Blogs

Join Hideaway at Kitchen and Bath Show

By Selina Zwolsman posted 8 days ago
A message from our Corporate Partner, Hideaway. Exclusive Breakfast with Hideaway Bins Join Hideaway Bins for an exclusive breakfast event during the Kitchen & Bath Show. Enjoy a relaxed start to the day while exploring an extensive range of Hideaway Bins on display, gaining valuable specifier insights from our team, and being among the first to discover two exciting new product launches, designed specifically for bathroom, laundry, and wardrobe spaces. Friday 12 June, 2026 - ICC Sydney Hideaway Bins Stand #1324 Event Schedule 8:15 am – Arrival and registration collection at the kiosk 8:30 am sharp – Breakfast event commences 9:30 am ...

Expanding the Design Palette with Zip HydroTap

By Selina Zwolsman posted 8 days ago
A message from our Corporate Partner, Zip Water. Expanding the Design Palette: Zip HydroTap range now with New Brushed Finishes for Contemporary Specification As kitchens continue to evolve into highly resolved, design led spaces, finish selection has become as influential as form and functionality. Recognising this shift, Zip is expanding its HydroTap residential portfolio with new brushed finishes from May 2026, giving designers greater freedom to specify appliances that sit confidently within contemporary interiors. Warm metallic finishes continue to gain momentum in premium residential kitchens, offering depth, character and a softer alternative ...

Modar® Handles | A Refined Approach to Modern Hardware

By Selina Zwolsman posted 8 days ago
A message from our Corporate Plus Partner, Lincoln Sentry. The latest evolution of Modar ® handles from Lincoln Sentry delivers a thoughtful balance of design, functionality and versatility tailored for today’s cabinet makers and interior designers. With an expanded selection of styles and finishes, the refreshed collection responds to shifting trends across residential, commercial and custom joinery projects. Launched on 1 April, the update introduces 17 new designs across the redefined Contemporary and Traditional collections, alongside the debut of Modar ® Timber; a design-led addition that brings natural materiality to the forefront. A Natural Shift: ...

Extraordinary Surfaces for Kitchen Specification

By Selina Zwolsman posted 9 days ago
A message from our Corporate PLUS Partner, Austaron Surfaces. Staron® Solid Surfaces offer designers an exceptional balance of aesthetics, performance and creative freedom. The benefits of incorporating solid surfaces into a home kitchen are extensive. Designers who understand the fundamentals of Staron quickly recognise how easily it supports thoughtful, functional and visually refined design solutions. In kitchen applications, Staron becomes a true one-stop design material. Its seamless construction allows two pieces to join as one, creating a continuous, uninterrupted surface. When translated into kitchen design, this means joinery and benchtop creations ...

Beyond the Budget Blues | Designing Confidence in a Cautious Market

By Selina Zwolsman posted 10 days ago
Economic headlines have a way of creeping into the design studio, the workshop and the sales meetings. Over the past few weeks, Australia’s Federal Budget announcements have sparked plenty of commentary around cost-of-living pressures, consumer confidence and the broader outlook for small business. For those working in the design and construction sector, it can be difficult not to absorb some of that uncertainty. But while economic conditions matter, mindset matters too. One of the greatest risks during periods of negative media coverage is not necessarily the market itself — it’s how business owners begin to emotionally respond to it. When headlines ...

WK Stone Unveils New Italian Terrazzo Collection

By Selina Zwolsman posted 22 days ago
A message from our Corporate PLUS Partner, WK Stone. WK Stone has introduced its latest Italian Terrazzo Collection, bringing a fresh perspective to one of design’s most enduring materials. Crafted in Italy and thoughtfully curated for contemporary Australian interiors, the collection features ten versatile colourways, ranging from warm, earthy neutrals to more expressive tones such as mint and blush pink. Available in both 20mm and 30mm slabs, the range has been designed with flexibility in mind, making it suitable for a wide variety of applications, including kitchen benchtops, bathroom vanities, flooring, and feature walls. Each slab showcases the ...

