RETAILOBSERVER.COM JANUARY 2022
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A S S O C I A T I O N N E W S
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he National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), a leader
in providing tools, research, certification and events for its
50,000 members and kitchen and bath professionals
around the world, has released its annual Design Trends report.
The 2022 study, a deep dive into all aspects of both kitchen and
primary bathroom design, forecasts the styles, features, materials
and innovations expected to be most popular over the next 2-3
years. The current study finds that the COVID-19 pandemic has
accelerated consumer interest in and adoption of key trends in
their homes, such as integration of smart technology, multi-
functional spaces, and natural and nature-based designs.
"We've seen the pandemic have an effect across all sectors in
our society, and we're now starting to see how the changes in
human behaviors are shifting the way we design our homes," said
Bill Darcy, Chief Executive Officer, National Kitchen & Bath
Association. "Consumers are more eager to embrace new
technologies and innovative ways to provide multi-functional
options to maximize their space to fit any occasion, and are opting
for surfaces and designs that make it easier to clean, as well as
addressing health and wellness."
Smart technology has long been a promised integration into the
home, and it will only continue to rise in popularity among
consumers. COVID-19 made people conscious of high-contact
surface points, so homeowners increasingly turned to hands-free
and voice-activated technologies to reduce the spread of disease.
Thus devices offering touchless technology have become the
COVID-19 AND MILLENNIAL
INFLUENCE DRIVE 2022 DESIGN
TRENDS TOWARD TECH INTEGRATION
AND MULTI-FUNCTIONAL SPACES
Report finds that cleanliness, sustainability and universal designs will be hot trends of 2022