Expert Advice for your Lawn & Garden TV Host of Today's Homeowner® and home expert for The Weather ChannelToday's Homeowner Published 08/23/2006 by Danny Lipford
Danny travels to Chicago–for the annual Kitchen and Bath Industry Show–to find the latest and greatest in kitchen and bath products, designs, and trends to keep you ahead of the curve.
The kitchen and bath industry show is where hundreds of different manufacturers introduce the latest and greatest products for two of the most important rooms in the house: the kitchen and the bath. Although the general public was not invited, we had a pass to do a little window shopping, a little trend shopping and give you a sneak peek of what’s out there.
Here’s a snapshot of just some of the products and emerging trends we found:
Silhouette Door from Merillat Cabinets
The introduction of Merillat Classic Silhouette presents an option for homeowners who want a clean, understated look. The beauty lies in the straight lines and right angles. Its full-overlay design, five-piece drawer front and recessed center panel is well suited to a range of designs, from sleek, contemporary spaces to charming, period-style homes. It is available in Maple and Cherry wood species in all finishes.
www.merillat.com
Stockton Series from Yorktowne Cabinetry
Taking its influence from Shaker styling, Stockton gives it a new twist by placing a recessed solid wood center panel into a wider frame made from 3″ stiles and rails. A new take on an old-time Hooiser cabinet is made possible with the wide variety of new cabinet shapes introduced by Yorktowne. For purely modern function we also found a two-drawer base cabinet, and slide out furniture legs with built-in spice rack.
www.yorktownecabinetry.com
KraftMaid Storage Solutions
The company extends the modern look to the way the cabinets are organized and brings a whole new idea to the appliance garage with the Harmony™ Tambour Storage unit. The Contempo collection features uncommon storage solutions like utensil holders that come complete with cooking tools, and solid-bottom, chrome baskets for practical storage.
www.kraftmaid.com
KV® Virtu™ Easy Corner
The easy corner features a door-actuated mechanism that pulls the system out of the blind corner and into the cabinet opening. Knape & Vogt also introduced a new lazy susan concept - the system features two drawers and four side baskets.
www.kv.com
Soko Doormen™ pulls from the ® Man-Handles Collection
The 18″ entry size pulls a produced in a choice of hand-cast stainless and hand-cast bronze; Man Handles create an artistic focal point for large interior doors, cabinets and integrated appliances.
www.sokostudio.com
Wind Crest Induction Cooktop
The induction cooktop uses electromagnetic energy to heat the pan while the cooktop remains cool. The result is faster cook time, better heat distribution, greater energy efficiency and a cleaner, safer kitchen.
www.windcrestcnp.com
Sharp Insight Pro™ Microwave Drawer™
The microwave drawer provides an alternative to a countertop unit and gives homeowners the ability to incorporate the drawer into almost any design layout or configuration.
www.sharpusa.com
Dacor Epicure® Ranges
New Epicure® ranges feature high-powered simmer sear burners that enable precise control over the heat source and accommodate specific needs from ultra low heat for delicate chocolates to a rolling boil in a stock pot. Larger grates also cover more surface area to make maneuvering easy. Extra details include illuminated knobs that add style and double as a safety feature to let you know when a burner has been left on.
www.dacor.com
TurboChef 30″ Double Wall Speedcook Oven
The retro-designed unit gained attention not only because of its unique appearance but also because of its performance. The speedcook oven is said to cook up to 15 times faster than a conventional oven, cook the food evenly and increase the moisture retained.
www.turbochef.com
Caldera Cooktop
The touch pad control of the Caldera cooktop is a convenient feature, especially on the uniquely designed gas models. The sleek, easy to use controls complement the black on black of the ceramic glass and the cast iron grates. The silent ignition eliminates the annoying click and snap of other gas cooktops. Features include touch controls, 21 repeatable settings, 8 macrocycling simmers, constant flame monitoring and quiet ignition.
www.calderacorp.com
Gaggenau Modular Refrigeration Columns
The modular column refrigeration and freezer system enables homeowners to mix and match and place the columns anywhere in the kitchen. Depending on personal taste, the new modular columns can be fully integrated into custom cabinetry or visually stand out with an aluminum or stainless steel door. The columns operate individually and include features such as motorized glass shelves and electronic control panels.
www.gaggenau-usa.com
U-line Under-counter Appliance
The U-line under-Counter Combo Drawer is three appliances in one. The two-drawer unit has a refrigerator, freezer and ice maker. The clear top organizer puts food and drink within easy reach. A Slide & Divide Organizer easily adjusts to keep items of different sizes in place. The lower drawer houses the ice maker and freezer.
