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!

KBIS 2009 - Kitchen Spotlight

Every year, the National Kitchen & Bath Association hosts the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show. At this trade-only event, manufacturers show off their new wares to kitchen designers, kitchen dealers, builders, architects, reporters and remodelers.

This year, the show was smaller because of the economy, but there were still plenty of great things to see. When asked by colleagues and reporters what I thought of KBIS this year, I invariably replied, "More evolutionary than revolutionary." What I meant is that while there were few "game-changers" that brought something new to the industry, there were some very nice additions and improvements.

There were also two distinct "green" trends: One, more products touting their eco-friendly virtues. Two, more products geared toward the recession -- i.e., costing fewer greenbacks.

Here are my favorite KBIS products for the kitchen. Check back next week for a KBIS 2009 - Bath Spotlight.


KOHLER TAKES THE STAGE

Kohler has created a combination sink/accessories/serveware/storage system called Stages that puts a range of kitchen essentials in one convenient location. It looks great, works hard and could be an ideal island or in-law kitchen option.




DRAWER VAC: HOW HANDY!

The very clever DrawerVac, (by a company of the same name), is designed to tie into -- and expand -- a home's central vacuum system. (Think of it as a DustBuster on steroids!). The unit installs in a base cabinet just below the countertop and pulls out when needed. This makes meal clean-up quicker, easier and more convenient. And anything that makes clean-up easier gets high marks from me!




GELPRO ON STEROIDS

Tile and wood have long been popular kitchen flooring options, but both can be very unforgiving underfoot. This contributes to muscle aches and fatigue when spending hours prepping, serving and cleaning up. GelPro produces cushioned mats that are ideal for a more comfortable kitchen session. There are great new designer colors, patterns and sizes to go with just about any decor. Now, instead of having one small mat in front of your stove, you can have an entire work aisle - up to 12 feet! - softened by this amazing material. (If only the whole convention floor could have been covered by GelPros, my feet would have been much happier trampers!)




INDUCTION SMARTS BY BOSCH

Bosch has made it easier for users unfamiliar with induction cooking to use this eco-friendly technology. Its AutoChef Induction Cooktop provides pre-programmed options for cooking a wide variety of foods-from pork chops to pancakes. I like induction cooking because of its inherent safety features, energy savings and easy cleanability. The Autochef makes easy learning a product feature, too, and even includes an induction compatible skillet. It's pretty darn sleek, too!



CORIAN - YES, CORIAN!

One of my biggest surprises at the show was Corian's new collection. If Corian conjures up images of tacky '80s tract home kitchens, you haven't seen its new lines! I always respected Corian for its simple virtues: (1) It's extremely easy maintenance; (2) It's warm and soft to the touch; (3) it's repairable; (4) It appears to be seamless, and (5) You can attach an integral sink. What I never liked was its attempts to imitate its richer rival, natural stone. This new collection has a beauty all its own, and deserves to be reconsidered. For another interesting Corian innovation, check out this posting, which includes its translucent Illuminations series. I spotted it last summer at the Southeast Builders' Conference.


SEAMLESS SMARTS

Affluence solved one of those gunky kitchen problems we didn't know could be solved. And they won a Best of KBIS product award for it, too! You know that ring around your kitchen sink drain that catches everything that goes into the sink and is a pain to clean? Some clever designer at this Ohio manufacturer figured out a solution for the problem... A seamless sink with no drain ring at all! Smart -- and stylish, too. (Sorry, flowers not included!)





TAKE IT OUTSIDE

If you've always wanted an outdoor kitchen, look no further than your closest Atlantis dealer. I first spotted this line in 2007 at the International Builders' Show. It's still the best outdoor cabinetry line in the industry, in my opinion. It's also the judges' opinion: Atlantis won a silver Best of KBIS 2009 kitchen award. Not surprising, since its parent company is top-notch custom cabinet maker, CWP. This year, Atlantis showed off its new bamboo series for those seeking a contemporary, eco-friendly option. (Call me old-fashioned, but my favorite Atlantis doors are still the teak series.)