Watch the video below to check out some of Samsung’s KBIS 2023 highlights, from its booth to its key products unveiled at this year’s exhibition.

As part of its showcase, Samsung offered a glimpse at what the future may hold for the home appliance industry through an illuminating panel discussion. The panel was moderated by Pamela McNally, SVP of Marketing and Digital at the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), with panelists including Shane Higby, Vice President for Home Appliance Product Marketing at Samsung Electronics America, Gary So, Vice President of Demand Generation at Samsung Electronics America and Geraldine Morrison, Executive Director of Dacor.

The panelists took the stage as part of KBIS’s NEXT Stage event, a showcase for leading kitchen and bath industry experts to discuss the latest trends affecting the industry today and what they expect to be influencing the industry tomorrow.

Read on to learn more about their discussion and the future of home appliances.

▲ (left to right) Moderator Pamela McNally and panelists Shane Higby, Gary So and Geraldine Morrison at Samsung’s KBIS 2023 panel discussion.

Charting the Future of the Home Appliance Landscape

* Please note that the following responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.

Pamela McNally The appliance landscape has changed significantly over the past few years. How has Samsung been adapting to these changes?

Shane Higby It certainly has changed, and I would humbly suggest that Samsung has been leading some of that change in a few key areas. The first is sustainability, the second is connectivity and the third is design.

Sustainability is a very critical corporate initiative for us. Approximately 260 Samsung appliances are ENERGY STAR^® certified, 43 of which received have received the “Most Efficient” award.¹ Recently, SmartThings Energy was given the first-ever Smart Home Energy Management Systems (SHEMS) certification, which we’re very proud of. In the area of connectivity, over 80% of our appliances are connected, which includes Family Hub.

In the area of design, our Bespoke lineup offers consumers a choice — one that didn’t really exist in the home appliance space previously — to bring new colors and materials into the kitchen. This emphasis on customizable designs empowers them to personalize their kitchen to suit their lifestyle.

McNally Could you share more about Samsung’s approach to design in today’s home appliance market?

Gary So What we’ve been seeing is that, in the last couple of years, consumers have been spending a lot more time at home. And in many ways, their relationships with appliances have changed dramatically. Pre-pandemic, the approach to design was a lot more functionally driven and a lot more utilitarian. Post-pandemic, designs have moved on to become much more about expression. Rather than just products to cook and clean with, consumers are seeing appliances as an extension of who they are and their design aesthetic.

What’s interesting is that we’re seeing this shift toward customization permeate all age groups. Certainly for millennial home buyers, customization is a lot more natural, but we’re also seeing older consumers embrace the trend. We think this adoption is in large part due to the wide range of options Bespoke provides.

With the Bespoke Design Simulator, consumers can choose custom color panels that open up design possibilities, whether it’s a clean, one-toned option or a more expressive option with multiple tones. We also just announced MyBespoke, which allows users to print their own custom pictures onto panels for a truly personalized experience. Customization in terms of design is truly endless with Bespoke, and we think that this trend is here to stay.

“What’s interesting is that we’re seeing this shift toward customization permeate all age groups.”

We’ve also noticed that following the introduction of Bespoke, there’s been a challenge to the traditional notion of appliances that are all matching with each other. Users don’t feel the need to have all stainless or all black appliances at home. In fact, many of our customers are using Bespoke refrigerators as standalone statement pieces in the kitchen and mixing and matching other products for a more expressive look.

Furthermore, with our home spaces serving so many different functions today, Bespoke customers know that having a personalized home design means the space is always fitting no matter the time of day, serving as a place for breakfast in the morning with family, an office to take video calls in during the day and then back to dinner time with the family at night.

Importantly, we’re still able to combine functionality with aesthetics. Whether it’s an internal beverage center or recessed door handles, Bespoke offers a simple, clean design with a premium feel that fits into any environment — traditional or contemporary. That’s the future: appliances that can reflect personal aesthetics, giving consumers a way to create a design that says something about themselves.

McNally Shane, let’s circle back to your earlier insight regarding Samsung and the connected home.

