This year I attended my first Kitchen and Bath Industry Show.  It was amazing.  We had only one day to visit the exhibition hall so, after noting on our map some of the “must see” exhibits, we ventured into the world of cutting-edge, innovative, latest and greatest of products for the kitchen and bath industry.  Although we were organized, seven hours flew by and we found ourselves racing against the clock to cover ground.

Of course, many manufacturers at the show are using this time to introduce products that will be available within the next year, but there are also those who tease us with concepts that may or may not be available in the future.  Here are a few of the innovations that I found particularly exciting and that will be available by the end of this year (hopefully!).

Silestone introduced Silestone Leather (available later this year).  All the Silestone colors will be available in Leather.  The surface is non-glossy, yet has the level of color and durability you would normally expect with this product.  All the Silestone countertops now have Microban antimicrobial protection built into their surfaces to fight the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew for the life of the product.  To learn more about Silestone, visit www.silestone.com.

Corian and Zodiac have introduced new colors to their product lines.  Corian’s six new colors include Concrete, Fawn, Suede, Serene Sage, Tranquil and Whisper.  Zodiac’s new colors are Clay Brown, Sand Beige, Papyrus and Alabaster.  These new colors are reflective of color trends moving more towards the brown, green and neutral shades.  Visit www.corian.com or www.zodiac.com for more information.

Dacor will be coming out with some beautiful and updated products later this year, and there is a product available now for dedicated coffee drinkers.

The Discovery Series, available later this year, presents wall ovens with color-under-glass fronts and “disappearing” control panels.  The wonderful colors include Anthracite Grey, Blue Water, Titanium Silver, Sterling Grey and Slate Green.  When not in use, the control panel disappears as a solid panel in the same color-under-glass.  Control panel display appears at touch of the panel.  You can select the background color of the L.E.D. display from a nearly endless number of possible colors, and can change that color at any time.

A couple of other innovations you can expect from Dacor this year—the Millenium series will have the stainless steel on their ovens available in either horizontal or vertical strips of stainless steel over the black glass door.  Also, the Preference and Epicure series will be available with stainless steel handles.

Dacor will practically cook your food for you in the future.  Favorite recipes can be programmed and, with the push of a button, the oven will automatically cook your favorite lasagna or chocolate chip cookies at the exact temperature and for the exact length time.  If you are like me and shy away from roasting particularly special cuts of meat because you are certain to either under-cook or, as in my case, dry them out, you can now program into your Dacor oven the type and cut of meat, the weight of the meat and desired doneness, and it will automatically roast the meat to perfection.  I like it!

Kohler was one of the show’s highlights.  Their “waterfall” wall was incredible.  The water fell in patterned drops coordinated with music—very neat to see.  They had a number of new products introduced at the show—you can view them at www.us.kohler.com and then click “New Products for the Kitchen” or “New Products for the Bathroom”.

A few of my personal favorites include—

I was very pleasantly surprised by KraftMaid Cabinetry.  They have been busy developing new innovations moving them to a new level of design and functionality.  To pinpoint a few of these innovations:

1. -10 new door styles
   

2. -5 new finishes
   

3. -New distinctive wall hood designs
   

4. -New mullion door designs
   

5. -New cabinetry for laundry, media and entertainment applications
   

6. -Available soft, self-closing drawer glides
   

- Cabinetry lighting which automatically turns on when opening cabinet doors to illuminate the dark areas typically found in corner cabinets. 

Finally, the new Venecia line of Euro-style, frameless cabinetry features streamlined styling and high-end looks, all at a semi-custom price point—and wait until you see the finishes!