KBIS 2008 - Green Kitchen Products

This just in...New York Times' Sunday magazine, "The Green Issue" is here:

Please take a look and register if you need to, it's worth it.

I was all set to blog about green kitchen design theory today, but Maureen, my assistant, took home a bunch of green kitchen information this weekend (on her own, just wanted to read up on it, isn't that great?) and I can't find what I'm looking for. You'll meet Maureen soon, I'm sure. Maureen brings her own container of water to work every day (yes, don't worry, I give her more water if she wants it during the day. No, I DO.) We talk about environmental issues here and there, and Maureen brings a lot of good green living insight into our company. SO, till then, I'll show you some green, or healthy living, products I saw at KBIS.

Rohl has a new triflow faucet, which offers hot, cold, and filtered water from a single faucet, offering consumers a healthy alternative and a more green alternative than drinking tap water or wasting water bottles. The faucet has a dedicated filtered waterway with no risk of contamination. The filtration system sits under the sink and produces water that tastes good.

Staron Surfaces (by Samsung) has added ten new colors to the line for 2008, but the most exciting news is the Greenguard certification Staron has just earned for their countertop products. The certification covers the full range of products by Staron. Here is one of the new colors, called Sonoma, from the Tempest line, new for 2008.

Did I tell you browns were everywhere? Well, take a look at this product. It's brown AND green. Kichler introduces new LED cabinet light fixture. It's energy efficient, lasts, oh, 40,000 hours or so, emitting a soft, white light. It is for use under wall cabinets, as task lighting, and it comes in a variety of sizes. It also has a very low profile, about 1/2" thick. How about a lifetime warranty and a snap together installation? And it also comes in nickel and white, as well as bronze. You're welcome in advance for this one!

That's it for the moment...I have tons of work to do! Enjoy the weekend! 

Draper DBS Sub Zero Booth Kbis 2008

Quick note...as the weather warms...it's 73 degrees and not even 11 am(!) I like to lighten up the blog...so here is a fresh, crisp, change, along with some small new images just below the main image. It feels like summer already to me!

Here is the other Sub Zero booth from the 2008 KBIS show last week, by Bill Draper, of Draper DBS. Bill Draper shares his, always unique, always interesting, vision, creating a mix of materials, a fusion of smoothness, texture, shine, shimmer, waves, and grids in a simple, yet strong, kitchen design.

There is movement in this kitchen...it's in the "wave" drawer fronts, the rounded, amazing, Sub Zero pieces, made as one, the "moving" glass features, even the carved artwork of 3 people in slight movement. The colors are clear and warm, and the lines are strong. Bill Draper's designs for Sub Zero always delight the senses. We, in the biz, KNOW it will be something special if Bill Draper is attached to a project. His cabinetry is wonderful, and he has a policy that his factory will create anything buildable...just go ahead and dream...

Take a look at the Flikr slide show...it's a quick one, only 7 images.

UPDATE: I had a request to see the drawer fronts on this project. I did not focus on them, so they are not as sharp as they could be, but it's not bad.

My Midlife Crisis ... In The Kitchen

Not a crisis, it sounds so dramatic, but a period of transition, yes...honestly...as a kitchen designer, that is. I'm no longer so concerned with the kitchen triangle, and haven't been for awhile. For the most part, the kitchen triangle is fading away in relevance. Why? Because of several things:

• a client's increased confidence in expressing one's preferred work habits (a good thing)
• the introduction of so many different shapes, sizes, and types of appliances in response
• designing multiple work stations into a kitchen
• multi generations cooking together as fun rather than as a task
• the kitchen becoming even more the center of the home, attracting people like ants to a picnic

But, it's funny, the thing that is really making me totally rethink the kitchen is its role as a social place. We've all read the magazines talking about the kitchen as the "gathering place." We've heard that for years, and there is the island with a few stools, etc. etc.

But, my eyes have been opened even further. I now find myself thinking far more about social interaction in the kitchen design phase, putting its importance right up there with other functional issues as well as aesthetics, which they do at Hansen, and in a big way. There is more to this philosophy, but, as you know, I will go on forever if I say much more. 