Higby The connected home is not something new; I’ve mentioned that some 80% of our appliances are connected in some way. What we’re trying to do with connectivity is simplifying it as much as possible for consumers because it can come across as complex and daunting. For example, when you’re doing laundry, our connected laundry appliances can send you a notification when the wash is done and it’s time to switch it to the dryer. You can even schedule the laundry machine to start at a later time, so that when you come home from work, the clothes have not been sitting there damp all day long. Other use cases include starting your dishwasher at night if you don’t want to hear it running. With ranges, you can preheat them while you’re at work, so when you get home, it’s ready to cook dinner.

“What we’re trying to do with connectivity is simplifying it as much as possible for consumers because it can come across as complex and daunting.”

We also have some great functionality with SmartThings Home Care. Our appliances can give you notifications through SmartThings if they sense something might be wrong: overdue maintenance, an open door on an appliance or something else. It’s extra peace of mind.

McNally So far, we’ve discussed the changes in approaches to design and connectivity within the industry. How do these areas apply to luxury appliances?

Geraldine Morrison Design is paramount for the luxury consumer. At Dacor, we work with the world’s top designers to ensure that we’re using the best materials, finishes and truly the best everything in our products because that’s the standard our customers expect. This enables customers to bring their design visions to life. It’s really about preference: whether it’s something clean and recessed that disappears into the space or something extravagant that makes a statement, we have all the options available.

“We work with top designers and use the best materials and finishes because it enables customers to bring their design visions to life.”

With regards to connectivity, Dacor appliances benefit by being on Samsung’s SmartThings platform. Consumers want to know the best way to use their appliances but also keep track of what they’re doing. That’s what we deliver with Dacor.

Our wine cellars, for example, can send notifications about the status of your wine, and our refrigerators can tell you what’s inside your refrigerator at any time using built-in cameras. It’s about providing intuitive, meaningful innovations that allow customers to enjoy an elevated lifestyle with the freedom to get onto doing other things they want to do.

McNally Finally, I’d love to hear what’s new in 2023 for both Samsung and Dacor, as well as what you feel the future landscape of appliances will look like.

Higby In the Bespoke portfolio of products, there are a few new things coming in terms of refrigeration and otherwise. In refrigeration, we’re introducing a Bespoke Side-by-Side refrigerator for consumers looking for a premium look in a lower-budget option. It will offer a new Auto Open Door, making it more convenient to open and close the larger doors. Also, new is the 32” Family Hub refrigerator. The new Family Hub features an FHD, bezel-less screen that’s twice as big as the previous model but still blends seamlessly into the appliance. Taking advantage of that new screen, users can do more at once, such as using the new picture-in-picture feature to watch videos on YouTube while creating a shopping list.

There’s also a brand-new wall oven coming out with a first-of-its-kind camera inside so you can monitor your cooking and baking. By pairing the camera with AI technology, the oven can recognize what’s inside and recommend cooking settings accordingly. Users can even share their cooking videos on social media with their friends thanks to SmartThings integration.

We also have other products for the kitchen and the rest of the home in the works, so stay tuned.

Morrison With Dacor customers, we’re seeing a lot of creativity regarding how appliances are being used. Some of our users may have two kitchen setups at home, one for regular use and one for show for special occasions — or one for “go” and one for “show,” as we like to say. You might have a wine cellar in the kitchen but a wine dispenser in the closet built-in for convenience. It’s really about meeting changing needs as we spend more time at home.

Luxury consumers have high standards, and the focus is versatility — they want that one ultimate, heavy-duty appliance that can do it all. Added to that, they want appliances that can provide precision outcomes, be it baking cookies or baking a turkey. Another trend in luxury is that bigger is better. We’re seeing a lot of interest in bigger capacities, as because we’re doing a lot of things at home, we need more space to do them in.

