NEWPORT NEWS, VA — Ferguson, LLC, the Newport News, VA-based distributor of plumbing supplies and related products, has partnered with a leading organization in an effort to “rebuild” the skilled trade pipeline, the company announced.

Ferguson and Explore The Trades, a nonprofit organization whose aim is to recruit individuals to the plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical trades, has unveiled a partnership to “introduce the skilled trades to a new generation,” Ferguson officials said.

“Our country urgently needs the next generation of plumbers and HVAC technicians to build and maintain our aging infrastructure,” corporate officials observed. “However, lack of investments in education, training and the skilled trades over the last 30 years created a labor shortage, driven by an exit of baby boomer retirees.

Ferguson and Explore the Trades have partnered to create “Explore The Trades Skills Lab Built by Ferguson” – a program that “will provide support to career and technical education high schools across the U.S., as they establish new plumbing and HVAC career pathways,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson committed $300,000 to the partnership and will assist primarily with products and tools for teaching and training, while Explore The Trades will tap into its network of contractors to serve as advisors for aspiring plumbers and HVAC technicians, program organizers said.

“Teaming up with Explore The Trades and its extensive network of experienced contractors is the success factor in this program,” said Melissa Hazelwood, Ferguson’s senior manager of sustainability. “We are excited about educating young people and encouraging them to embrace the artistry and ingenuity that comes from engaging their minds with their hands to build, craft and construct the future.”

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CHARLOTTE — SEN Design Group, the Charlotte, NC-based buying group and business education resource, has begun accepting registrations for its industry-specific Business School, to be held in-person Nov. 8-11 at theMART in Chicago.

The four-day event, sponsored by Custom Wood Products and Bridgewood Cabinetry, is aimed at empowering owners and executives in the kitchen and bath industry with business management tools aimed at growing their businesses, according to SEN.

“The Business School is the kitchen and bath firm owner’s opportunity to move the needle in their organizations. It’s a truly transformational, poignant program that brings industry owners and partners to the next level,” said Dan Luck, SEN Design Group’s senior v.p.

“The program covers critical topics to maximize returns, master financials, leverage marketing strategies, improve personnel relations and implement proven methods to quickly and profitably grow kitchen and bath businesses,” Luck said.

According to SEN Business School, attendees “will develop strong strategic planning skills and learn how to manage business financials, build a successful commission system, learn how to forecast sales, create an effective pricing formula, increase profits, build a powerful sales team, win bank financing requests, develop a three-year budget and more.

Additional information can be obtained by visiting www.SENDesignGroup.com.

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CHICAGO – LX Hausys America Inc. unveiled new brand identities for its  HIMACS Solid Surface and Viatera Quartz Surface brands, and a new brand identity for its resilient floorcovering line of products, HFLOR, at NeoCon last week. The new brand identities reflect the company’s name change this summer from LG Hausys America to LX Hausys America.

The new name is a result of the company’s position within the recently established LX Holdings Corp. The holding company is a globally diversified organization recently spun off from LG Group, the South Korean multinational conglomerate best known for its advanced consumer electronics.

Concurrent with the name change, the company introduced a new logo. It pays homage to the company’s roots, looks to the future and embodies the organization’s management philosophy: “Link to a sustainable future.” Of significance, the “X” within the LX Hausys logo is intersected with an ascending diagonal line, which is a visual representation of the company accelerating into the future, notes the firm.

An ascending diagonal line is now found within each brand logo. This subtle design treatment creates a unified look between the company and its three brands, the company continues. It also ensures the company’s mission for creating a more sustainable future is consistently visually represented across its portfolio of brands.

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An innovator not only because of his designs but in what it means to be a professional designer and how that translates into a design experience for clients, Nicholas Vanderhovel is one of the youngest designers in the country to have achieved his Certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designer from the NKBA. Vanderhovel, CMKBD, CAPS, CLIPP, the owner and designer of Kitchen NV, in Pinckney, MI, achieved the certification at age 32 and is said to be one of only a handful of people in Michigan with the title.

