The Kitchen and Bath International Show (KBIS) 2017, which recently concluded in Orlando, Florida, served as an inspiring hub for builders, designers, and homeowners seeking the latest innovations in home aesthetics and functionality. While our previous coverage highlighted some of the most captivating bathroom accoutrements, this time, we delve into the heart of the home – the kitchen – to uncover the trends and groundbreaking products that promise to redefine culinary spaces. From revolutionary countertop materials to smart storage solutions and luxurious appliance lines, KBIS 2017 offered a tantalizing glimpse into the future of kitchen design, blending cutting-edge technology with timeless style.
Revolutionizing Countertops: Geoluxe Pyrolithic Stone
Stealing the spotlight at KBIS 2017 was the groundbreaking Geoluxe countertop offering, a product of the esteemed Siam Cement Company, hailing from Thailand. For many, manufactured quartz countertops, despite their durability, often fall short in replicating the authentic depth and unique imperfections of natural stone. They can sometimes present a “Corian 2.0” aesthetic, which, while functional, lacks the organic appeal discerning homeowners crave. Geoluxe enters this arena as a formidable challenger, introducing what they term “Pyrolithic Stone.”
This innovative material is crafted through a proprietary process that imbues it with the true appearance of natural stone, complete with intricate veining and rich textures. The secret lies in their patented GeoMimicry process, which meticulously recreates the geological patterns found in nature. The result is a surface that not only looks indistinguishable from premium natural stone but also boasts the enhanced durability and performance benefits of a man-made product. Geoluxe counters are engineered to resist stains, scratches, and heat, making them an ideal choice for the demanding environment of a modern kitchen. This fusion of authentic aesthetics and superior resilience makes Geoluxe a game-changer for anyone seeking a sophisticated and long-lasting countertop solution that truly captures the essence of natural beauty without compromise.
The Eramo slab, prominently featured in the image above, exemplifies the beauty of Geoluxe. Inspired by a Canadian brown stone, its warm tones and sophisticated veining offer a wonderful alternative to more conventional options. Beyond Eramo, Geoluxe offers a diverse palette, including numerous elegant white and off-white options, perfectly complementing today’s popular minimalist and bright kitchen designs. While these lighter shades may not always photograph with the same dramatic flair as darker or more complex patterns, they provide a pristine backdrop for any culinary adventure. Available in both slab and tile formats, Geoluxe offers versatility for various applications, from expansive island countertops to accent backsplashes. For those in the Dallas area, this innovative material is readily accessible through The Stone Collection on Zodiac Lane, allowing designers and homeowners to experience its unique appeal firsthand.
A Splash of Color: Elmira Stove Works Northstar Appliances
Just weeks before KBIS, Leah Shafer highlighted Pantone’s declaration of “Greenery” as the Color of the Year for 2017, a vibrant hue symbolizing freshness and vitality. It didn’t take long for Canada-based Elmira Stove Works to embrace this trend with their iconic Northstar appliance line. Capturing the essence of mid-century charm, this particular shade of green harkens back to the nostalgic avocado green tones popular from the 1950s to the 1970s, offering a delightful blend of retro appeal and contemporary style. The Northstar line is not just about a single color; it’s an homage to a bygone era of design, meticulously crafted to integrate seamlessly into modern homes while providing a distinctive focal point.
As seen above, the Northstar line offers a comprehensive range of retro-inspired appliances, including ranges, refrigerators, and even microwaves, allowing consumers to outfit their entire kitchen with a cohesive and stylish vintage aesthetic. Each piece is designed to evoke a sense of nostalgia, featuring smooth lines, chrome accents, and a robust build quality that echoes the craftsmanship of yesteryear. Beyond Greenery, Elmira Stove Works understands that personal style is paramount. The Northstar collection is available in eight other captivating colors, offering a spectrum of choices from the understated to the bold. These include a refreshing mint green, a classic fire-engine red, an elegant robin’s egg blue, alongside more neutral yet sophisticated options like crisp white, sleek grey, classic black, and even a unique beige for those seeking a softer palette. The combination of the range and refrigerator, as pictured, typically retails for just under $13,000, representing a significant investment for those passionate about creating a truly unique and personalized kitchen space. For Dallas-Fort Worth residents, Leonard’s Stone & Fireplace in Burleson stands as the exclusive retailer, making it the perfect destination to explore these timeless pieces and perhaps negotiate a deal on your dream retro kitchen.
Invisible Warmth: Viking Range Incogneeto Induction Warmer
Solid surface countertops, while aesthetically pleasing and durable, often come with a subtle drawback: their tendency to rapidly draw heat away from dishes, leaving meals lukewarm long before they can be enjoyed. While traditional solutions like heated chafing dishes or warming plates exist, they typically involve extra setup, clutter, and an additional layer of “rigmarole” that can detract from a seamless dining experience. Addressing this common kitchen challenge with innovative elegance, Viking Range introduces the Incogneeto under-counter induction warmer – a discreet yet powerful solution designed to keep food perfectly warm without visible appliances.
The brilliance of the Incogneeto lies in its hidden installation. During countertop installation, the compact induction box is simply affixed beneath the counter, requiring no additional stone cutting or custom modifications. Once installed, it remains out of sight, always ready to provide instant, even heat. The unit covers a generous 12-inch square area, delivering 650 watts of power, and impressively, multiple units can be “triple-ganged” on a single 15-amp circuit, allowing for versatile warming zones across a larger counter space. It offers four precise temperature settings, ranging from 150 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring optimal warmth for a variety of dishes, from delicate sauces to hearty main courses.