So, with our Transitional Line, we’re introducing a new 48-inch-wide range that offers the largest capacity with a full 36-inch cavity on one side that’s big enough to cook two turkeys. We’re also introducing a 48-inch built-in refrigerator to the Transitional Line with advanced features including 3D LED Lighting, a full metal interior, precision cooling and Fresh Zone + so that users can convert the space into a fridge or freezer depending on their needs. It also includes a new ice-making feature that makes whisky ball ice as well as ice cubes, which is a really unique feature and a perfect example of flexibility blended with elevated features.

KBIS’s NEXT Stage event provided the perfect platform for the panel of experts to discuss the future of home appliances and the trends that are shaping them. As trends shift toward a more flexible home environment, Samsung and Dacor’s innovative approaches to appliance design are providing ways for consumers to personalize and elevate their home spaces through customizable aesthetics, intuitive connectivity and sustainability.

Stay tuned to Samsung Newsroom for the latest news and updates on Samsung’s KBIS 2023 showcase and Bespoke appliances.

¹ As of November 2022.

The Bespoke Home Virtual is a 3D home appliance experience in a virtual reality (VR) space using advanced digital twin technology. It allows users to roam around interacting with them to get a feel for how Bespoke appliances would look inside their home in various configurations.

Bespoke Home Virtual, unlike similar interior VR experiences, allows users to freely explore locations as if they were in a video game with a whole new level of freedom. While in the past, VR spaces were limited to certain sections being rendered, the Bespoke Home Virtual uses a new technology that opens the entire space so users can see from all angles without limitations. While exploring, users can zoom in on key points of products to compare appliances in detail through direct interaction. What’s more, the Real-Time Rendering technology being utilized presents realistic light renders that mimic real-world light behavior, bringing the scene to life like never before.

The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show 2023 attendees got to go hands-on, through a docent service, with Bespoke Home Virtual for a truly immersive experience. Modelled to reflect an average American home, the 3D environment offered consumers an easy and intuitive way to experience Bespoke products and create different moods in the home with customizations. Throughout the event, the whole experience was also simultaneously shared on Samsung’s 4K 140-inch display, The Wall, at the Samsung Booth.

Users first got to select from three distinct interior styles, including Modern, Transitional Light and Transitional Dark, then were free to roam around the fully decorated space. Cycling through three interior designs, users were able to get a deeper understanding of how the appliances would look matched with different textures such as marble backsplashes, wood or stone tile floors and light or dark walls.

More than a simple walkthrough, attendees were encouraged to get up close and experience a catered suite of Bespoke products, including refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers as well as inductions and ovens. Users were able to open the doors on the units to check out features such as the built-in water dispenser inside the fridge as well as the glide pan in the oven while swapping through vibrant colors and detailed finishes. Together, the realistic interior and exterior renditions allowed users to fully enjoy the amazing features that make Bespoke products truly bespoke.

For this year’s KBIS, Samsung enabled users to interactively experience Bespoke using a breakthrough, immersive 3D technology, providing consumers a brand-new way to go hands-on with the latest Samsung home appliances.

For more information on Samsung Bespoke Home Virtual as well as the complete Bespoke lineup, please visit Samsung.com.

With the aim of providing U.S. builders with a glimpse of the latest Bespoke appliances, Samsung’s display gives visitors the ability to experience modern, sleek home living through the Bespoke Home 2023 lineup, helping them to gather inspiration for future home builds and designs.

Read on for a more detailed look at some of the exciting home innovations on display at Samsung’s 2023 KBIS booth.

Where Sustainability Meets Innovation

Samsung’s KBIS display is showcasing to visitors an expansion of what is possible at home through the company’s truly personalized and customizable appliances that are enhanced by upgraded connectivity thanks to SmartThings.

Visitors are first welcomed into the Everyday Sustainability zone, where Samsung’s eco-conscious practices throughout the entire product life cycle are on display to provide users with a deeper understanding of how Samsung’s choices are making a difference to the planet.

Next, beside to the entrance to the Bespoke Home zone, visitors are greeted by the stunning 140-inch microLED screen of The Wall on which the Bespoke Home Virtual display is being showcased. Here, visitors are able to go on 3D virtual house tours through rooms adorned with a variety of Bespoke products. They can also peruse the full range of different Bespoke appliance finishes and colors capable of fitting seamlessly into any home design concept.

