Despite the cold and moody weather, spring can certainly be felt across Chicagoland – and when it’s spring, that can only mean one thing for the housewares lover in me: The Inspired Home Show is in town 🙂 This Show is owned and operated by the International Housewares Association (IHA) and you can find my previous coverage of it here, here, here, here, here and here.
Due to my work schedule, I was unable to attend this year’s edition, but I thought it would be beneficial to provide a summary of it and of its highlights.
The Inspired Home Show featured more than 1,000 companies, thousands of unique brands and hundreds of thousands of products to attendees from more than 100 countries, according to IHA.
The Show provided the following:
- Four expos in two halls: Clean + Contain, Dine + Décor, Wired + Well, and International Sourcing
- The Candle Pavilion, in partnership with The National Candle Association
- The Pet Products Pavilion, in partnership with The American Pet Products Association
- An expanded Debut section, highlighting emerging home and housewares companies and smaller new-to-the-show exhibitors
- An expanded Inventors Corner, featuring start-up entrepreneurs with fresh ideas and passion projects in the form of a single product
- Global Design Points, which offered a look into emerging trends from Brazil, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Turkey
- The Pantone ColorWatch section, showcasing housewares to match the seven palettes in the Pantone View Home + Interiors 2027 forecast
- The new SPLiCE Licensing Hub, in partnership with the Society of Product Licensors Committed to Excellence to connect attendees with brands interested in licensing deals
- The New Exhibitor Gallery, featuring brands and products new to the show
- The IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia), honoring excellence in home and housewares retailing, product design and student achievement
- Four keynotes focusing on the future of home and housewares with the latest consumer trends, growth opportunities and AI strategies (detailed info on one of the keynotes can be found here)
- The Inspiration Theater sessions, featuring analysis and how-to on a number of retail strategies, consumer trends and business topics such as tariffs and licensing
- Inspired Women in Housewares, which provided networking and a panel discussion for leaders in the industry
- Networking events for the entire industry, as well as focused events for independent retailers and young professionals
I always look forward to the reveal of gia award winners and of Pantone‘s Color of the Year. You are welcome to check out the full list of 2026 gia winners here. After loving their Salad Pod last year, I was excited to see Prepara on the list with their new Berry Pod.
On another note, I love Pantone’s designation of Cloud Dancer as Color of the Year. “A lofty white that serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection” – a dreamy shade and a wondrous description 🙂
After a very successful edition, The Inspired Home Show will reconvene between March 9 – 11 next year, and I hope to be able to attend.
Do you have a favorite color for housewares? Let me know in the comments 🙂
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