UK bathroom and kitchen trade show KBB Birmingham has announced the finalists of its Innovation Awards 2024, sponsored by Blum.

Now in their sixth year, awards are presented across three categories; the Judges Choice Award, the People’s Choice Award, voted by visitors to the show, and the Sustainability Award.

The finalists are as follows:

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• Woodio UK

The Woodio washbasin is manufactured from 100% waterproof, solid wood composite for use in commercial interior schemes.

Each hand moulded piece is set at room temperature, eradicating the need for firing, reducing energy and minimising carbon output in the process, when compared to ceramic sanitaryware.

• Space-Plug Limited

Furniture fixing Space-Plug Evolution has been created to negate the need for scribing around pipes and offer up machined edged to wonky wall, reportedly making fitter units five times faster.

According to the manufacturer shortening back side panels, with the addition of two “Datum Pegs” to protect customary practice, combined with a Space-Plug adjustable spacer fixing, manufacturers can mimic this back to the wall.

It claims to save material by enabling manufacturers to make smaller, lighter cabinets that installers can fit much faster, much easier and more accurately.

• Rassam Innovations

Expand 2 Fit Furniture has been created to expand storage such as wardrobes, kitchen units, sideboards, shelves and cabinets to reportedly fit any space.

The carcass, door and shelves can be expanded in one or two dimensions and locked without the need to measure and cut.

It boasts a mechanism patented in Europe, USA and China.

• Elica

LHOV combines a hob, hood and oven in one appliance, making the best use of space in the home.

Its extraction system automatically removes vapours and odours from the hob and oven, also reducing the release of hot air when the door is opened

It is operated by the choice of a smart touch display or by using voice command.

• Bora

BORA QVac can be used to vacuum seal food for sous-vide cooking, marinating or simply to preserve food for longer.

It has three functions: vacuum sealing in vacuum boxes and vacuum bags, resealing bottles and marinating, and vacuum sealing combined with refrigerating and/or freezing to avoid freezer burn.

The BORA QVac can be flush-mounted in worktops or surface-mounted on top of them.

• Samsung

Less Microfiber Filter is an external washing machine filter designed to significantly reduce plastic microfiber emissions during laundry cycles.

Designed with inspiration from apparel maker Patagonia and expertise from the global ocean conservation organisation Ocean Wise, it builds on the technology of its Less Microfiber Cycle.

The Less Microfiber Filter works with any brand of washing machine and simply connects it to the external drainpipe, with its operation monitored separately using the SmartThings App.

• Hidealoo

Hidealoo is a moveable WC frame which allows any standard wall hung toilet and cistern, to be rotated through 90°, meaning it can be hidden within a cabinet or cavity space.

It allows the installation of toilets in small and hard to fit spaces, allowing households to make the flexible use of the space they have available.

According to Hidealoo it has been tested over 250,000 times – the equivalent of being used more than 10 times a day for 65 years and was recently named  as a KBN Most Wanted Bathroom Product.

• Ca’ Pietra

Tiling manufacturer Ca’ Pietra has introduced the Reform collection, made from 60% recycled stone materials and made in a carbon neutral factory.

It comes in three formats, including square and rectangular and a choice f 12 colours, and can be used indoors and outside.

Reform has already won a Homes and Gardens Design Award 2023 for Best Hard Flooring.

• Triton

Envi Next Generation Electric Shower Triton’s ENVi features a control panel that encourages more sustainable showering habits.

Boasting a full-colour digital display, the control panel makes it easy to adjust temperature, set a timer and monitor water and energy usage.

Hosting up to six user profiles, UK-average water and energy unit costs are pre-set in the unit, and users can also adjust to their own specific unit costs to track costs-per-shower, then make habitual changes to reduce usage.

• Novy

The Novy Designer Lighting Collection features three models; Shelf, Wall and Pendant, all with patented touch-free control to activate and adjust temperature and intensity.

In an environment where hygiene is vital, Novy Lighting enable users to turn lighting on and off, swipe for warmer hues or to different coloured light.

The Novy Shelf 90 measures 900mm wide, is wall-mounted shelf light with a single sensor and is operated by gesture control.