The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) 2025 highlighted a powerful design shift: the embrace of nature-inspired aesthetics, innovative finishes, and the seamless integration of bold, contrasting materials. Wood, with its timeless appeal and organic warmth, played a central role in this year’s showcase. This year’s show reinforced wood’s enduring appeal as a sustainable and highly customizable material. Whether in matte-finished countertops, mixed-media furniture, or custom inlays, wood continues to be a defining element in modern luxury interiors.
As a leader in luxury wood surfaces, Grothouse proudly partnered with Monogram, Häfele, nobilia North America, Wellborn Cabinet, Inc., and Keeler Brass to showcase how custom wood countertops, Anvil™ Metal and bespoke furniture pieces are shaping the future of high-end interiors.
Monogram Beyond: Luxury Kitchen Design Elevated
Monogram’s “Monogram Beyond”, an immersive design experience led by creative director Richard T. Anuszkiewicz, showcased cutting-edge trends in personalization, material blending, and high-end craftsmanship. Anuszkiewicz’s vision for the “Monogram Beyond” exhibit seamlessly blended innovation with heritage craftsmanship, incorporating:
- Curved forms – A continued trend softening interiors with rounded furniture, cabinetry, architectural details, and overall soft lines.
- Warmth and texture – A rich material palette featuring natural wood tones, hand-troweled plasters, and warm metallics.
- Various Textures – Blending soft materials with hard surfaces for balance.
- Customization & bespoke detailing – Unique stone patterns, mixed media applications, and tailored wood craftsmanship, reinforcing the demand for highly personalized luxury interiors.
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Grothouse collaborated with Monogram and Anuszkiewicz to incorporate bespoke wood elements throughout the vignettes. The addition of wood surfacing alongside Monogram’s sleek appliances, Bentwood Luxury Kitchens Cabinetry, Kallista Plumbing, Studio M Lighting, Cosentino Surfaces, Architectural Grille, Keeler Brass, Artistic Tile, and more, reinforced the exhibit’s ethos of elevated luxury and tactile engagement, creating a full sensory experience. Key highlights of the brand collaboration included a custom round Walnut and Maple table, featuring a striking geometric pattern, embodying precision and craftsmanship, a Rosewood edge grain bar countertop, finished in Durata® Matte, blending luxury with superior durability and multiple custom pizza peels, adding functional wood accents to the interactive culinary experience
Organic Warmth & Architectural Precision
The custom geometric Walnut and Maple table served as a focal point of Monogram’s booth, embodying a balance of tradition and innovation. Set atop a base of solid Walnut disks, the intricate design celebrated Anuszkiewicz’s focus on curvature and highlighted how contrasting wood tones create depth, movement, and visual impact. The geometric pattern, a nod to heritage craftsmanship and excellence in joinery, was executed using Grothouse’s precision manufacturing, reinforcing Monogram’s fusion of timeless aesthetics and cutting-edge technology.
Neuro-architect Richard Fleming, known for his work on the impact of design on human cognition, was present for tours of the Monogram booth and pointed out to visitors that natural materials like wood evoke ancestral memories and create a sense of trust, aligning with the deeper emotional connections found in biophilic design. When asked about the importance of wood in luxury spaces, Monogram’s creative director Richard T. Anuszkiewicz emphasized, “The essence of wood evokes warmth and a sense of home. There is a continued upswing in design for real wood kitchens and accents. Grothouse consistently delivers excellent products, on time, with quality that exceeds our expectations.”
Checkerboard Table: A Statement in Craftsmanship
Another standout space in the exhibit was the library-inspired wine room. Positioned beneath plush velvet drapery was a trapeze-inspired bar shelf and a Grothouse Rosewood countertop , completing the bar vignette. Fitting for a bar area, the edge grain Rosewood was treated with Durata® Matte, a proprietary chemical- and water-resistant finish. The finish not only added functionality and protection, but the soft sheen of Durata® complemented the luxurious texture of the surrounding materials, proving that high-performance finishes can enhance both beauty and durability in high-traffic environments.
Design Ethos: Innovation Meets Timeless Style
Every wood application within the Monogram booth demonstrated how tailored wood craftsmanship enhances custom design. Anuszkiewicz encouraged industry professionals to explore wood as a key design material, stating, “Every day, I strive to challenge the expected, particularly through my material selections. I encourage designers to seek out manufacturers like Grothouse, who celebrate both form and function. Beauty and practicality are not mutually exclusive.”
Wood in Design: The Future of Luxury Interiors
KBIS 2025 reinforced the growing demand for biophilic design, with wood emerging as a defining material in luxury residential and commercial spaces. From natural wood countertops to intricately crafted furniture pieces, premier brands like Monogram embraced wood’s ability to create a sense of balance, tranquility, and connection to nature.
At Grothouse, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of custom wood surfaces, combining timeless craftsmanship with innovative finishes to inspire interior designers, architects, and homeowners. Stay tuned for more insights into how wood is shaping the future of design and contact the Grothouse team today to start exploring our full range of custom wood solutions!
Rosewood Edge Grain Bar Countertop: A Fusion of Softness and Strength
