SKS Expands Beyond Kitchen, Forging an AI-Powered Luxury Home Ecosystem

SEOUL, South Korea – February 12, 2026 – LG Electronics is making a definitive strategic push into the complete luxury home market, today announcing a major expansion of its premium SKS brand that moves it beyond its culinary roots. Set for a full unveiling at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) 2026 in Orlando, Florida, the new portfolio includes the brand's first-ever luxury laundry lineup and a new suite of AI-enhanced kitchen appliances, signaling a clear ambition to offer a fully integrated, intelligent ecosystem for high-end residences.

This expansion is a calculated move to capture a larger share of the booming North American luxury appliance market, a sector valued at over $15 billion in 2026 and projected to exceed $18.8 billion by 2031. With North America already commanding 40% of the global luxury kitchen appliance market, SKS is positioning itself not just as a provider of individual products, but as a single-source solution for builders, designers, and affluent homeowners seeking seamless design and smart-home connectivity.

The New Frontier: SKS Enters Luxury Laundry

The centerpiece of the announcement is SKS's entry into the competitive luxury laundry space, a direct challenge to established European brands like Miele and Bosch. The new lineup is headlined by the SKS WashCombo™, a 5.8-cubic-foot all-in-one unit, and a separate large-capacity 9.0-cubic-foot dryer, both designed to blend advanced technology with sophisticated aesthetics.

The WashCombo™ is engineered with AI Wash & Dry featuring AI DD™ (Artificial Intelligence Direct Drive) technology. This system uses sensors to detect fabric weight and texture, automatically selecting the optimal wash motions for precise, gentle fabric care. This is paired with a Dual Inverter Heat Pump for drying, a technology that offers significant energy savings by using lower temperatures, which also helps preserve fabrics. This focus on AI and energy efficiency puts SKS in direct competition with other tech-forward premium lines, such as Samsung's Bespoke AI laundry series.

Both the WashCombo™ and the dryer feature a seamless, Full-Flat design intended for elegant integration into luxury interiors. User interaction is managed through a 6.8-inch LCD touchscreen with customizable widgets. In a nod to ergonomic design, the models also include a Tilting Display Control that automatically adjusts the screen angle for better visibility when activated. The lineup offers flexible configurations, allowing for a streamlined pairing or a 3-in-1 system that incorporates LG's 1.0-cubic-foot MiniWash™, catering to diverse household needs and spatial constraints.

Redefining the Culinary Core with Intelligent Design

While laundry marks a new chapter, SKS is also reinforcing its award-winning legacy in the kitchen. The brand will introduce its first 36-inch Integrated Column Freezer and Column Refrigerator. Featuring a panel-ready design—a requisite in the high-end custom market—these units allow for seamless integration with custom cabinetry or SKS's own stainless steel panels. The focus is on maximizing storage while maintaining a sophisticated, built-in aesthetic.

A key differentiator is the brand's Ice & Water solutions. The freezer's dual ice maker produces both standard cubed ice and SKS's second-generation 60mm grand Craft Ice®, the slow-melting spheres popular for cocktails and fine spirits. The refrigerator includes a discreet internal water dispenser. The interiors are finished with luxurious metal and glass door bins, illuminated by a Wide-Top & Shelf-Emitting Lighting System. Smart features like AI Ice Pro, which anticipates high-demand periods to increase ice production, and AI Fresh, which proactively adjusts cooling to maintain food preservation, underscore the brand's commitment to intelligent convenience.

For the home chef, the new 36-inch Full-Flex Induction Cooktop offers extended, flexible cooking zones that can accommodate two large cookware items simultaneously. Its intelligence is showcased through features like the AI Water Boiling Alert, which notifies the user via the display and the LG ThinQ app when water boils and automatically reduces heat to prevent spillovers. Furthermore, the innovative Power Shift Plus™ feature learns user patterns to enable intuitive, hands-free control, adjusting heat levels as a pan is moved across the cooktop.

A Strategic Play for the Integrated Luxury Home

This dual expansion into laundry and advanced kitchen tech is more than a product launch; it's a strategic consolidation aimed squarely at the B2B market of luxury home builders and designers. These professionals increasingly prefer sourcing a complete suite of appliances from a single premium brand to ensure design continuity and streamline project management. By offering a cohesive, high-performance ecosystem for both the kitchen and laundry room, SKS becomes a more compelling partner for high-end residential projects.

"By expanding the SKS lineup from kitchen appliances into laundry, LG Electronics is advancing its vision for a comprehensive luxury living solution," said Steve Baek, president of the LG Home Appliance Solution Company. "With our differentiated technologies and integrated space solutions, we will continue to strengthen our leadership in the global B2B and luxury appliance markets."

This vision aligns perfectly with market trends. With smart home technology becoming a standard expectation rather than a novelty, SKS is leveraging LG's deep expertise in AI to create a connected experience. The ability to manage a full suite of home appliances through a single interface like the LG ThinQ app presents a powerful value proposition for a generation of consumers who demand both luxury and technological sophistication. The complete SKS lineup will be on display for industry professionals at KBIS 2026, marking a pivotal moment for the brand as it redefines its role in the modern luxury home.