Here's the point for today. Remember this kitchen I told you about? I found myself designing in more opportunities for social interaction, with the occasional traditional thinking thrown into other plans, which many people enjoy. Today, I met with my client, and this is the plan she chose, just below. It was my favorite, but I'm not always asked what my favorite plan is, and do not offer it unless asked. It's subjective, after all.

Every plan has its pros and cons, and this is no exception. In fact, the social kitchen, often with large and/or multiple islands, does sacrifice storage. That's the way it often is. But, the critical question...do you really need all that stuff? In this case, we reclaimed a large wall just off the kitchen for needed storage space. At this preliminary point, it's all about shapes, forms, aisles, and appliance locations, really nothing more. There were others, but these are most of them. In one case, not shown, I put the cooktop in the bay and took out the rear window to have the sink closer to the cooktop in a different plan. Remember, function, social, aesthetics, the order of each is yours to define!

KBIS 2008 Trends - It's a Mod Mod Mod Mod World!

 
FIRST, a big WOW to being named blog of the week by none other than The Washington Post! My blogging buddy, Joni, from Cote de Texas told me the news. The other blog pick of the week was So Haute, a good find. Back to you...

For those of you way too young to remember this movie, if not a mad world, it was a mod one at KBIS. Here are some examples, certainly not all, and to see the brand, roll your mouse over the image. MUCH more KBIS to come (this is nothing!) We haven't even seen kitchens yet!

KBIS 2008 Kitchen Trends

I touched on a few things in my glam.com post, but, before I show you more products, I want to talk a little more deeply about the trends I saw at the show. Here's what I observed...and I walked the show with a heightened awareness to just observe, put together puzzle pieces, listen, compare, look, and learn. I won't single out products here, I'll just give you my impressions. Look for examples as I show you specific products soon.

ECO IS (mostly) EVERYWHERE

ECO-themed issues, displays, products or any combination thereof, collectively, WAS the 80,000 ton gorilla at the show. It's everywhere. It's shouted from the rooftops (I wish I had taken a shot of Sears' booth). It's the biggest marketing message of all. It's seen in the displays, in press releases, and is on all the KBIS attendees minds and in their words (at least everyone I spoke to.) I took a 1/2 day seminar on green kitchen design, so I guess it's something I'm attuned to as well. Most companies "get it" and are on board the green train, wherever it's taking us. I mean, what can be bad?

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

However, that said, beyond the message, in reality, it DOES look like many companies are making special efforts to embrace new technologies to make their products more energy efficient. I've seen more leds than ever as substitute lighting in various (mainstream) products compared to previously used, less efficient, lighting. Appliance companies are actively promoting increasing energy efficiency. Gas cooktops are more energy efficient. An energy efficient hood, which I do believe is the first one to be energy star rated. An effort for faucets to deliver less water out of the spout, but not sacrificing pressure. The mainstream companies are responding bigtime.

GLAMOUR

I cannot predict our economic future, but I can tell you that glamour in the kitchen is very much alive and well! Maybe, it's like having one last dance on the Titanic, who knows, but, wow, baby, many products for the kitchen are ALL DRESSED UP! To me, it's an edgier, riskier point of view that these mainstream (and smaller) companies feel comfortable "going for." Good for them. It's about time! Shine, shimmer, glass, leds, some color (not a whole lot) and you've made a statement.

BROWN, BRONZE, AMBER, WARMTH, ETC. ETC.

SO much at the show was brown...and various shades of browns, and different browns together in whatever materials amuse. Brown metals abound still, in hardware, hoods, sinks, faucets...Brown was really the king at the show. Deep, rich, stains in wood cabinetry were absolutely the norm in most displays I observed. And, I'll tell you this...if it wasn't deep, rich browns, it was browns with white accents.

