Kitchen & Bath Design News

DENVER — Homeowners are postponing major home-renovation projects and leaning toward upkeep over upgrades.

WASHINGTON, DC — California, Texas and Florida continue to account for the largest shares of U.S. remodeling activity, according to the results from the National Association of Home Builders’ latest quarterly analysis of remodeling activity based on dollar volume, market share and changes in homeowner spending. The analysis by the NAHB “showed cyclical weakness in remodeling spending,” said Robert Dietz, chief economist for the Washington, DC-based trade association.

PALO ALTO, CA — U.S. construction and design professionals have moved beyond “curiosity” in employing artificial intelligence for daily business tasks, amid meaningful productivity gains and rising expectations for AI’s impact, a new report concludes.

BETHLEHEM, PA — Designers place “high value” on sustainability in kitchen and bath projects, and they expect client demand to grow, according to the findings of a report issued by the National Kitchen & Bath Association. Based on an online survey of designers, project managers, showroom professionals and remodelers from across the U.S., the 2026 NKBA Sustainability Report provides insights into how the industry views the issue of sustainability.

In my column last month, I looked at how artificial intelligence is being used in the kitchen and bath industry on the business side. For this month, AI and the design perspective is the focus. There are two aspects to consider: How it’s being used in the design process and how it’s going into client homes.

The bathroom is stepping out of the background and taking on a more expressive role in the home. Dominated recently by predictable palettes and practical selections, these private spaces have now become places for homeowners to indulge in materials, finishes and details that might feel too decorative elsewhere. Dramatic marble, gleaming metals, patterned wallcoverings, distinctive tubs and sparkling light fixtures all add a bit of bedazzlement.

The kitchen’s period-inspired character comes primarily from the materials and detailing incorporated throughout the space. For instance, an octagonal tin coffered ceiling, made from new tin from American Tin Ceilings, establishes a strong architectural presence overhead and echoes the geometry of the home’s exterior. “Tin wouldn’t necessarily have been used as a ceiling in a home in the 1920s,” he relates.

Professionals from all corners of the kitchen and bath design industry and the design industry in general – designers, architects, educators, podcasters, mentors and more – comprise this year’s prestigious grouping of Kitchen & Bath Design News’ Innovators who are influencing not only today’s business landscape but that of the future as well.

There’s a fair amount of buzz these days when it comes to the topic of product imports, particularly in light of shifting U.S. trade policies, political discord and stepped-up enforcement efforts targeting companies that traffic in unfairly traded shipments of cabinets, vanities, quartz surfacing and other key products. All of which puts a spotlight on how to effectively sell American-made products – and, just as importantly, to whom.

Are you taking enough time to understand your clients well enough to solve problems they may not even know they have? Every bathroom remodel includes the obvious specifications – faucets, sinks, toilets and perhaps a bathtub or shower pan. But the conversations that often create lasting value are the ones that introduce clients to products they did not know to ask about: comfort, wellness, organization and everyday convenience upgrades that can turn a good remodel into a better daily experience.