The winners of the kbb Innovation Awards, sponsored by Blum, were announced on March 8, 2022, at the kbb Birmingham show.
The Innovation Awards have three categories: People’s Choice, Judge’s Choice, and Best Sustainable Design Award. The People’s Choice was voted by the attendees of the kbb Birmingham show, while the team of expert judges deliberated and decided the winners of the other two categories.
The Judge’s Choice Award, and overall winner, was the Bora X BO steam oven. The oven, released in August 2021, was the downdraft specialist’s first new product category launch in 14 years.
The Best Sustainability Design is a new category for the 2022 show. The Furnipart Ocean IX handles won the sustainability award. Judges were impressed with how the handles are made of recycled materials from the maritime industry, such as fishing nets, ropes and trawls.
Finally, the People’s Choice Award was announced. Attendees of the show voted in this category, and the winner was the Røroshetta Sense cooker hood. The statement hood has integrated smart technology features that focus on indoor air quality and fire safety.
The shortlist for the Innovation Awards was: Bora X BO steam oven, Keuco shower light, Novy Easy Pro hob, Roca In-Wash with in-tank, Røroshetta Sense cooker hood, LoftRobe storage solutions, Liebherr Peak BioFresh refrigerator, Perrin & Rowe’s Armstrong Mini tap, Ca’ Pietra Mermaid’s Garden tiles, and Furnipart Ocean IX handles.
The judges for the awards this year are Amanda Hughes, architect and interior design liaison at Blum; Richard Hibbert, KBSA chairperson; Lindsey Rendall, BIID president; Katrina Burroughs, design journalist for The Times; Andy Davies, managing editor of kbbreview, and Andy Bishop, creative director of kbb Birmingham.