New York Design Trip Report

Visiting New York City as a designer is a lot like visiting Disney World as a child...Exhilarating, energizing, overwhelming and not a little exhausting. Oh, but so worth it!!! Here were some of the Gotham goodies I encountered on my trip there last week -- including some exciting new releases from your favorite brands.


KILLER CABINETRY

I was not familiar with Boffi, an Italian line, before visiting their showroom in the Architects & Designers Building on this trip. I'm glad I stopped in, though. The stand-outs for me were its sliding doors in the Zone series and its handle-free Xila tall units that just melt into the wall.

If, on the other hand, you're looking for cabinets to rev up your kitchen, you can't do better than Snaidero's Pininfarina-designed series in Racing Red. It's like having one of his Ferraris in the heart of your home.


Porsche, too, has parked itself in the kitchen, bringing racing style to Poggenpohl's line. You've probably read about this series in the last year, but maybe didn't realize how extensive the line actually is. Designed to be a turnkey solution for the ultimate pachelor pad, the P'7340 comes complete with appliances, faucets, sinks, dining furniture and entertainment system. Not having my own Y chromosome, none of this really revved my engines.


The Poggenpohl offering I really, really liked was its Teak Dekor Lava laminate finish. Yes, you read correctly - laminate!!! In a stylish European response to our global recession, Poggenpohl and Siematic have both introduced strikingly handsome laminate door options with textured finishes that allow their fans to save a few dollars while enjoying their style points.



APPLIANCE UPDATE

Bosch was holding its 2009 product release party while I was in New York, so I got a chance to peruse the firm's new offerings. Among them was the programmable AutoChef Induction Cooktop I'd written about in my KBIS Kitchen Spotlight posting, as well as a freestanding countertop-depth fridge, stackable washer and dryer set and a coffee machine.


Besides the cooktop, the Integra 800 Plus dishwasher was my favorite product release of the group. I've always been impressed by Bosch's energy- and water-saving commitment, as well as its leak protection system. Though their marketing and engineering team's focus was its quiet operation, the feature I like best is the built-in water softener. My region has such hard water that glasses inevitably come out with spots on them. This is a dishwasher I'd consider for my own home, as well as my clients' projects.




FIXATED ON FIXTURES

The trend I've been observing this past year or two is the flattening of the vessel sink from its earlier bowl-like existence to a more contemporary, close-to-countertop style. This trip largely took things in the completely opposite direction. The first showroom I visited in New York was Hastings Tile & Bath, also in the A&D Building. Right in its entry was a gorgeous lav called the Grande Ceradur Basin. I could definitely see incorporating this into a spa bath project.


Another tall vessel I spotted is Duravit's Bacino, not a new release, but notable for its shape and size, nonetheless.


What is notable, however, is that Duravit just introduced its first-ever kitchen sink, now available in the U.S. market. I love the shape, the optional cutting board and drain board sections and the Anthracite, Chestnut and Pergamon color additions to white that you can choose from.


Its Starck 1 barrel lav is now also available in high glass black and white finishes, in addition to the woodgrain look.

The company's popular 2nd Floor series also grew with a white lacquer finish option, an ultra-cool revolving mirror and a mobile storage base. The ebony finish is pretty cool, too. I especially love it on the tall storage cabinet with sliding mirrored door.




I also really liked Duravit's upcoming PuraVida lavs with their "pillow-style" concealed drains. (PuraVida also includes the option to add the coordinating faucet by Hansgrohe.) The series is scheduled to launch in the U.S. in October.




TILE STYLE

I've always loved tile, even when I was an NYU student studying Greek and Roman antiquities. Here are some of my fave tile finds in New York.

Artistic Tile's Effervescence adds fun and flair to your roomscape.



Always an old world enthusiast, I enjoyed Country Floors' collection of Pedralbes terra cotta tiles from Spain.

Hastings Tile & Bath featured a large selection of Casamood tiles in traditional and contemporary styles. Lovely collection, including this Iki thin tile.


Seeing Bisazza samples on a display board is one thing. Visiting its glittering, mosaic-encrusted Soho showroom was another experience altogether - sheer bliss! This is just the restroom.


Sicis, another art tile company, has a spectacular four-story showroom in Soho. The Italian firm not only offers floor and wall tile, but also mosaic tubs and its brand-new pendant lights.



FINAL NOTES

There were other great stops on my NY design odyssey. Worth checking out when you're in the Apple are Jonathan Adler's eponymous decor boutique in Soho, (check out the awesome wallpaper and bath accessories); Manhattan Center for Kitchen & Bath -- a wonderful showroom suggested by my fellow designer and design blogger Paul Anater; Artemide lighting, also in Soho; or just walk through the city's incredible neighborhoods for sidewalk finds.

My next trip report will be shorter: Miami's Design District in August. Stay tuned!