Alongside this display is the Bespoke Home zone, where visitors can learn more about all the latest Bespoke appliances and the full extent of their customizable features.

Furthermore, visitors can also enjoy a first-hand experience of the MyBespoke custom printing service. On display at this area are several possibilities of how personalized images can be used as front panel decoration, showcased on the latest Bespoke French Door Refrigerators.

Moving on, in the showcase’s SmartThings Home zone, smart home systems are taking center stage. Visitors are provided with a closer look at how SmartThings is expanding the use of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions to provide consumers with convenient appliance monitoring and management right from the updated Full HD (FHD) Family Hub display. Furthermore, for even more in-depth experiences of the full Bespoke offering, the Line-up area features the complete range of all the latest Bespoke appliances.

The final stop on a visitor’s Samsung showcase tour, situated just beyond the Bespoke zones, is the Dacor section. Visitors are able to experience premium, luxury home concepts thanks to the variety of high-end Samsung and Dacor appliances on display which have been designed to provide inspiration to those looking to curate bold, sophisticated kitchen spaces.

Stay tuned to Samsung Newsroom to learn more about Samsung at KBIS 2023 as well as the latest Bespoke home appliances.

Ahead of the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) 2023 in Las Vegas, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) has awarded Dacor its prestigious Innovative Showroom Award for the Dacor Kitchen Theater in Irvine, California.

Dacor’s full-scale kitchen showroom in Irvine offers trade partners and consumers alike a first-hand immersive experience, with its industry-lauded products showcased in an exquisite environment designed to provide a feeling and atmosphere reminiscent of Californian homes.

▲ At the Dacor Kitchen Theater in Irvine, California, visitors are able to enjoy a hands-on experience of Dacor’s appliances in a cozy, home-like setting.

Award-Winning Design That Pairs Luxury With Innovation

Dacor earned the NKBA’s coveted award thanks to the unique aesthetics, innovative features and luxurious designs on display at its Irvine showroom.

The award Dacor has received, in the “Kitchen & Bath Design Centers” category, reflects the Dacor Kitchen Theater’s ability to bring the brand to life by offering visitors elevated experiences that honor Dacor’s history and brand mission.

A Design Narrative That Encompasses Past, Present and Future

As one of its distinguishing design features, the Dacor Kitchen Theater draws heavy influence from its Southern California roots, conveying a narrative of the brand’s past, present and future.

The showroom’s clean lines, simple geometry and use of subtle lighting help paint a picture of the Pacific Ocean and the Sierra Nevada Mountain ranges that bookend California. Bold curves in the designs mimic the California coastline while refined, brushed metallic finishes evoke a feeling of luxury, and rounded edges and stand-out textiles introduce warmth into the space.

Adding to the California motif, Dacor commissioned artisans local to the state to enhance the showroom’s décor. From custom light fixtures by Siemon & Salazar to custom refrigerator panels designed by LA-based artist Alex Turco, the workmanship of local craftsmen truly provides the finishing touches to the showroom.

▲ The Dacor Kitchen Theater’s cooking demonstration space offers visitors a truly hands-on experience with Dacor appliances.

The Dacor Kitchen Theater’s professional cooking demonstration space adds an experiential aspect to the showroom. With it, the showroom can function as an educational and training space, allowing visitors to get hands-on with Dacor appliances for fuller, more immersive product experiences.

Furthermore, the venue provides a glimpse into how Dacor’s luxury cooking appliances’ exceptional materials and precision performance can elevate any consumers’ kitchen.

A Showroom Experience With Versatility at Its Core

The richness of Dacor’s designs is matched only by their versatility. The innovative, modular designs that are at the core of Dacor’s products exemplify the brand’s versatility, personality and ability to serve a variety of lifestyles.

Concealed doors and cabinetry throughout the showroom floor provide a clean and minimal canvas for the kitchen vignettes on display that highlight a variety of Californian lifestyles. The distinct vignettes bridge luxury with life in order to help connect visitors to Dacor’s diverse yet cohesive lineup.