www.u-line.com
Perlick Multi-Zone Refrigerated Cabinet
With the all-new 72-Inch Three-Door Multi-Zone Refrigerated Cabinet homeowners can select a combination of up to three different climate zones in one under-counter refrigerated cabinet. Also features electronic digital temperature control and display.
www.perlick.com
Nucrete Countertops
NuCrete™ is totally stain free concrete surface which is available in both standard and custom designs. The color is mixed throughout the material and even contains a stain-proof feature.
www.sonomastone.com
KWC Waterstation
The waterstation is an innovative, multifunctional integrated work center that’s ergonomically designed and has freely rotating individual functions and accessories centered around a faucet. The unit is available freestanding and can act as an island, a built-in corner unit or as built-in counter unit. Features include a revolving cage in the base cabinet with storage for pots and pans, a rotating carousel with removable waste sorting system.
KWC Canyon Bathroom Faucet
The new bath faucet is a monolithically shaped fixture with a bold stream of illuminated water complete with electronic sensor. The open water flow is illuminated by an LED light band that reads from blue to red depending on water temperature.
www.kwcamerica.com
Elkay Scrub-a-Dubs™ Sink Collection
This whimsical sink collection makes kids want to spend time in the bathroom washing hands or brushing teeth.The lavatory collection is available in six imaginative designs that include inspired shapes such as a tulip, fish, butterfly and heart. The sinks are fabricated from durable, solid-surface composite material that cleans easily, won’t crack or dent, and is exceptionally resistant to chips, scratches and stains. The collection is offered in a variety of vivid colors.
www.elkay.com
Grohe 16-inch Rainshower Jumbo
This full-body showerhead is one the largest in the industry with over 250 individual sprays coming from a 16-inch diameter shower head.
www.grohe.com
Neorest Programmable Airbath
The new luxury bath has an auto-fill feature so you can set it and forget it. Just program the desired water level and temperature and the Neorest Airbath will sense when it has reached the water temperature and depth you desire and automatically stop the water’s flow.
www.totousa.com
Safety Tubs
The company introduced an acrylic walk-in bathtub that features a built-in chair-height seat, door system, therapy options and deep soaking dimensions. Fingertip electronic touch controls make adjusting water flow, temperature and jet options almost effortless.
www.safetytubs.com
Foot Flush
The retro-fit foot pedal makes flushing your toilet hands free. The pedal simply hooks to your toilet and without tools. In addition to its health benefits the hands-free flushing device is said to aid homeowners with back problems, limited mobility and other physical difficulties.
www.footflush.com
Ultra Silent™ Humidity Sensing Fan from Broan
Featuring Sensaire® technology and models that are Energy Star® qualified, the new line of Ultra Silent Humidity sensing fans are an effective way to control excess humidity and moisture in the bathroom. The fans include a sensor that turns the fan on when the humidity in the room rises and turns it back off once the air is clear.
www.broan.com
Dulcinea Bath from Oceania
The Dulcinea is an oval bath measuring 72×42 inches and features an overflow channel that encompasses the bath so water is allowed to flow gently over the edge and is then redirected into the bathtub by a silent pump. The circular motion creates a current that is said to soothe the body.
www.oceaniabaths.com
Safety Bath So-Lo
This combination walk-in bathtub/shower is a space saver and offers the best of both worlds. It comes standard with a hydrotherapy whirlpool system and uses less water than a conventional bathtub. Safety Bath is self-contained so it can be installed in any convenient location in the home.
www.safetybath.com
Kohler DTV
The custom showering product features a thermostatic valve and digital interface, the DTV eliminates multiple knobs and valve handles and offers pre-set water experience programs to operate numerous showerheads. Everything is simply controlled with a touch of a button.
www.kohler.com
Moen Velocity™ Showerhead
This new eight-inch showerhead features patented Moen Immersion™ technology - a self-pressurizing system that increases the force and flow of water delivery. The showerhead has a convenient lever to adjust the water delivery from the spray nozzles - concentrating it into 30 nozzles or expanding the flow out of as many as 100.
www.moen.com
Decolav Bathroom Vanities
Decolav introduced several new vanities, but the glass pedestal had plenty of “wow factor.” The shimmering glass pedestal is enhanced by glass accents throughout. Polished chrome and frosted, transparent glass give the vanity a simple yet distinctive look.
www.decolav.com
Price Pfister Faucet Finishes
The company unveiled two unique finishes with old world charm - rustic bronze and rustic pewter. The detailed finishes are handcrafted to provide a wonderful combination of subtle color nuances and warm highlights.
www.pricepfister.com
Bristol and Bath Canova Collection Vanities
The English inspired Canova Collection adds style and warmth to the bathroom and since the bathroom furniture is not built-in, it can be easily moved from bathroom to bathroom. The furniture includes marble tops, basins and elegant faucets and uses materials such as Cherry and Walnut.
www.bristolbath.com
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