The annual Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) and International Builders’ Show (IBS) wrapped up last week in Las Vegas, bringing a bevy of high-tech, high-design products before designers’ eyes. Even if you attended all three days, it’s possible that you missed a good number of these new contenders. After all, there were more than 2,000 exhibitors spread across four buildings and an outdoor area. Read on to see what standouts we’re spotlighting for your next residential new build or renovation.

Voice-Activated Kitchen Faucets

It seems only a year or two ago, the idea of a "smart kitchen" meant mobile app–controlled ovens; Wi-Fi-connected, touch-screen refrigerators; and sensor-integrated sink faucets. While all these are still convenient, they’re not considered so cutting-edge today. Some of the kitchen faucets introduced at KBIS, however, could be game-changers.

U by Moen

Kohler Crue Collection

Taking it Outside

Designing spaces for outdoor entertainment gets easier each year as manufacturers push their R&D teams to develop products that perform just as well outside as they do inside. Two great examples of this technological progress came from the surfacing material market.

Caesarstone Outdoor

Dekton Chromica

New Window and Door Offerings

For some homeowners, it’s all about the view and visually connecting to the outdoors. Fortunately, window and door manufacturers are always pushing the envelope—in some ways quite literally—to sate such clients.

Kolbe VistaLuxe AL

Marvin Skycove

Brooklyn-based design journalist Sheila Kim reports on architecture, interiors, and decor, as well as design-centric products that run the gamut from table lamps and home accessories to commercial flooring and acoustic ceilings. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, Architectural Record, and numerous other publications.