KBIS: Kitchen and Bath Industry Show 2010

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The 2010 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show was held in Chicago, and as usual there were lots of cool and innovative new products on display.

Countertops

The ThinkGlass line of multicolored LED backlit glass countertops by Mailhot proved to be a real eye catcher at the show.

For those who want granite, but thought they couldn’t afford it, the Murano Collection introduced affordable granite countertops and backsplashes for your kitchen or bath for as low as $10 a square foot.

If you want the look of natural stone in your bath with the ease of installation, lower cost, and durability of cultured marble, then check out Impressions by Imperial. Photo reproductions of actual granite slabs imbedded under the gel coat make this cultured marble product hard to tell from real stone.

There are a lot of countertop materials available to choose from for your home, but Eco by Cosentino is a truly green product that’s made from 75% recycled material—including glass, porcelain, and tile—bonded together using resin made from corn oil. The result is an attractive, durable countertop in a range of colors that resists scratching, staining, and scorching.

Cabinets

There were a number of innovative kitchen cabinet ideas on display from Merillat including wooden pull out racks for easy storage of pots and pans, and drawer dividers for silverware with a sliding knife tray.

Cooking

For the finest in outdoor cooking, consider the Artisan Fire Pizza Oven from Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet. The gas oven has one burner to heat the composite stone cook surface and a second open flame burner in the back to brown the toppings. The open front of double-walled stainless steel oven allows you to see the pizza as it cooks.

The Broan Evolution line of range hoods for your kitchen feature enhanced lighting, better filtration, easy cleaning, and reduced noise levels.

Bath Accessories

Grab bars in the bathroom are an important safety feature regardless of your age. But if you think of bland, institutional designs in grab bars, then you haven’t seen the Invisia Collection from HealthCraft Products. From corner shelves and soap dishes to towel bars and toilet roll holders, these stylish grab bars can support up to 350 pounds and are available in chrome or powder white.

Want to catch the news while you’re fixing your hair? Then you have to see the Dimmable Lighted Mirror TV from Electric Mirror. When turned on the TV displays through your mirror for a unique viewing experience.

The Envi Eco-Performance line of showerheads from Moen include the company’s first WaterSense certified rainshower model.

The affordable Digital Showerheads from Levaqua which provide a range of sprays and functions—including eco-mode, pause control, and timer—all available at the touch of a button or by remote control.

Kitchen Accessories

The Vynebar Vertical Wine Rack comes in a range of colors and is available in four or eight bottle sizes. It attaches directly to your wall for a clean, modern look that doesn’t take up valuable counter space.

To take advantage of wasted space in your walls, consider the Pocket Drawer. These DIY-friendly shallow drawer units are made to fit in the space between two studs and can be installed in any room in your home. They also make a fold-down computer workstation and two-door TV cabinet.

Hot Water Heating

The GE GeoSpring electric hot water heater, uses heat pump technology to reduce your hot water heating costs by up to 62%. That translates into average energy savings of $320 a year. Since the GeoSpring has the same footprint as a traditional water heater, you won’t have to replumb or rewire to install it.

Design Tools

For those interested in designing a dream home from scratch, Autodesk has introduced Homestyler, an online design program that’s free and doesn’t require downloading special software to use.

Once the homeowner has designed their home, a click of a button converts the 2-D design into a 3-D image.

Other Products Shown

• The Grothouse Lumber Company (custom wood countertops)
• Fisher & Paykel (drawer style dishwasher and refrigerator)
• Linkasink (metal kitchen & bath sinks)
• Hirsch Glass (decorative glass countertops)
• Wellborn Cabinet, Inc. (electronic storage device cabinet)
• Rev-A-Shelf (full length folding mirror)
• Sugatsune (multi-motion cabinet doors)

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