This article was originally published on May 5, 2023; it was updated on May 16, 2023.
Kohler continues to grow its global leadership in the design, innovation and manufacture of kitchen and bath products with the acquisition of UK-based Kast Concrete Basins, a boutique designer and manufacturer of contemporary concrete basins and sinks. Kast specializes in bathroom basins within the premium market and is a design-led brand known for its bold colors.
The 12-year-old company, founded by Tim Bayes, who will now serve as Kast’s managing director/head of creative, joins Kohler’s Luxury Brands portfolio alongside design leaders Ann Sacks, Kallista and Robern. Kast products are sold globally in the high-end showroom and specification channels, targeting customers who seek personal expression and creativity in their bathrooms with stunning color and tactile feel.
“Kohler pioneered vibrant, colorful products to great acclaim as far back as 1927, and has progressively introduced innovative designs, materials, and finishes that help customers make a design statement in their spaces,” said Bonnie Choruby, president – Luxury Brands at Kohler. “Kast shares that same mindset and is a perfect fit for our Luxury Brands division. Not only does the brand bring a new material to our portfolio – concrete – but also the color and refinement expertise that is evident in the unique shapes and forms of its beautiful basins.”
Kast founder Bayes fell in love with concrete more than 20 years ago having grown up in Switzerland and was inspired by the use and manipulation of the material. He saw concrete’s potential for contemporary product design, and with an affinity for engineering and possessing a degree in Fine Art, he began working with the liquid stone.
From designing furniture to creating contemporary interior surfaces, realizing his vision took years of development by researching and refining both the precise mix of concrete and complex casting processes. Over time, Bayes grew his team and continued to innovate, pushing the boundaries of how concrete can be used.
“We are thrilled to join the Kohler organization, a highly admired multinational company that has achieved 150 years of unparalleled innovation and growth,” said Bayes. “Everyone at Kast Concrete Basins also has the passion to innovate relentlessly, and we couldn’t be more pleased to now be a part of the Luxury Brands division that includes like-minded brands and the resourcing to accelerate global expansion.”
All Kast products are made from traditional, aggregate-based concrete. Real, authentic concrete using limestone from local suppliers, along with specially sourced sands and high-quality pigments, are carefully blended to produce the aesthetically refined concrete mixes.
Through the years, Kast pared back its product offering and now focuses on making the most beautiful concrete basins anywhere in the world – from simple monolithic forms to refined contours and patterned surfaces. The Kast design center and factory in Nottinghamshire produces more than 50 basin designs in 28 colors including wall-hung, freestanding, countertop, cloakroom and double-basin models for residential and commercial markets, as well as custom projects. In 2022, Kast expanded its bathroom offering with the debut of a tapware collection called Alto.