The designer is a purist when it comes to function and aesthetics and curating a space. He has worked on every side of design – from installation to drawing to material selection – in order to anticipate client needs and educate them.

Vanderhovel believes that luxury doesn’t have to be unobtainable. Rather, luxury has to do with how a person is treated and whether that person’s needs are met. He always wants a client to leave with that feeling, and that is what has led him on his quest for knowledge, reaching out to other leaders in the industry to learn more, and working with manufacturers to improve processes and products. He is dedicated to mentoring others, as well.

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Taking pride in custom designing each kitchen so that each has its own identity, Ginger Rabe, founder of Ginger Rabe Designs, LLC, in Carlsbad, CA, focuses on current trends as well as what is timeless.

With a Master’s Degree in architectural building within sustainable design from Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Rabe is now a professor of the Master’s program at the Design Institute of San Diego. This position allows her to share her knowledge of the kitchen and bath industry and sustainable design.

Rabe is on the board of the NKBA of Southern California chapter, and is also on the speakers bureau for the San Diego Green Building Council and the advisory council for Palomar College Interior Design Department. In addition, she gives master classes on kitchen design, and is a TedX speaker on healthy spaces.

In 2020, she received the Power Business Woman Award, and in 2021 received an award for the San Diego Favorite in Kitchen Design and Construction.

Proficient in design-build, Rabe reports that she will be getting her general contractor’s license this year, as her firm also builds custom homes. Her furniture line includes five unique pieces – each named after someone in her family – that pair perfectly with her cabinet designs.

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As homeowners spend more time at home, working and living in their kitchens with their families, the desire for streamlined functionality and a cleaner appearance has only continued to grow. Sought-after details for organizing pantry items, charging electronics and putting everything in its place are just some of the requested details for kitchen accessories and cabinet interiors.
Ease of use is a must for these elements, but aesthetics and beautiful finishes are also part of the mix. Manufacturers have proven to be up to the task, however, as cabinet pullouts don’t just offer function, but do it in style; and accessories deliver the best in function while blending in and even enhancing their surroundings.
Following are some of the hottest trends in interior fittings and kitchen accessories right now.
–Storage accessories are increasingly becoming customized for how homeowners use their space, with removable caddies, utensil storage, adjustable drawer inserts and movable pegs being used.
— Power sources for charging electronics are being hidden away, with customized spaces being created in drawers and nooks for convenient powering up.
–Pullouts now include very specific functional accessories, such as knife blocks and bins that keep items close at hand.
–Reaching into dark cabinets, corner spaces and high storage is becoming a thing of the past, as interior storage units now easily bring the items to the user.
–Using every inch of space is a must in today’s organized kitchens, and spices, sheet pans and cooking utensils find their own spaces in carved-out storage.
–Shelving continues to grow and evolved in the kitchen, with styles ranging from live edge wood to industrial metal.

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CHICAGO, IL — The use of cutting-edge technology for project design, client relations, management and marketing has become far more prevalent throughout the kitchen/bath design community since the onset of COVID-19 and its impact on showroom protocols, client access and other business operations.

Tied to this overarching trend, kitchen and bath design professionals are apparently utilizing – and spending more on – an ever-broadening array of technological tools, as companies attempt to upgrade websites, conduct online meetings, enhance digital presentations, offer virtual showroom tours, provide internet purchasing options and implement virtual and/or augmented reality. At the same time, dealers and designers report they’re facing a handful of challenges in implementing the seemingly unending flood of high-tech tools becoming available.

Those are among the key findings of a nationwide survey conducted on behalf of Kitchen & Bath Design News by its exclusive research partner, the Research Institute for Cooking and Kitchen Intelligence (RICKI). The online survey involved a representative sampling of kitchen/bath dealers and designers, including those at firms that maintain a showroom as well as those who operate independently.