STAINLESS IS A CLASSIC FINISH

Don't listen to those who say stainless is on its way out, just because browns are everywhere. Browns are not everywhere, not in appliance finishes. In other products, yes. I hereby declare that stainless is a classic finish. Yes, I'll go out on a limb on this one, and if I'm wrong about that, well, I've been wrong once before, so my record is good. ;) 

TECHNOLOGY

As mentioned a bit above, technology is doing amazing things in products. It is creating beautiful patterns in tile, it is creating beautiful solid surface patterns. Yes, solid surface, thanks to fresh, new, patterns, probably as a result of enhanced technology, need to be looked at again. And, yes, I do mean Corian. It was gorgeous in some displays. But, more than that, technology is giving us so many choices in how we use our appliances to get what we WANT out of them. Technology is helping to give us time back in our lives, it's organizing one's life in the kitchen. I see more technological leaps this year than ever.

APPLIANCE CHOICES

Appliance companies are stepping up to provide us with even better looking appliances. Also, appliances that cook or chill in far healthier ways than ever before. In more sizes and configurations than ever, and the continued introduction of smaller, niche, products to answer those quirky needs and desires of consumers. There are just more choices, let me say it like that!

THE ARTISAN/NATURAL INFLUENCE

The artisan touch was huge, in tile, big bold, patterns in hand crafted tile. Artists designed sinks, even in mainstream companies, hoods, interesting countertops, and more. The combination of matte and shine, texture and smooth, coexist and create a more personal expression. Natural materials...everywhere. If not real, then the look of nature. In cabinetry, countertops, hardware, sinks, and more...Mother Nature is surely the Queen this year!
 

KBIS 2008 Sub Zero Cool!

Always, one of the "must see" parts of the show is the Sub Zero booth. Sub Zero always has a couple of amazing, full size, kitchens, showcasing their products to the max! This year is no exception. There were two fabulous kitchens, and the first, by designer Mick de Giulio, follows. Take a moment to look at this slide show, and enjoy.

And, take a look at my blog posts for Glam Media, number ONE in reach for women online...

Talking about KBIS sinks!

And, a show overview here!

FYI...I'll be posting interesting information on KBIS for, probably weeks. So much I want to share with you. It's not old news a few days after the show. There's lots to share over time, and I'll work it all in when I can, in between my day job. :)

KBIS 2008 - Cool Finds

I took about 700 pictures at KBIS, that's right, well, closer to 800! OK, it was the new, fancy, camera that made me go crazily snapping on and on and on. Plus, I didn't want to miss a thing!

The show is fantastic...always. New products = fun, cool, interesting, plus, always, a slow shake of the head in wonder at what they thought of next! Here are some random, but notable, picks...

Ann Sacks tile, always gorgeous, introduces the Perennial series of tile, all, made in a small, Portland, Oregon, studio. This is custom mosaic tile, and I think it's amazing!

I'll tell you one thing that I kept saying to myself and the person who walked me around the Elkay booth...Elkay has stepped it up! I was continually impressed by the beautiful design and innovation at the products in the Elkay booth. Smart, modern, very nice. Here's a new pot filler.

Here was a lovely, new, sink by Kohler, called the Cordial. It's an "entertainment" sink, ready to hold a block of ice, or bottles of wine, a staging area for mixing drinks, all that good stuff. A cutting board is included, an ice mold (hmmm!) and a steel pouring tray. Makes cast iron look modern, doesn't it?

From Fisher & Paykel, a new refrigerator drawer. It's great to have a SINGLE refrigerator drawer. You don't always need a double. BUT, that's not all. It's not only a refrigerator drawer, it can be a freezer, a pantry (53 degrees) OR a wine storage unit. Just select the lock button to lock and unlock the temperature selections, decide what you need it for, and wa-laaa, the ultimate in flexible refrigeration!

And, here's a new oven from Smeg...a glossy, mirrored finished door. Looks to me like it is a 24" size, perfect for a second oven in a medium or small kitchen or in an apartment. It's new!

More analysis and images, tons more, soon. An hour after I returned home from the airport yesterday, I met with clients for several hours, so I'm a bit late out of the gate! Lots more to share...