From Trends to Trade Skills: Inside the Kitchen + Bath Show Seminar Series

By Selina Zwolsman posted 22 days ago
As part of the Kitchen + Bath Show seminar series, KBDi and ACFA are proud to present three days of insightful, industry-focused sessions to support designers, manufacturers and joinery professionals at every stage of the project journey. From global trend forecasting and practical profitability strategies to buildable joinery, apprenticeships and photography for design professionals, this year’s program brings together respected voices across the industry to explore the ideas, challenges and opportunities shaping kitchens and bathrooms in Australia. DAY 1 | Thursday, 11 June Global Trends, Local Reality | Eurocucina Insights for Kitchens & Bathrooms ...

Getting the Wash on Warranties

By Selina Zwolsman posted 22 days ago
Who Holds the Warranty Responsibility? Understanding supplier obligations, product mark-ups and designer risk This question has come through the KBDi Technical Support Service a number of times recently: If I purchase products through a wholesale or trade-only supplier, invoice the client directly, and add a margin or commission, who is legally responsible for the warranty? It’s an important question — particularly as many designers offer procurement, sourcing and specification services as part of their broader design packages. While every business model is different and KBDi cannot provide legal advice, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ...

Miele and Hettich explore the future of multifunctional living in compact spaces

By Selina Zwolsman posted 22 days ago
A message from our Corporate Plus Partner, Hettich Australia. How can a fully functional living and working environment be realised within a limited footprint, without compromising on quality or comfort? At Milan Design Week 2026, Miele and Hettich presented “Miele Compact Living: Kitchen Unit powered by Hettich” — a forward-thinking study that brings together working, cooking and dining within a single, transformable piece of furniture. Developed in response to increasing urban density and changing living patterns, the concept challenges traditional, static approaches to space planning. Rather than designing for simultaneous use, it considers how spaces ...

Keep kitchens cool without blowing power bills

By Selina Zwolsman posted 22 days ago
A message from our Corporate Plus Partner, Schweigen. Smart tips for a more comfortable and energy-efficient kitchen [Header image: Project by Hallam Kitchens & Mitchwell Group featuring the Schweigen UM1170-9S Silent Undermount Rangehood. Photography by PBloc Media. Source publication: Kitchen & Bathrooms Magazine.] When the Australian summer hits its stride, the kitchen quickly becomes one of the most heat-intensive areas of the home. Simmering, roasting or high-heat cooking can drive up temperature and humidity fast - and relying on air conditioning or fans to offset it often leads to rising energy costs. The smarter solution is better control. ...

Introducing myBlum: Everything You Need, All in One Place

By Selina Zwolsman posted 22 days ago
A message from our Corporate Plus Partner, Blum. myBlum is Blum’s new central digital platform designed to streamline your daily work and bring everything you need into one place. It connects services, product information and practical tools in a single, personalised experience, helping you work faster, plan more efficiently and stay up to date across every stage of your workflow. By bringing together existing and new services alongside in-depth product data, myBlum lets you configure Blum products on a project basis and transfer your selections directly to your preferred distributor channel. myBlum is also a hub for information and exchange, supporting ...

Beyond the Surface: Curating Warmth in the Contemporary Suite

By Selina Zwolsman posted 29 days ago
As the seasons shift, the "Thermal Textures" movement is redefining the home’s most functional zones—the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry—transforming them into grounded, multisensory retreats. Designers are increasingly moving away from clinical coldness, instead utilising visual warmth through high-performance metals and saturated finishes. Whether it is the luminous depth of Miele’s Pearl Beige kitchen appliances paired with Brodware Swiss Brass, or the organic, earth-toned silhouettes of Parisi bathroom basins, the focus is on light-catching potential rather than mere ambient temperature. This aesthetic continuity also extends into the laundry, where the ...

From Concept to Completion — Conference Registrations Now Open

By Selina Zwolsman posted 15-04-2026
Registrations are now open for the 2026 ACFA x KBDi Conference. If there’s one session that perfectly captures the spirit of this year’s program, it’s our keynote with Dana Tomić Hughes. A respected and highly sought-after voice in the global design community, Dana will open the conference with a thought-provoking session, Everything Looks the Same — Until You Know What to Look For . In an era when inspiration is limitless yet increasingly indistinguishable, she challenges designers to look beyond the algorithm and rediscover clarity, intent and originality in their work. Drawing on her Sightline research and more than fifteen years at the helm of Yellowtrace, ...