According to the survey’s findings, eight in ten dealers and designers polled currently use both a smart phone and a company website as the primary technology tools for their businesses. Design software, laptops, social media and Cloud-based storage are utilized by more than half the survey respondents. Other commonly used technology tools include business/design apps, online advertising, business management/ordering software and contact/email management software.

The KBDN survey also revealed that recipients’ top three technology-related activities revolve around conducting online meetings with clients and/or subcontractors, enhancing online communication to present designs or proposals, and using virtual and/or augmented reality to demonstrate design possibilities to clients. Moreover, a vast majority (between 59%-73%) of those surveyed say they are doing more of those things compared to pre-COVID – particularly when it comes to handling project drawings or designs – while a significant number say they anticipate adding those, along with other, technological capabilities in the future.

On average, surveyed designers and dealers report that they currently spend about 8% of their annual expense budget on various forms of technology, with 38% reporting that they are now spending more than they were prior to the global pandemic, and 56% saying they’re spending about the same. In contrast, only about 6% say they’re spending either “somewhat” or “much” less than prior to COVID-19.

When it comes to utilizing technology tools to market their business, surveyed designers and dealers said they primarily utilize their company’s website (82%), along with social media posts (53%). More than half of the surveyed design pros say they are now using LinkedIn ads, text/mobile ads and blogs/forums more than they were a year ago, though all of those tools are used relatively infrequently.

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Today’s kitchens are delivering more multi-tasking than ever, as islands and niches now act as places to do homework, bill-paying and game playing in addition to eating breakfast and entertaining. Function remains vital to the way a kitchen is designed, and as lifestyles change, so do the elements of the overall space.

In addition to multifunctionality, trends impacting kitchen design include advancing technology and wellness. Aesthetically, color is upping its presence in appliances, tile and countertops, so cabinets need to provide the right complement – whether that means a striking, bold selection or calm, neutral backdrop.

Key trends impacting the kitchen cabinet segment include:

–The selection of flexible and specialized storage features continues to expand as homeowners try to make use of every inch of space in the kitchen.

–Wood tones are making a comeback, with finishes ranging from pale, natural wood looks to rich, dark grayed browns.

–Texture continues to trend, with weathered woods and soft-touch options among the most popular.

–The interest in color is skyrocketing, with painted and powder-coated finishes now available in an almost endless selection.

–Among the most popular colors trending for cabinets are blues and greens with a hint of gray, as well as black and, of course, white.

–Creative storage for cabinets includes pullouts, peg systems, pull-downs and blind-corner options, while drawers feature dividers and elegant organization for utensils and other items.

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A special, abridged version of Salone del Mobile.Milano took place last week, amid much fanfare at its return and trepidation amid COVID-19 concerns. The safety of visitors was paramount, with all exhibitors and attendees adhering to protocols at all times, and an abbreviated show floor that often resembled an art gallery, with products hung on walls and shown in unique displays to keep visitors moving and at a safe distance.

“supersalone” did not disappoint, with more than 60,000 people attending the six-day show, which opened with an impromptu visit and remarks from Italian President Sergio Mattarella welcoming guests and 425 exhibitors, who showcased everything from opulent tables and chairs to modern cabinetry and lighting.

Up-and-coming trends were seen throughout the space. Kitchen cabinets sheathed in metal and metallic looks and a wide range of wood tones, and included complementary metal and glass shelving units. Disappearing kitchens were also displayed, with sliding countertops that tuck everything neatly away when not in use.

Faucets reflected a range of geometric shapes, and delivered on the desire for customization with changeable handles and a multitude of finishes that went far beyond the metals of the past. And LED lighting is revolutionizing the shape and size of pendants, sconces and chandeliers, delivering intricate shapes and modern vibes. LED lighting are also prominent in kitchen and closet shelving and interiors, and even in faucet spouts and showerheads.

Following are a few of the products that made a statement during the event.

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