Performance and Design Converged at IBS and KBIS 2026, and Clear Storytelling Stole the Show

Merlot Marketing recaps the trends that defined Design & Construction Week as the home and building agency marks 25 years connecting brands with the voices that matter

KEY POINTS

• AI, performance and design defined the biggest trends at IBS and KBIS 2026.
• Merlot Marketing marks 25 years serving the home and building industry.
• Clear storytelling turned product innovation into lasting brand momentum.

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- When Design & Construction Week wrapped in Orlando, one business lesson rose above the show-floor noise: innovation earns attention, but clarity builds momentum. Across the 2026 International Builders' Show and Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, Merlot Marketing saw performance, design and storytelling converge as the brands with the strongest point of view captured the greatest interest. Merlot's latest Haute @ Home video series brings those innovations beyond the booth and into the market; an especially fitting milestone as the agency celebrates 25 years of helping home and building brands turn standout products into sustained visibility.

"Innovation, performance and design were on full display in Orlando, but the brands that broke through did more than introduce impressive products; they made their value unmistakable," said Debi Hammond, Founder and CEO of Merlot Marketing, who has attended the shows for nearly three decades. "They knew exactly who they were serving and built every product, experience and message around a clear, defensible idea. After 25 years in this category, some things don't change. Innovation earns attention, but clear storytelling turns it into momentum."

IBS leans into how we build, including methods, systems, products, and performance at scale, while KBIS focuses on where we live most intimately. This year, the line between them all but disappeared. Durability and beauty now travel together, pushed by stricter codes, insurance scrutiny, tighter labor, and homeowners planning to stay put longer.

WHAT DEFINED THE SHOW FLOOR:

• Immersion replaced information. Products weren't displayed; they were experienced. Full outdoor-kitchen environments, framed wall assemblies, move-in-ready vignettes, and vertical installations turned booths into destinations. American Outdoor Grill built complete entertaining spaces rather than a lineup of grills, and Nichiha USA anchored its presence with a towering Miraia Architectural Wall Panel (AWP) panel display. The brands that built a world around one idea earned attention that a product table never could.
• Performance became the differentiator. Moisture management, fire resistance, energy efficiency, and system-based thinking moved from niche concerns to the center of the conversation. Arclin Firepoint's 10-foot panel is engineered to slow fire and support taller wall designs using familiar framing practices. Long-term value, not just aesthetics, is what wins specifications now.
• AI matured from novelty to necessity. The technology was quieter this year: embedded in project management tools, design-build workflows, and behind-the-scenes intelligence that reduced friction and simply worked. For instance Westlake Royal Building Products introduced Design Canvas: an AI-powered online visualization platform that lets homeowners, designers, and contractors preview home remodeling and building projects before driving the first nail.
• Personalization became the baseline. Customization showed up as expectation, not luxury, from context-aware appliances to modular systems and configurable finishes. Empava brought wellness and design-led fixtures within reach, turning a premium spa experience into an everyday one. Brands that let buyers tailor the experience earned a second look.
• The show extended well beyond the booth. IBS and KBIS increasingly function as content engines and business development platforms, with dedicated meeting space, media conversations happening in the aisles, and a 30-to-60-day window afterward when editors finalize trend reports and product roundups. The brands that connected before, during, and after the shows are the ones converting booth traffic into earned coverage, relationships and customers.

"The show floor rewards clarity, but the results come from what happens after the booths come down," said Brenda Forman, President of Merlot Marketing. "The brands that win keep the conversation going: with editors, with dealers, with the audiences they can't reach on their own. Twenty-five years in, that's still the work we care about most: helping a client turn a strong moment into lasting momentum."

Recognition followed the brands that showed up with intention, several of them longtime Merlot clients. At IBS, Nichiha's Miraia in Royal Blue and Arclin Firepoint's 10-foot panel each earned a 2026 BIMsmith Best Award, and Westlake Royal Building Products' TruExterior Lap Siding was named a Best of IBS Finalist. At KBIS, Empava collected multiple Best of KBIS 2026 awards, including a repeat Wellness Trailblazer recognition for its indoor/outdoor plunge tubs.

None of it happened by accident. Clear positioning, disciplined storytelling, and genuine follow-through separated the brands that left Orlando with commitments from those that left with a beautiful booth and little else. It's a lesson Merlot has spent a quarter century learning alongside the category it serves, and one the agency expects to keep applying as the industry writes its next chapter.

To learn more about Merlot Marketing, visit https://merlotmarketing.com/. The agency's full IBS and KBIS 2026 recap and its Haute @ Home video series are available on the Merlot blog or YouTube.

About Merlot Marketing

Promoting brands throughout North America and Canada for more than 25 years, Merlot Marketing is an award-winning, national marketing agency specializing in consumer goods and the home and building products category. In 2022, Merlot Marketing was named Influential Agency of the Year by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and is a proud member of the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). Services include public relations (PR.0™), brand strategy, social media, advertising and digital communications. Discover the agency's passion, creativity and results at merlotmarketing.com.

SOURCE Merlot Marketing Inc