Designing for Performance: Key Rangehood Considerations from Qasair

By Selina Zwolsman posted 14-04-2026
A message from our Corporate PLUS Partner, Qasair. Designing for Performance: Key Rangehood Considerations from Qasair Motor Requirements Qasair recommends two or three motors for the following applications: Wok burners with a megajoule rating of 15 or higher Electric grillers Teppanyaki plates Cooktops 700 mm or wider Frequent or high-intensity frying Positioning for Indoor Barbecues Indoor barbecues should be positioned directly beneath the centre of the rangehood, where the fans are mounted. Placement near the outer edges may result in smoke and odour leakage. Coverage and Bench Depth With kitchens increasingly designed to include ...

Precision Planning: Your Guide to High-End Refrigeration Integration

By Selina Zwolsman posted 14-04-2026
A message from our Platinum Partner, e&s. Precision Planning: Your Guide to High-End Refrigeration Integration Achieving a flawless, high-end kitchen aesthetic requires more than just a vision; it demands technical precision, where joinery meets world-class engineering. When integrating appliances, the margin for error is razor-thin—a single oversight in hinge clearance or plumbing placement can result in costly, frustrating revisions. That is why e&s developed an essential refrigeration planning checklist for cabinetmakers and joiners. From mastering the “zero-gap” fit to ensuring airflow, it brings the needed infrastructure to protect your craftsmanship ...

The Cohesive Home: Creating Unified and Personalised Spaces Through Coordinated Finishes

By Selina Zwolsman posted 14-04-2026
A message from our Corporate PLUS Partner, Nero. In contemporary residential design, continuity between spaces has become increasingly important. Open-plan layouts and stronger indoor–outdoor connections mean that kitchens, bathrooms, laundries and outdoor areas are no longer experienced in isolation, but as part of a unified living environment. Within this context, the coordination of finishes plays a key role in establishing visual harmony and spatial clarity. By repeating consistent tones and materials across different zones, designers can enhance flow while creating a refined and layered living experience. However, achieving true consistency in finishes ...

Find Your Category | A Guide to Entering the KBDi Design Awards

By Selina Zwolsman posted 01-04-2026
Every year, we hear it. ‘I’m not sure where my project fits.’ ‘Is it good enough?’ ‘Do I have the right category?’ If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines because you can’t answer the questions above, this is your cue to get cracking. The KBDi Design Awards aim to celebrate excellence across a variety of spaces — from small kitchens and practical laundries to outdoor entertaining areas, master suites, and highly resolved design fitouts. While each category has its own criteria, the common theme is straightforward: thoughtful design deserves recognition. If you’ve created a space that responds beautifully to a brief, functions efficiently, ...

A Specifier’s Guide to White Vanities

By Selina Zwolsman posted 18-03-2026
From safe selection to considered specification. White is often positioned as the safest choice in kitchen and bathroom design — timeless, clean, and broadly appealing. And while that’s true, experienced designers know that white is anything but simple. From undertones and finishes to lighting and material pairings, the success of a white vanity hinges on the details. For designers and manufacturers alike, understanding these nuances is vital to creating spaces that feel complete — not just ‘white’. In this guide, we explore why white remains a popular choice, how to specify it effectively, and what five KBDi Award-winning bathrooms can teach ...

The Timeless Appeal of White Handles

By Selina Zwolsman posted 17-03-2026
A message from our Corporate Plus Partners, Momo Handles. In interior design, few finishes achieve the same level of quiet sophistication as white. Crisp, balanced and inherently timeless, white handles are becoming an increasingly popular choice among designers and homeowners alike. Whether elevating a minimalist kitchen or introducing contrast to darker joinery, white hardware offers an understated elegance that effortlessly transcends trends. At Momo Handles, collections including Riss Mini and Big, Strano, Brave, Monaco and Vena are available in a refined white finish, thoughtfully designed to complement a range of interior styles, from coastal calm ...

Verdecor Launches Its Experimental Showroom at KnoxOne

By Selina Zwolsman posted 16-03-2026
A message from our Corporate Plus Partners, Verdecor. The completion of the KnoxOne showroom provides a tangible environment in which Verdecor decorative surfaces can be experienced beyond conventional cabinetry applications. Developed over the course of a year, the project was conceived as a deliberate and exploratory interior study. Rather than functioning as a traditional display space, the showroom was designed to examine how engineered decorative boards can operate as a defining material across walls, ceilings and custom joinery. Within this setting, Verdecor surfaces are presented at architectural scale, allowing designers and specifiers to assess ...