at the Venetian to search for some Italian food. A few of us had never been to Las Vegas before, so we explored the hotel for a bit and then settled in for some delicious pasta. After dinner we walked back to our hotel and freshened up for the Cirque Du Soleil show that evening. Everyone enjoyed a spectacular show, and we ended the night with some late-night snacks at the Brew Dog rooftop.

Wednesday was KBIS day 2!

This day was full of kitchen and bath inspiration, starting off with some gorgeous plumbing fixture displays as well as a few shower and vanity designs. We stopped by Kohler again and just missed the cutoff to get a photo with Shea McGee, so we took a quick selfie instead.

We explored a beautiful kitchen display with lots of warm wood tones and a unique hood range design. Off the kitchen display was a stunning scullery that featured sage tones with a quartz backsplash. We stumbled upon a few more bathroom displays that highlighted some unique tile designs.

From there we excitedly explored several cabinetry displays that included interesting design concepts, fun color options, and custom storage inserts. We grabbed a late lunch from the food court and recharged before heading to the third and final hall. The last stop wasn’t as notable as the others, so we moved through it quickly.

We had a delicious seafood dinner together as a team, then walked to the Bellagio to catch a view of the fountains. We spent the rest of the evening exploring the Cosmopolitan and ended the night at a speakeasy enjoying some live music.

Free Day!

Thursday was our free day and the ladies decided to make it a spa day. After two full days of being on our feet at KBIS, we were ready for some relaxation! For dinner, we decided to go back to the Venetian and had a Cake Boss moment with Italian food from Buddy V’s Ristorante and obviously stopped at Carlo’s Bake Shop next door for dessert. We roamed around for a bit to see more of the hotel and do some shopping. Afterwards, we enjoyed some live music on Freemont Street for a little while before ending our final night in Vegas.

Friday morning we packed up and grabbed lunch as a team at the Mirage before piling in to the airport to catch an afternoon flight back to Illinois.

Overall…

Overall, it was an incredible trip that we were thankful to take as a whole team! KBIS provided us with fresh inspiration, new contacts, the latest in kitchen and bath products, and great memories enjoyed together. We shared our favorite parts of the show and what we were excited to bring back to our current projects. For any fellow designers considering going to KBIS, we recommend making the trip!

If you’re interested in learning more about our team, visit the Meet Our Team page to read about the people that make up Gravel Lane Design. We strive to provide our clients with a family-like experience so that they feel comfortable and confident throughout the process of a home remodel or new construction project. If you’re ready to move forward with your next home project, contact our design team today!