Hello my design loving friends.

This will be a quick hitting issue. I’m just back from KBIS—our industry’s largest kitchen and bath show. By the time you read this, I’ll be en route to Santa Barbara with Veranda Design Society. We are hitting antique stores, a textile manufacturer, and Lotusland in inimitable Montecito —I’m especially excited to soak in all of the Spanish Colonial lineage from the likes of George Washington Smith and Lutah Maria Riggs. Architecture that endures.

More on that next issue.

For now: KBIS.

Design Dispatch | After the Noise

There is much energy and excitement surrounding market. It is easy- and understandable- to get caught up in the hype. But after days immersed in thousands of products and “next big things,” the noise gets loud.

The essentials get clearer.

1. Innovation Is Everywhere. Discernment Is Everything.

KBIS delivers an endless stream of upgrades—advanced storage systems, integrated cooktops, workstation sinks, layered lighting, warmer wood finishes, refined hardware.

Some of it meaningfully improves daily life. Some of it is simply new and yet to be proven.

The distinction matters.

• Smart storage continues to confirm its value when tailored to how a household actually functions. A pull-out paper towel insert I once strongly recommended—initially met with hesitation—became one of a client’s most-used features. Quiet utility often wins.
• Integrated induction built directly into the countertop is visually compelling and something being promoted by some companies. Seamless. Minimal. But my practical side is skeptical. Without containment for overflow, it introduces risk. Clean lines must still accommodate real life.
• Workstation sinks remain one of the most successful innovations of the past decade. They improve flow without demanding attention. And I’ve yet to have a client come back and tell me they wish they didn’t install one.

The wrong question is: “What’s new?”

The better question: “What still works in 15 years?”

2. The Best Kitchens and Baths Aren’t Loud

After walking hundreds of displays, the most compelling spaces weren’t the most dramatic. They were the most disciplined.

Restraint powerful. Maximalism can be done well, but it requires extraordinary control. Without it, the room dates quickly.

• Warmth has officially replaced the gray-on-gray era. That doesn’t mean gray disappears; it simply means it no longer leads. Natural wood tones, layered finishes, and nuanced materials are restoring dimension to kitchens and baths that had begun to feel flat.
• Material depth matters more than statement pieces. When stone, wood, metal, and plaster each contribute subtle texture, the space feels considered rather than decorated.
• And proportion still separates refined from regrettable. Over-scaled pendants had their moment. In most applications, we’ve seen how they can overwhelm rather than elevate.

True luxury is found in stability, not spectacle.

3. Process Is the Luxury

The most important takeaway from industry immersion isn’t product-driven (though it is integral)- and that is reiterated to me every time.

It is structural.

A kitchen or bath is not a collection of beautiful objects. It is a coordinated system of decisions—cabinet depth, storage logic, appliance integration, lighting hierarchy, fabrication details, trade sequencing.

Product is visible. Process is what produces cohesive spaces.

This is where overwhelm typically sets in for homeowners. Not because there aren’t options—but because there are too many decisions interacting at once.

Good process eliminates guesswork. Great process eliminates regret.

4. What I’m Watching

There are always shifts in the industry happening—but here, they feel grounded rather than theatrical.

• Warmer wood cabinetry is re-emerging with intention. Maple in particular is compelling: subtle grain, durability, and quiet warmth. If you’re considering cabinetry shifts, I interviewed one of our local cabinet makers regarding shifts they are seeing
• Concealed functionality continues to evolve. The best spaces follow the principle A. Gaudí and F.L. Wright understood instinctively—form and function are inseparable. Beauty that doesn’t perform is wasteful.
• Integrated lighting remains one of the most underutilized tools in residential design. When done correctly, it highlights the room without drawing attention to itself.
• Slab backsplashes are a beautiful statement—not just for their visual continuity, but also for their practicality.
• And something I’m most excited about: architectural detailing is returning, sometimes subtly translated through large-format tile or applied millwork. Structure is back and valued.

Finally….

Most Unusual Sighting

Residential urinals? Kohler had a display with both residential and commercial urinals.

They have engineered splash-minimizing bowl forms and are clearly investing in research. My position: keep them commercial.

Kohler traditionally leads in trends- I’ll be keeping a curious eye out next year to see if there are more brands doing this. My take: If upgrading on the plumbing side, invest in a high-quality toilet with an integrated bidet. That’s a meaningful improvement in daily use.

In the Mix | Details That Elevate Without Shouting

The details that last are rarely the loudest.

Aged brass hardware—unlacquered or softly brushed—develops character instead of shine. It matures with the home rather than fighting it.

Integrated LED channel lighting, when recessed cleanly into millwork or stone, defines edges without announcing itself. You feel the architecture more than the fixture.

Textured wood—whether lightly wire-brushed maple or subtle grain variation—adds warmth without ornament. It reads grounded.

Seating with sculptural lines but restrained upholstery brings form without visual clutter. Shape matters; excess does not.

And artisan tile in muted, tonal palettes introduces movement without chaos. Variation is powerful when it’s controlled.And when it comes to surfaces, choosing well matters more than choosing boldly. Here’s my framework for selecting tile that won’t date your space.

These are the kinds of choices that age well because they’re rooted in material integrity, not momentum.

Off the Clock | Phased, Done Well

Packing up my parents’ home of nearly 30 years last weekend put all of this into perspective.

Updates had to be made in the new home, some best done before they physically move in. Others can wait- both for cost and time constraints. Here is the rub that most people miss: “just floors and paint” rarely means just floors and paint.

It means evaluating baseboards— upgrading from MDF (please- no more) to real wood when needed. Adjusting door trim to match. Reassessing lighting, which is too often under-prioritized. Coordinating a tub install with delivery timelines. Sequencing work properly so trades aren’t stepping over one another.

Even modest updates require orchestration. I recently outlined what different renovation investment levels can realistically achieve in this piece on what a $150K kitchen renovation truly delivers.

Phasing isn’t compromise. It is discipline.

✓ Flooring, paint, lighting, and the new tub now.
✓ Kitchen renovation and primary bath cabinetry within the year—ordered cohesively.

Not everything must happen simultaneously.
But planning holistically always produces the best results.

Through all of this, there is profound meaning in being able to use my expertise to create a well-functioning home for the people who first created one for me.

Design, at its best, is stewardship.

🤍

Lisa

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