Kitchens Bedrooms & Bathrooms Show 2026
Naomi enjoyed her visit to the KBB Show in the Birmingham NEC this month. Here she gives a brief summary for some of the worktop trends that she saw while looking round the show.
It is always good to visit trade shows and see what is shaping the Kitchen, Bedroom and Bathroom world. If you haven’t made it to the KBB show at the NEC at Birmingham then here is a bit of a whistle stop tour of thoughts from the show. Obviously, I couldn’t visit all 320 plus exhibitors but here are some of my highlights.
The first thing to catch my eye – stunning stone!
On arrival, one of the first stands I came to was Ca’Pietra. I was keen to visit their displays as AG Stoneworks has fabricated for them on many occasions, working to produce highest quality tiles and bespoke marble pieces, from the finest materials. The Mediterranean-themed arched displays of natural earthy tones and warm terracotta did not disappoint.
My overall impression from the show was that the displays seemed to project more colour than a couple of years ago in general but particularly in bathroom sanitary ware. See Acquabella’s lovely shower trays, for example and this lovely green glass sink bowl for the bathroom.
Kitchen Appliances
Haier had a really impressive display and very knowledgeable representatives. It was interesting to see their built in air-fryer oven and display with QR codes for the different recipe options.
Haier make a stacking single unit washer/dryer and “French- style” American Fridge/Freezers that fit within 2mm from surrounding units giving a much sleeker aesthetic. From the practical care point of view, the fridges come in a good range of finishes that don’t show finger-marks.
The TPB Tech stand showed the company’s invisible induction technology. Hidden induction heaters allow for cooking directly on a Neolith (ceramic) worktop. The second image here shows a cross section through the hob-ceramic with the core induction elements.
TPB now have a new range of drop-in hobs, created from the Neolith collection of sintered stone. These allow you to match the hob to the rest of the worktops in the kitchen – really helpful where a whole island cook top is not an option. The hobs feature a light around the outside that breaks up the line from the existing worktop, camouflaging any change in pattern and giving ambient light and a designer feel. Featured here is the Neo Abu Dhabi White silk hob on matching worktop.
AG Stoneworks is looking forward to seeing the Taj Mahal version installed into natural Taj Mahal Quartzite for our coming collaboration with Jeremy Pang of Curious Crab Productions.
Kitchens
In the traditional market Daniel George kitchens exude traditional elegance with their “Kensington” range. The oversized curved cornice leading into the walk-in pantry is just exquisite. Walk-in and hidden pantries are currently high on every clients wish-list as they provide mystique and intrigue as well as a practical solution. Daniel George designer’s use of natural dark wood to frame the area around the range cooker to the splash-back, acts as a grounding contrasting element to the whole display.
A favourite from the Daniel George stand was this joyous bar with its traditional Juke-box vibes, opulent arch and feature back-lit marble contrasting the reeded natural wood.
In contemporary kitchens the show featured many displays where elements of natural wood were contrasted richer dark- coloured doors. In the stand shown here, Nolte opted for a “Dark on Dark” scheme with dark worktops on really dark cabinetry. In the right setting, this striking colouration makes a dramatic statement.
Work surface materials
Sempre Engineered stone
As well as providing the best nibbles of the show, Sempre had their new Taj Mahal Quartz on display. This is going to be available in two finishes: polished and silk. The previous Taj Mahal quartz from their range was yellower with a greenish tinge; the new version is much creamier. I think it will prove popular. It comes closer to the natural quartzite that is copies, but without the hefty price-tag.
At AG Stoneworks, we always recommend seeing marble-look quartz and engineered stone because small samples just don’t give the full effect. Calacatta Clara is one such material: the full slab is far more appealing than the small sample. Velare Gold was another favourite at the show with its striking coppery-gold vein.
Xtone
The Xtone stand had the show-stopping Paonazzo Biondo in high gloss finish with book- matched veining creating a stunning feature wall.
For those wanting a quieter natural look, they also had tables in their version of Taj Mahal. Here I show the silk finish which would be a slightly more practical finish for a table or worktop application.
Laminam porcelain
Laminan had a new range of textured grained porcelains: the DNA range. The texture follows the line of the grain of the stone’s design. Here you can see the striations in the cool simple elegance of the MontBlanc Book-match. For a warmer textured stone, the creamy delight of the Pietra di Gre.
Sinks and Taps
Quooker and Blanco both had extremely busy large stands at the show. I also visited Shock/1810 Company stand. They have a new finish coming soon for their Axix sinks. A hexagonal textured pattern in the steel is apparently more resistant to scratching, and I am sure it disguises any scratches that do occur.
Also rather eye-catching on the 1810/Schock stand was this copper drainer which can be folded away or used as a pan-support.
Finishing touches
I strongly believe that stone worktops really make a kitchen, but I know that attention to finishing details is also crucial. Hendel & Hendel had a fabulous display of handles in all metal finishes and styles. I particularly loved these Art Deco bar handles. I also liked these elegant L-brackets, which could suit a traditional kitchen where a floating-style shelf might look out of place.
Something Different
Impact joinery had a beautiful display of inlaid doors. The display that caught my eye had gorgeous mahogany-colour leather inlays. As well as leather, Impact also offer fabric and porcelain. These would be perfect as an accent feature in a kitchen or bar area with coordinating porcelain to the worktops, or perhaps as a feature in a dressing area or media wall.
KBB 2026 – a worthwhile show
John and I really enjoyed our day in Birmingham. A good show and – as ever – lots of food for thought and great ideas for kitchen construction, refurbishment and decor.