Product Innovator Awards from KBIS 2020!
For the next few weeks, I’m going to introduce (and comment on, of course) some products that were voted as some of the most innovative products around by a panel of kitchen and bath industry professionals earlier this year at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. As this show was held earlier this year, it was an in-person and not virtual event! Here are some of my favorites:
- First Place for Kitchen Innovation is Fotile’s 3-in-1 In-Sink Dishwasher! Just take a look at how cool this is.
Not only is it a sink and dishwasher all in one place, but you can also wash produce in the dishwasher! Not while you’re washing dishes, of course. This would be fabulous for a tiny kitchen, bar area, butler’s pantry or 2nd kitchen!
- Second place for Kitchen Innovation is GE’s Café Quad Door Refrigerator. It’s a 4-door refrigerator with a convertible temperature zone that offers the flexibility to store different foods in different seasons. There’s a compartment that can double as a freezer when you need more freezer space, a wipeable glass-overlay surface for jotting your list while standing at the fridge and has a fingerprint free finish. Additionally, I like the integrated pocket handles as a space-saving feature when opening the door in tight spaces.
- Second place for Bath Innovation is Kohler’s Eir Intelligent Toilet. If you want the only the best for your tush, this is the toilet for you. It features a sleek tankless design with an optional rose gold or gold decorative ring around the lid for you design fans. It also backs up to the wall so the plumbing and electrical connections are hidden. Again, sleek design. There’s a UV sanitizing wand that delivers an electrolyzed water spray to clean the surfaces, hands-free opening and closing, adjustable and customizable water sprays, a heated seat, and night light. On the “green” side of things, it offers dual flush modes for water conservation. You can even adjust all of the cleansing properties with a remote control. A must-have for anyone who wants the ultimate in their bathroom experience!
Exciting 2018 Cabinet Trends
How would we function without kitchens and bathrooms? We couldn’t! Cabinets are integral to the comfort, function and design of these vital rooms. So just what do homeowners desire most in new cabinetry today? Beautiful and functional options abound. Here are some of the trends exciting homeowners most in 2018:
Transitional and contemporary styles are growing in leaps and bounds. Shaker cabinets continue to be highly popular as well as timeless white, both of which work well for transitional style kitchens. Homeowners who seek sleek contemporary or modern styles are often opting for flat panel and slab door cabinets. Homeowners are frequently mixing in glass door cabinets with interior lighting and open shelving is increasing in popularity.
Left: Northbrook White Kitchen; Right: Lincoln Park Condo Kitchen both by Catherine Schager Designs
Two-tone cabinets are on trend with any style, often with light perimeter cabinets and contrasting dark island cabinetry. Dark wood stains are most popular for the contrasting color but personalized color choices are making a comeback too with homeowners often opting for shades of blue and green. Chameleon neutrals are gaining interest – colors that look slightly different from various angles and in different lighting. Modern cottage and modern farmhouse styles are growing in popularity too. The “X” motif is becoming a common sight, either in cabinet doors, chair backs, or on the ends of island cabinetry.
Another huge trend is mixing an opaque and a stain or a stain and a glaze to create an array of flexible and personalized color choices.
Heavy wood grain finishes are popular even in sleek, contemporary cabinets. Laminates are becoming more popular, especially with new technology that allows realistic wood looks. Tailored shiplap is also on trend.
Left: Dura Supreme Laminate Skyline Walnut by Kitchen Design Partners (photo by Dennis Jourdan); Right: Dura Supreme Bria Sterling Ash textured laminate from 1st Choice Cabinetry (photo by Greg Scott Photography)
Pale wood and raw wood looks are on the rise as finish choices, as is accepting wood imperfections. Oak had fallen off in use for a while but it is once again a popular choice, including cerused oak finishes. Weathered and distressed finishes are popular and not just for traditional or farmhouse styles. Adding a splash of rustic to transitional styles is a currently popular trend too.
Left: Greenfield Qtr Sawn White Oak; Right: Greenfield Knotty Alder with Heavy Distressing
All these gorgeous cabinet options are a treat for the eye, but don’t you want to open these doors and see orderly, functional storage spaces? That essential cabinet function is top of the list for homeowners. Stay tuned for latest in cabinet inserts that make storage a breeze.
Left: Spa Retreat Master Bath; Right: Delightful Contemporary Update both by Catherine Schager Designs
Check out our pinterest board for more cabinet styles and finishes. What is your favorite?
KBIS 2017 Musings
This year’s show was amazing. It was held at the Orlando Convention Center which is huge. The show actually occupied two buildings as the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) was combined with the International Builder’s Show (IBS). Both shows occupied spaces in both buildings which were conveniently connected via a ped-way, even though they are about a mile apart. So, you can imagine- lots of walking!
Day 1: I devoted day 1 to the educational seminars offered (there were tons to choose from!) and learned about resolving difficult on-the-job problems (some new things I’ll be incorporating to assist clients in understanding the process), attended a seminar from Houzz that gave us trends to watch based on user feedback, and hiring- how to do it well. In between times, I’d run down to the show floor and visit a vendor booth or two. In the evening, there was an event honoring my friend Michael Menn, who received the honor of Remodeler of the Year from Qualified Remodeler Magazine. So cool to know a celebrity!
