Brabantia’s team won a IHA Global Innovation Award (gia) at The Inspired Home Show 2026 for their Steam & Ironing Board. Here at the gia gala with the Global Honoree award are Charly Bird, Brabantia UK Marketing Manager, Diane Stubbs, Brabantia Sales Manager USA & Canada, and Derek Miller, IHA president and CEO.
Big or small. Legacy or start-up. One of the best things about The Inspired Home Show is the wide variety of buyers and sellers who participate.
One exhibitor with a rich and storied history is kitchen and homewares brand Brabantia. (Yes, they’ve been around for over a century – growing from a Dutch family business into an international brand!) We caught up with their team to learn more about their commitments to quality, style and retailer relationships – and their thoughtful new products winning accolades and turning heads.
Brabantia has such a rich history. Tell us about your evolution.
Brabantia began as a small family business in 1919 in the Netherlands, with the ambition of making everyday household products practical, well-designed, and built to last. This philosophy remains at the heart of the business to this day.
From our early roots producing milk churns, jugs and other household items, we gradually expanded our product range and expertise. As lifestyles changed, so did the products we created – from household storage and food preparation to laundry, waste management and bathroom accessories.
While our reach has become global, our core values remain much the same as they were, creating thoughtful products that make everyday life a little easier, more enjoyable and more beautiful.
Something that’s been consistent from the beginning is an emphasis on quality and durability. How do you bring that to life today?
Quality and durability are central to everything we do. Today, that means thinking carefully about every stage of a product’s life, from the materials and design to manufacturing, everyday use, and what happens at the end of its life.
We focus on creating products that are made to perform reliably and stand up to everyday use, while also investing in timeless design so they remain relevant for years to come. We trust our products so much that we offer a guarantee of up to 10 years.
For us, longevity is about more than simply making a product that lasts. It’s about making thoughtful choices that help people buy better, use products for longer and reduce the need for replacement.
How do material choices and sustainable practices contribute to that?
With the goal of becoming 100% circular by 2035, sustainable practices play an important role in helping us create products that are better for people and the planet. Factors such as durability, recyclability and the responsible use of materials are key when developing our products, with the aim of making choices that extend a product’s useful life and reduce waste.
We’re not perfect, but we’re all responsible and we all have a part to play. There’s no longer a choice between profit or people and planet, and this drives us to be better.
But you never sacrifice style either. How important are aesthetics to what you do?
We believe that every item in your home should be stylish. Modern colors are central to our products’ design, allowing any item to accent your home.
For us, good design is about finding the right balance between aesthetics and functionality. Our products need to be practical and durable, but we also want them to bring a sense of style and enjoyment to everyday routines. We aim to create designs that feel contemporary, so they can remain part of a home for many years.
That combination of thoughtful design, functionality and longevity is what makes Brabantia distinctive. We don’t see style and sustainability as competing priorities; we believe a product that people love to use and keep for longer is ultimately a better product.
You had many new items on display at The Inspired Home Show 2026 – including one that won an IHA Global Innovation Award (gia) onsite. Tell us about the feedback you received from attendees.
The feedback from attendees was incredibly positive! They particularly loved our Steam & Ironing Board, which is the product for which we won the gia award. The board is the first of its kind, where it can be used as a traditional ironing board, but can also be stood upright to enable you to hang and steam your garments.
Other notable new additions this year were our CollectIt laundry baskets, made from 100% recycled materials and 100% recyclable at end of life. Our new SortUp bin was super popular with both buyers and press, as it’s the perfect recycling solution for small space living, with its separate compartments, removable inner buckets and stacked design.
We also debuted our brand new Lilac Pink colorway, a stunningly eye-catching color that all attendees were very drawn towards. (The color can be found across a wide variety of our product assortment, including our Make & Take food-on-the-go products, and all sizes of trash cans.)
We saw that several media attendees picked your Steam & Ironing Board as one of their favorite finds at the Show. How does this exposure to consumer audiences assist with your goals?
Recognition from respected consumer and lifestyle publications is incredibly valuable to us because it helps introduce Brabantia and our products to new audiences. When trusted editors such as those at HGTV.com and Forbes highlight a product, it gives consumers an independent perspective on why the product is useful, well-designed and worth considering.
It also helps us communicate what Brabantia stands for beyond the product itself. We want people to see that everyday household tasks can be made easier and more enjoyable through thoughtful design, quality and innovation. Exposure like this helps bring those ideas to a wider audience and creates opportunities for more people to discover the brand.
Can you tell us a little bit about your commitment to supporting retailers who sell your products?
Our retail partners are an incredibly important part of Brabantia’s success. They are often the first point of contact between our products and consumers, so building strong, long-term relationships with retailers is a key priority for us.
Supporting retailers means more than simply supplying products. We work closely with our partners to help them understand the Brabantia brand, showcase our products effectively and give consumers a great experience both in-store and online. We want to make sure our retailers have the tools, knowledge and support they need to tell the story behind our products and the value they offer.
Ultimately, we see our retailers as an extension of the Brabantia family. Their feedback and understanding of their customers also help us continue to improve and develop products that are relevant to people’s everyday lives. When we work closely together, everyone benefits – the retailer, the consumer and the Brabantia brand.
What’s Brabantia got on tap for the rest of 2026?
There’s a lot to look forward to for Brabantia through the rest of 2026. We’ll continue building on our core strengths – thoughtful design, quality, durability and sustainability – while bringing new ideas to market that make everyday household routines simpler and more enjoyable.
We’re particularly excited to see how consumers and our retail partners respond to the latest products we’ve introduced and to continue growing the brand across international markets.
Personal favorite product you offer?
Our Roll-top Bread bin, the perfect addition to your kitchen!
One thing about Brabantia you wish buyers/retailers knew more about?
We have a really impressive guarantee period – up to 10 years – for a huge number of our products. We also pledge to stock spare parts for up to 20 years after the product has been released, meaning that products can easily be repaired if needed, instead of replacing the entire product.
Tip for first-time buyers attending the Show:
Plan your must-sees, but leave room for discovery. Some of the best finds in Chicago are the ones you weren’t expecting.
Brabantia Products: CollectIt laundry baskets and SortUp recycling bin.