Throughout the showroom space, visitors are presented with three kitchen vignettes that showcase Dacor’s diverse kitchen offerings. The first vignette was inspired by the city and harnesses a muted gold, brass and silver metallic palette. The second vignette combines durability with exceptional craftsmanship, and the third leverages natural light and greenery to create a scene that blurs the line between indoors and outdoors.

▲ Vignette 1 showcases Dacor’s Contemporary appliances in silver stainless and uses a palette of muted metallics to provide a city-inspired design.

▲ Dacor’s exclusive graphite stainless steel is showcased in a kitchen set-up reminiscent of a California costal kitchen.

Beyond their designs, Dacor products harness integrated technologies to provide consumers with even more versatility. Hidden touch control panels, Wi-Fi-enabled touch screens and Samsung SmartThings integration allow users to personalize their appliances in ways that truly cater to their lifestyles and habits.

The third Dacor showroom of its kind in the U.S., the award-winning Dacor Kitchen Theater in Irvine offers a showroom experience that goes beyond a mere product display. In addition to sharing the story of the brand’s identity, the Dacor Kitchen Theater serves as the perfect venue for consumers to learn more about Dacor’s products through unforgettable experiences.

Visit dacor.com to learn more about the luxury kitchen appliances being featured in the award-winning Dacor Kitchen Theater.

Samsung Electronics today showcased innovations that raise the bar for sustainable, smart and personalized living at the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Bespoke appliances have quickly grown in popularity since they were introduced to the U.S. market in 2021, with Bespoke refrigerators as the centerpiece. The ever-expanding line now includes full kitchen packages, laundry and floor care products.

This year, Samsung is offering Bespoke customization to the built-in cooking category and also introducing new refrigerator models. With the new additions, Samsung aims to continue to help make energy savings a seamless part of everyday life, enhance SmartThings’ connected services in more ways and empower more personalized experiences in 2023.

“Sustainability, connectivity and personalization are top of mind for today’s homeowners and homebuyers,” said Ik Soo Choi, EVP and Head of Sales and Marketing Team of Digital Appliances Business at Samsung Electronics. “We’re excited to be back at KBIS to showcase how our products inspire people to create sustainable living spaces that truly reflect their personal style, with connectivity that empowers new ways of living.”

Unlock Everyday Sustainability

By integrating energy efficiency and connected technology into more appliances and in more ways, Samsung is helping make sustainability a seamless part of daily life.

At KBIS, Samsung will showcase efforts to enhance sustainability throughout the product life cycle — from production to distribution, use and disposal — and highlight the added energy savings that come with its SmartThings Energy¹ service. The service delivers easy-to-understand information about your smart home energy usage, as well as tips to help you save more power. Its intuitive AI Energy Mode² automatically optimizes settings to reduce the amount of energy consumed by connected Samsung appliances,³ making it easy to maximize energy savings and help lower your home’s energy costs. This includes up to 15% savings for compatible refrigerators,⁴ up to 20% for compatible air conditioners⁵ and up to 35% for compatible washers⁶ on select cycles.⁷

For its efforts with SmartThings Energy, Samsung has been awarded the industry’s first mass-market Smart Home Energy Management Systems (SHEMS) certification by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA has also awarded Samsung 260 ENERGY STAR® certifications, including 43 “Most Efficient” recognitions.⁸

KBIS attendees can also learn more about the new Less Microfiber Cycle and Filter, the former of which cuts microplastic emissions during laundry by up to 54%.⁹ Now available in Europe, the cycle will roll out to compatible washers in Korea from February this year and in the U.S. soon.

Empowering More Personalized Experiences With Advanced Connectivity

In 2023, Bespoke appliances will deliver more personalized experiences with connectivity to help make daily life more convenient and productive. At KBIS, Samsung will highlight how its SmartThings services are transforming the way people interact with appliances by creating more intuitive and seamless experiences that bring calm to our connected world.