Day 2: Only 2 seminars today: one that discussed the physiological and psychological effects of color and one that discussed the kitchen of the future. Both were among the best that I attended. The kitchen of the future is fascinating and there will be more to come on that! Again, I spent time on the show floor, looking at great storage solutions, the “Bedroom of the Future” built by students from Virginia Tech, which was fascinating, and listened to a presentation given by some of the guys from “This Old House” about an initiative that they’re cooperating in to encourage people to go into the trades. Sadly, as our industry ages, we’re not getting young people to join the trades and are losing valuable craftspeople to create beautiful homes. This evening hosted a huge party called “The Bash” which went on until really early on Thursday! Yours truly did not attend, as I wisely sought the comfort of a good night’s sleep.
Day 3: Our shortest day- as we were flying back home and needed to get off the floor somewhat early. Just one seminar today about marrying luxury appliances in a luxury kitchen and what pitfalls to watch out for. Always good information to have! More time on the floor where I saw some amazing new fixtures for the kitchen from Pfister- like a faucet that responds to your voice! Also saw some great new options for quartz countertops- they’re getting more and more beautiful! Hope you enjoy these “moments” from the show and I look forward to delving into the latest trends in future posts!
Check out our pinterest board for images from the events.
2016 KBIS Jan 19-21 Las Vegas Convention Center
I just returned from a whirlwind trip to this year’s Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Vegas with my friend and colleague Nancy Jacobson. It was 3 days of introductions to new products, educational opportunities and a bit of fun. It has been paired with the International Builder’s Show for the past several years and I was fortunate enough to be able to attend both shows.
At KBIS, I saw a bunch of new and exciting products like great storage options for cabinets, interesting exhaust hoods, fabulous new faucets and sinks and some new technology that I will be implementing in the next few weeks. On the education side, I learned about keeping up with fashion in design, what consumers want from their professionals, and how to continue to make my business better. I was also able to attend a tour of companies that offer options for helping people age in place in their homes, thanks to my friend Michael Menn. Although the days were long (but not nearly as long as the lines to the shuttle buses back to our hotels!), I enjoyed the opportunity to stay abreast of new offerings and ways of enhancing my client’s experience. I’m still working on incorporating everything I learned, but stay tuned and enjoy some of these images of the show! (For even more cool new products, see our pinterest board.)
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- Las Vegas Convention Center
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- Cooking demos
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- These are all countertop options!
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- Finally! Tupperware storage
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- These are vent hoods!
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- KBIS Entertainment
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- Nancy takes a break
Looking for Great Appliances? Think Jenn-Air!
Recently, I had the pleasure of being selected to be one of a handful of designers from around the country to attend a special two day designer forum presented and hosted by Jenn-Air and led by Ellen Cheever- a rock star in the world of kitchen design. It was an exciting and enlightening couple of days! Jenn-Air put us all up in a lovely boutique hotel in downtown Chicago called the Palomar. We were whisked off for an afternoon of demonstrations and of course food, at the beautiful World of Whirlpool penthouse in the Reid- Murdoch building. For those of you who don’t know it, it’s the building downtown with the big clock tower on it facing the river. We got to tour the inside of the clock tower and look out at the spectacular view of Chicago!
The following day was another intensive day filled with demonstrations of the vast product line that Jenn-Air offers. Here are some of the insights that I came away with:
- Jenn-Air is a premium line of appliances, but with prices that usually fall below other premium brands.
- They offer some fabulous ovens that can even remember your favorite recipes!
- If you’re looking for a new cooktop, consider induction as opposed to gas or electric- it’s 90% efficient as opposed to 55% for electric and only 45% for gas. It also remains cool to the touch.
- Ventilation can be cool! (no pun intended ☺) Jenn-Air offers down-draft that is quiet, powerful, and can be duct-free.
- Have you ever seen a refrigerator with an Obsidian interior? You should check out http://jennair.com/obsidian-refrigerator for a peek!
- From your morning coffee until your final clean-up after dinner, Jenn-Air has the appliances to make your life easy and entertaining fun!
Here are some photos! For more photos, see our pinterest board.
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- with Ellen Cheever (left)
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- A view of the Palomar rooms
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- Jenn-Air Form
Emerging Kitchen Trends for 2015
- At January 19, 2015
- By catherineschager
- In Design Trends
0
There are some fresh, exciting new kitchen design trends emerging in 2015! If you are planning a kitchen remodel in 2015, be sure to check out these ideas:
- Celebrating Ceilings
- Luxury Metals
- Minimal Wall Cabinets
- Open Shelving
- Touchable Textures
- Vibrant Colors
Not content to be boring any longer, ceilings in the kitchen are striving to make a statement and to make us look up using artful lighting, bulkheads, coffer ceilings, beams, windows, and classical embellishments. The wood features in this kitchen draw the eye up to a row of clerestory windows for a floating ceiling illusion.
Warmer, luxury metals like bronze, copper and even gold will shine in 2015. From large feature items like range hoods and backsplashes to small touches like faucets and light fixtures, you can dress up your everyday kitchen easily.
