kbb Birmingham preview

kbb Birmingham will feature some of the UK’s and Europe’s top materials and components brands, including furnipart, Armac Martin, Hettich, ArtiCad, BA, Crofts & Assinder, Finsa, Formica, Häfele, König, Mirka, Pfeliderer, Rehau, Sugatsune and Titus.

Visitors should expect to see exhibitors offering a first glimpse of their latest launches – to find out more, refer to the latest exhibitor list on the event’s website. kbb Birmingham sales director Jon Johnston comments: “We are looking forward to reuniting the KBB industry for four days of unrivalled networking and specifying. “For many of our exhibitors this will be the first opportunity they’ve

kbb this year will be the first time many will be able to catch a first-hand glimpse of new products

had to showcase their latest products and services, following an unprecedented two years – and kbb offers an unbeatable opportunity for our community to meet in person with valued partners, colleagues and visitors – we can’t wait to welcome everyone back.”

Informa Markets, the organiser of kbb Birmingham, has introduced Informa AllSecure, a series of best-practice guidelines and industry standards for all event teams to adopt, post Covid-19. As a result, there are two key differences that exhibitors and visitors will notice when attending kbb Birmingham: • The aisles have been widened to 4m across the show floor to allow for easier density management and physical distancing (should this be recommended by local government at the time of the show) • Physical visitor and exhibitor badges will be replaced by digital badges that can be accessed on any smartphone. All visitors will be encouraged to register online rather than registering when they arrive at the event. www.kbb.co.uk

Laura, who has appeared as an architect on BBC2’s Your Home Made Perfect, as well as Channel 4’s Amazing Spaces, Ugly House to Lovely House, and Shed of the Year, has teamed up with the furniture and fittings manufacturer and distributor to provide insights for its Kitchens for Living campaign.

As part of the campaign, Häfele UK will explore consumer approaches to kitchen design and functional spaces, and how the design, layout and usability of a kitchen can affect quality of life. The findings will be analysed to inform kitchen designers, manufacturers and installers of how they can better meet their customers’ needs now, and into the future. Experts from Häfele’s team will present the results alongside Laura on its stand at kbb, where they will also discuss functional living spaces, the importance of considered lighting schemes and the vital elements of a home office.

Natalie Davenport, head of marketing at Häfele UK, says: “The way the home works and fits around our evolving lifestyles has been under more scrutiny than ever before in the last 18 months. We set out to discover just how integral efficient design and functional space are to the way people use and move around their kitchen, and how this makes them feel.

“The campaign aligns with Laura’s passion to create innovative internal designs, built around the homeowner’s needs, and which make best use of every square metre, and so this collaboration is a very natural fit for both parties. Laura not only understands how to design functional, beautiful spaces, but she also has handson experience of creating and renovating them too, making her the perfect fit to provide insights to our customers around the research.

“The findings look set to inform and inspire the industry on the needs of homeowners when it comes to their kitchens, so they can be sure they’re always achieving a positive outcome for a customer based on their individual space.”

Laura says: “I’m really excited to be working with Häfele UK. When I started my training to become an architect, I used to pore over the huge hardback Häfele catalogue, and regularly discuss with the technical team, who provided invaluable advice on innovative solutions to help bring my design ideas and detailing to life. This is a great opportunity to work with both homeowners and Häfele to identify and understand where current home and kitchen design is not working, and how it can be improved so that it meets their needs now and well into the future. The findings will prove invaluable for businesses and individuals in the industry, from architects and designers through to manufacturers and retailers, and I can’t wait to reveal more at kbb in March.” www.hafele.co.uk

The new design also incorporates the precision-engineered Titus hydraulic dampers to ensure a reliable and consistent soft-closing action, combined with low pull-out force.

Tekform slimline drawers are available in three heights – 70, 145 and 182mm – and can be supplied in a range of visually appealing finishes that ideally complement contemporary furniture designs. A further key benefit is that they use the same drilling pattern for runners as their predecessors, which facilitates mounting in existing products and designs.

Drawers are fast and easy to assemble, thanks to the EasyFix locking system used for the front-panel connector, which requires only hand insertion and a quarter of a turn with a screwdriver to lock the panel securely in place.

Reliable, life-long ConfidentClose soft closing is assured by the use of the renowned Titus single-direction, precision-engineered hydraulic dampers, which smoothly slow down the linear movement of the drawer as it reaches the closed position, but offer minimal resistance to movement when the drawer is being opened.

Installation of the drawers within the cabinet is fast and straightforward. Extended tolerances in cabinet construction can be accommodated without compromising accurate alignment, smooth and silent operation and excellent stability in the open position. In addition, variations of up to ± 1mm in bottom panel width size are acceptable. Uk.titusplus.com

For the first time, REHAU will display its latest RAUVISIO noir monotonic matte surface in a full kitchen display, at booth R114 from 6-9th March at the NEC in Birmingham. With Real Homes having already coined matt black kitchen units as the number-one 2022 kitchen trend, this is something around which REHAU is already receiving much interest.

The range is sold on the fact that it is fully integrated, so it runs seamlessly from kitchen front to worktop, to edgeband, to tambour door – synonymous with the popular invisible kitchen trend. It is this holistic approach that promises to set REHAU apart at kbb this year, as the oneand-only edgeband originator that can provide all solutions in one holistic approach, via distributor Waivis.

Having won seven prestigious design awards in 2021, REHAU is a well-established provider of furniture solutions that suit residential and commercial interiors. Awards include Red Dot, Iconic, interzum and German Design, with noble matt scooping three of the seven accolades.

With blue set to be the colour of the year, symbolising change, according to Pantone, REHAU will also be unveiling two brand-new colours within its RAUVISIO crystal glass laminate surface range. These include Laguna, a modern light blue based on Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, and Atlantico, a modern dark blue, based on the Atlantic Ocean.

Another KBB-first for REHAU will be the display of its RAUVISIO fino metallic surface in bronze. This is a unique finish that further demonstrates the capability and versatility of the REHAU range.

REHAU’s latest innovations in edgebanding will also be available to see, including the long-awaited sustainable edgeband lines. The two new product lines, RAUKANTEX eco and RAUKANTEX evo, impressively demonstrate how sustainability can be applied to furniture edgebands.

Notably, RAUKANTEX eco is composed of 50% post-industrial recycled material, equal to conventional PP edgebands in terms of design, quality and processing. RAUKANTEX evo is based on renewable raw materials, the use of which creates no additional demand for crude oil.

“Our research has proven how much customers value being able to physically see and feel our products,” says Scott Williams, national sales manager. “This helps them explore the quality of our range and appreciate why we’ve won awards.

“REHAU has also seen various product updates since the 2020 kbb show, which makes this exhibition the ideal place for sector professionals to discover first-hand what can be achieved by partnering with us. We’re very proud of everything we’ve achieved at REHAU.”

From large industrial businesses to independent joiners, REHAU is experienced in providing furniture to customers on a global scale. Having acquired its subsidiary distribution partner, Waivis, 15 years ago, REHAU is well positioned to service smaller businesses around the country, too.

Scott adds: “When it comes to attending the kbb show this year, we are most looking forward to being able to engage with our loyal customers, as well as having the opportunity to introduce the brand to any newcomers.” For more information, visit www.rehauregistration.co.uk/kbb-2022/