The six SmartThings services on display — SmartThings Energy, Cooking, Pet Care, Clothing Care, Air Care and Home Care — add new levels of convenience and efficiency to daily life. Together, these services make managing smart homes simple by catering to consumers’ diverse needs. This is especially true in the kitchen, where SmartThings Cooking offers a more personalized take on meal preparation that considers users’ health goals and what they have in their fridge. It works seamlessly with the new Bespoke AI Oven to sync recipe recommendations with cooking settings while Samsung Health integration helps users keep track of their diet for healthier living. The oven also includes cameras that allow it to optimize cooking settings using food-recognition technology and let users create time-lapse videos of food cooking to share on social media.

Also new to the kitchen, the Bespoke 4-Door Flex Family Hub+ refrigerator features a 32-inch, bezel-less full HD display that is perfect for multitasking. The larger screen makes using SmartThings services a breeze and streamlines everything from entertainment to home management by allowing users to view multiple apps at once. This means users can take advantage of Samsung TV Plus’s picture-in-picture function to tune in to more than 190 free channels¹⁰ while adding items to their shopping list, following along to a recipe video, managing the family calendar and more — at the same time. The screen is also perfect for displaying family photos or artwork from around the world using services like Google Photos and Atelier, respectively. The new SmartThings Dashboard also takes advantage of the larger screen to make households’ smart home controls easily accessible.

Bringing Bespoke to Life

Samsung is encouraging consumers to explore the next level of customization with new Bespoke products and immersive experiences. These include both MyBespoke¹¹ as well as a new interactive showroom experience known as Bespoke Home Virtual.

MyBespoke offers endless possibilities for personalization, allowing you to personalize your Bespoke refrigerator with original designs, artwork or your favorite photos for the first time. You can design your one-of-a-kind MyBespoke fridge panels for one or two French Doors and Samsung will deliver them directly to your home.

Create your own design when you purchase a Bespoke refrigerator from Samsung.com and simply swap out your existing Bespoke French Door fridge panels with your custom MyBespoke designs. To complement your top doors’ custom designs, you can choose to outfit your fridge’s lower doors with a variety of bold, bright or neutral Bespoke colors in glass or metallic finishes.¹²

KBIS attendees can also immerse themselves in Bespoke Home Virtual, a virtual simulation that takes them on a journey through a true-to-life Bespoke showroom. Within the experience, participants can customize the colors, materials and finishes across Bespoke appliances, including kitchen packages and laundry products. They can also interact with these digital appliances to experience their usability and view their interiors.

All of these innovations and more will be on display at Samsung’s KBIS exhibit, located at Booth W4301 in the Las Vegas Convention Center. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

¹ Available on Android and iOS devices. Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required.
² AI Energy Mode availability depends on location. Product launch schedule may vary.
³ Product schedule may vary. AI Energy Mode will roll out for refrigerator models as an Optical Transport Network (OTN) update in May 2023.
⁴ Available on specific models from May 2023 through a Wi-Fi update. Test results based on a comparison of the U.S. models’ factory setting temperatures with and without AI Energy Mode. Results may vary depending on usage conditions and patterns.
⁵ Based on internal testing of the U.S. models. Results may vary depending on the user’s actual environment and usage patterns.
⁶ Based on internal testing on the WF8900B model with an 8lb IEC except for Small Load cycle (4lb IEC). Results may vary depending on actual usage conditions.
⁷ Can be applied to Heavy Duty, Small Load, Towels and Power Rinse courses only when the selected washing temperature is “hot.”
⁸ As of November 2022.
⁹ Tested with 2kg load of 100% polyester hoodies, comparing Synthetics cycle on Samsung Conventional model WW4000T and the Less Microfiber cycle on WW7000B. The results may be different depending on the clothes and environment. Tested by the Ocean Wise Plastics Lab.
¹⁰ Samsung TV Plus is available in the United States and South Korea. Number of channels may vary by location.
¹¹ Service is limited to U.S. market.
¹² For more information on Samsung MyBespoke terms and conditions, visit: https://www.samsung.com/us/home-appliances/bespoke/refrigerators/mybespoke/terms-and-conditions/.