Open floor plans are spreading out even more by limiting or even eliminating kitchen wall cabinets, adding to the desired spacious feel and allowing for more windows.
Not just for displays anymore, open shelving is adding to the airy open-concept kitchen design with a very personal, lived-in, practical vibe.
The shift toward natural, tactile materials like stone, wood in natural forms rather than smooth finishes and hammered metals continues to make new kitchen designs positively touchable.
Move over tired, monochromatic color schemes. Vibrant hues are coming back to the kitchen! Rich, bold colors like royal blue, crimson red, and mustard yellow inspired by tribal palettes will be spicing up kitchen designs this year.
See more photos of the trends above on our pinterest board.
Hot Tile Trends
- At August 29, 2013
- By catherineschager
- In Design Trends
- 0
Do you love bold, solid-colored tiles? A blend of neutrals? A creative mixes of patterns? Deep textures? Whatever your style preference, larger sized tiles are the current trend to watch and Tile of Spain showcases the current trendsetters.
- Bold, Solid Colors
A bright mix of colors in this subway tile by Cevica called Antic Special adds dimension and lends an antique feel to a backsplash.
- Beautiful Neutral Blends
Soft, inviting neutrals with elegant designs merge the floor and walls of this living space with large format tiles by Plaza Cerámica from their Yoho series.
- Mixed Patterns
Aparici captures the eye with their new Moving series of black and white tile in vintage patterns. Mix and match the geometric designs and never lose interest in your tile again.
- Deep Textures
Apaviso takes textured tiles to new depths with their three-dimensional Archconcept series of porcelain tile. Check out the architectural effect of overlapping this tile called Quarter Up. The series is created with the latest tile manufacturing technologies and designed off current architectural trends.
Do you see a place for any of these new trends from Spain in your home?
Just for Fun…Tops or Topless?
- At August 24, 2011
- By catherineschager
- In Design Trends
- 6
I’m talking about cabinets!! Ok, technically they’re called wall cabinets, but I’m taking a teeny little bit of artistic license- and it got you thinking, didn’t it? One of the trends I’ve been seeing a lot of in high end kitchens, is cleaner wall spaces above the counter. Either open shelving of some sort or no cabinetry at all. Take a look at the following pictures and tell me what you think!
A Johnathan Adler and Liz Lange kitchen
Totally topless
How do you feel about this trend? Would you be able to store all of your stuff without wall cabinets? Do you like the look? Please weigh in with your opinions!
Top 5 Cool Products
Here are some really cool products that I’ve stumbled across lately. Enjoy!
- EVOline – this is a neat way to plan your electrical access in your kitchen. Just think, no more breaking up your backsplash with unsightly outlets. Store them either above the counter or below and access them with the touch of a finger!
Schulte Electro Systems answer to unsightly outlets!
- Best Hood’s “Lipstick” ventilator. Ok, it’s not for everyone, but you have to admit it’s kinda sexy!
The "Lipstick" range hood
- Miele’s pop-up ventilation- A neat way to ventilate without making it a focal point.
Miele's Downdraft ventilation
- The S-box storage system. Ok, I agree that I have a thing for ways to conceal stuff. Maybe it’s the neatnik in me….
Lots of ways to conceal those things that clutter up your counter!
- Last, but not least- Modono glass tiles. Right, this has nothing to do with any of these other products, but it’s on my “cool” list. These are actually textured tiles, available in many colors and patterns.
Modono Glass tile
So, do any of these do it for you??
All Mixed Up
So, what’s hot in kitchens? According to Lisa Bertagnoli of Crain’s Chicago Business, kitchens cabinets that aren’t all the same color are hot. I say, this is not a new trend as I’ve been seeing it for several years. I like mixing colors, species of woods and countertops. You have to do it well or you could end up with something like this:
This is NOT the look you want
Ok, I’m lending you my critical eye. Why is the above kitchen a very poor interpretation of the mixed finishes concept? It’s because they’ve stuck one cabinet with not only a different finish, but a different style in between a row of homogenous cabinets. That just looks like you needed something to fill the space and ran out and grabbed the first thing in the right size. No, no, no.
Here are some kitchens that display the concept well.
Attractive mixed finishes
Ok, this kitchen is done well because there is balance and harmony in the mixing. You have the white cabinetry balanced with the light walls and all the cabinetry on one side is the same color. The darker island relates to the darker table, chairs, buffet and hutch and flooring. Nothing looks incongrous.
Let’s look at another:
Pretty Country Kitchen
There’s a lot of mixing going on here! You have different floors, different finishes, different door styles, and different crown treatments. Why does this succeed where the first example failed? Again, there’s some harmony and unifying elements that make it all come together to look good. Look, for instance at the two-toned wall. See how the gold area unites the two sets of cabinetry? And even though the door styles are very different, they’re both very “country”. The differences in floor materials adds to the rustic, authentic feel. You get the impression that the cupboard might have been a piece that was passed down from a previous generation.
Now that you’ve seen some of what works and what doesn’t in mixing finishes, what do you think? Would you be brave enough to try it?
