The Fagor Portable Induction Cooktop stays cool to the touch, heating only the pot and cooking 50 percent faster than gas or electric; Kohler’s Karbon articulating kitchen faucet can be extended to fill large pots or folded compactly out of the way when not in use.
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Local retailers, designers and distributors share their favorite finds from the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. We got the dish on the best faucets, ranges and hoods that are bound to hit the market and make a splash
BY
Compiled by Giselle Smith

Kitchen and Bath Industry Show
April 10–13, 2008  |     McCormick Place, Chicago

Three giant display halls at Chicago’s McCormick Place were filled with bubbling whirlpool tubs, sleek sinks, shiny faucets, massive gas ranges and more, drawing 45,000-plus attendees for the annual Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. Almost all of the nearly 1,000 exhibitors represented at the show introduced new products. (Crowds seemed to be down from last year’s Las Vegas show, however, according to Seattleites in attendance, but no one was sure whether American Airlines’ cancellation of more than 3,000 flights that weekend was entirely to blame.)

The height-adjustable Miele DA 424 V Ventilation Hood can be raised out of the way when not in use; Perlick 15-inch Refrigerator Drawers fit conveniently under the counter. Vetrazzo shown here in Cool Titanium, is made of 85 percent recycled glass, and is carried in the Seattle Area by Pental Granite & Marble.

Some of the best of the introductions were displayed in the show’s New Product Pavilion, which was a favorite of Seattle interior designer Faith Sheridan. “It offers a quick tour of the most innovative, well-designed and useful products [which can] be explored in greater depth at their respective booths,” she notes.

We agreed. Seattle Homes & Lifestyles sent three staffers to the show to explore the most interesting offerings, and we found several highlights in the New Product Pavilion:

  • The Eluma Illuminated Backsplash, from Element Designs, aluminum frame panels embedded with energy efficient LED lights. Available through E.B. Bradley
     (800-562-8366).

  • The Asana Twist sink, from Elkay, a bar-sized undermount stainless steel sink. Available soon at The Fixture Gallery (800-929-4488).

  • The Fully Integrated Horizontal 36-inch Dishwasher from Smeg. This product is easy to load from a standing—or sitting—position. Available through Bauhaus Studios (206-214-7831).


Kohler’s Nature's Chemistry Pallene Spun Glass vessel sink displays an intricate, classically inspired pattern embossed on its surface; available in Seattle at Best Plumbing.


The 24-inch Bertazzoni Professional Series model range features the full performance and quality of wider models in a compact design for smaller kitchens.


The GE Profile Free-Standing Double Oven Electric Range has a full stainless steel door, glass-touch controls and two separate ovens to cook different dishes at the same time; available in the Seattle area at Albert Lee Appliance.
Elsewhere in the display halls, we were intrigued by the Fountainhead Vibracoustic Bath from Kohler, which adds music—delivered via vibrations through the tub—to the chromatherapy experience, and two of the company’s new glass sinks: the Tracery, a slumped-glass integrated lavatory top and basin and the Nature’s Chemistry Pallene Spun Glass vessel sink. New Kohler products will be available later this year through Best Plumbing (206-633-1700).

For other kitchen and bath highlights, we asked local interior designers, retailers and distributors to share with us their insights on the show:

Interior designer Vawn Greany, CKD, of Savvy Cabinetry by Design (206-860-7600), says her favorite part of K/BIS is gathering ideas and meeting people. “The highlight for me is the opportunity to set aside time to network and get ideas from across the world,” she says. “I attend hoping to catch a spark or inspiration while critiquing unique cabinet and tile displays, viewing new innovative products and meeting fellow designers.”

Pressed to share specific products she liked, Greany mentions Mesquite wood tiles by Ann Sacks and Vetrazzo recycled-glass counter tops (available at Pental Granite & Marble, 206-768-3200). She also liked the retractable Miele DA 424 V Ventilation Hood. “It’s always a struggle for [homeowners] to decide which is best for them—their view or proper updraft ventilation,” Greany says. “Now with this motorized hood they can have both—I have a project in mind already.” 

Interior designer Christine Suzuki (206-517-4424) said the highlight of the show for her was a 24-inch-wide Bertazzoni stainless-steel dual-fuel range, perfectly sized for urban Seattle condos. “The style is hot, the size is wonderful and the quality is superb,” she summarized.

Other Suzuki bests-in-show included Robert Kuo’s hand-carved stone tile from Ann Sacks and Kohler’s new Karbon faucet. “This new style is definitely aimed at men,” she says. “It can fold up into a small unit … or it can stretch out to fill the tallest of pots.” Suzuki also liked the company’s new laundry sinks: “Finally, a really nice deep sink that looks good and comes with three accessories: a wire stand for the bottom of the sink, a removable bin that fits within the sink and a counter-height strainer that also fits into the sink.”

What most surprised her was a demonstration at the Liebherr booth. “I witnessed a 24-inch refrigerator/freezer fit inside a 24-inch standard kitchen cabinet without any modifications to the cabinet,” she recalls. “The refrigerator door attached to the cabinet door—no need for panels, no need to purchase new cabinetry for your condo remodel.”

Impressed by manufacturers such as Miele and Fagor, interior designer Faith Sheridan (206-437-8000) notes that “European manufacturers continue to respond to the desire of consumers to respect the environment. They are inherently ‘energy smart,’ while our big companies are lagging in this development area,” she says.

Sheridan’s three favorite products were the Fagor Portable Induction Cooktop (“It’s ideal for dorm living, small condos, small kitchen or group dinners”) and 24-inch oven with side-opening door (“big enough to hold a 14-pound turkey”) and Miele’s aforementioned retractable hood. She was wowed by the hourly MOMIX performances at the Kohler booth:  “The ability to see the latest in kitchen and bath and see a professional dance company—what a combo!”

Fernando Del Valle of Albert Lee Appliance (206-282-2110) said the highlight for him was the new GE Profile double oven that fits into a regular 30-inch single oven space. “This oven was unique, nice looking and innovative, and it could become very popular for several applications,” Del Valle notes. “These folks are always ahead of their time on new products. The controls were in the upper oven glass window and the bottom oven was convection and would cook a 23-pound turkey.”

Sheri Walsh of Luwa Distributing (206-574-0770) loved Miele’s new adjustable range hoods, as well as its Independence Series built-in refrigeration collection (winner of a “Best New Product” award at the show) and Built-in Coffee System, with new Clean Touch Steel that resists scratches, fingerprints and smudges. She also noted Perlick’s space-saving 15-inch Undercounter Refrigerator Drawers, which are tall enough to store gallon milk jugs and can be fitted flush with adjacent cabinetry.

Not all of the show’s highlights were related to specific products, however. For Certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designer Marie Lail Blackburn, of MLB Design Group (206-235-7357), the conference’s most significant event was a breakfast meeting with a cabinet dealer that she says triggered her thinking on the value of design.

“The presentation discussed the changing luxury market, noting that it is design that defines luxury today,” Black-burn reports. “In every industry, from car manufacturing to kitchen and bath design, the emphasis is on design because design makes the difference.”