Operating the Incogneeto is as simple as placing the specially designed Magneeto trivet under your induction-capable cookware, selecting your desired temperature, and letting the hidden technology do its work. This system integrates effortlessly into any kitchen, maintaining the clean lines of your design while providing unparalleled convenience. It’s important to note that, as an induction system, it functions exclusively with induction-compatible pots and pans. While its retail price of $3,289 positions it as a premium kitchen upgrade, the Incogneeto offers a sophisticated, efficient, and discreet way to enhance your entertaining and everyday meal experiences, embodying Viking Range’s commitment to high-performance and thoughtful design.
Smarter Storage: Dura Supreme’s Innovative Lid Drawer
The days of kitchen cabinets being mere utilitarian boxes with decorative fronts are rapidly evolving. Modern kitchen design places a strong emphasis on smart storage, intuitive organization, and maximizing every inch of space. Cabinetmaker Dura Supreme is at the forefront of this evolution, offering an impressive array of specialized storage solutions that go far beyond the standard. While they masterfully integrate expected conveniences like pull-out spice racks, dedicated towel drawers, and meticulously organized cutlery inserts, it’s their ingenious approach to a common kitchen conundrum that truly captivated attendees at KBIS.
As depicted in the image above, Dura Supreme has introduced a brilliant enhancement to the ever-popular pot drawer: an integrated system specifically designed to house pot lids. For anyone who has ever wrestled with a drawer full of clanging, mismatched lids, endlessly searching for the right cover, this innovation feels like pure magic. Traditional approaches often involve separate lid organizers, either on cabinet doors or in dedicated, often overflowing, drawers. Dura Supreme’s solution elegantly integrates lid storage directly within the same drawer as the pots themselves. This means that when you pull out a drawer for your favorite stockpot, its corresponding lid is right there, perfectly nestled and easily accessible. This seamless integration eliminates clutter, saves precious drawer space, and streamlines the cooking process, making kitchen organization a joy rather than a chore. It’s a small detail that makes a profound difference in daily kitchen functionality and epitomizes the thoughtful design philosophy that Dura Supreme brings to custom cabinetry. For many, this clever solution moves from a “next time” wish to a “this time” necessity in their kitchen renovation plans, promising an end to the frustrating hunt for the right lid.
Beyond the Ordinary: ThinkGlass Countertops
For homeowners and designers seeking to break away from the conventional aesthetic of stone and manufactured quartz, an exciting and visually stunning alternative awaits: glass countertops. You might recall a recent kitchen feature showcasing the dramatic appeal of Italian black glass counters, illustrating the sophistication this material can bring. Bringing this high-end design closer to home is Canadian company ThinkGlass, a leader in creating bespoke glass surfaces that redefine kitchen luxury and functionality.
ThinkGlass offers an extensive range of glass counter options, allowing for immense creative freedom. Their countertops come in varying thicknesses, from a sleek 1.5 inches to a robust 4 inches, providing diverse visual impacts and structural possibilities. What truly sets ThinkGlass apart is the unparalleled level of customization available. Beyond a selection of captivating textures – from smooth and polished to artistic and organic – clients can immerse themselves in a world of color. Not only can you choose a base color that perfectly complements your kitchen palette, but ThinkGlass also excels in incorporating artistic spot colors to create truly unique, custom designs embedded within the glass itself. Imagine a countertop that subtly features an intricate pattern, a personalized motif, or a swirling gradient of hues, making your kitchen island a true work of art.
For those desiring an even greater visual impact and an element of contemporary drama, the company offers integrated under-counter lighting. This feature illuminates the glass from beneath, enhancing its inherent beauty, highlighting textures and colors, and creating an ambient glow that transforms the kitchen into an enchanting space, especially in the evening. Rest assured, these are not delicate, fragile glass surfaces. ThinkGlass specializes in high-spec, high-strength glass that is engineered for the rigors of a busy kitchen. You can confidently place hot pans directly onto the surface without worry, making them not only beautiful but also incredibly practical and durable. ThinkGlass counters offer a truly distinctive option for those who dare to dream beyond traditional materials, providing a striking blend of artistry, strength, and luminosity that elevates any kitchen design.
Sustainable Style: Pierre Habitat’s Recycled Glass Pulls
Continuing the conversation around innovative materials, a remarkable collaboration between Pierre Habitat and Vetrazzo has brought forth a line of exquisite knobs and drawer pulls that are not only visually stunning but also embody a strong commitment to sustainability. These unique hardware pieces ingeniously incorporate recycled glass, transforming discarded materials into elegant accents for kitchen cabinetry and furniture. This partnership offers a refreshing alternative to standard metal or wood pulls, allowing homeowners to infuse their spaces with a touch of eco-conscious luxury and distinctive character.
The collection boasts an impressive variety, featuring over a dozen captivating color combinations, each reflecting the unique beauty and texture of recycled glass. From vibrant jewel tones to subtle, earthy hues, there’s a palette to suit virtually any design aesthetic. Complementing these diverse colorways are multiple pull styles, ranging from sleek and modern bar pulls to more traditional knobs, ensuring a perfect match for any cabinet profile or design theme. But the customization doesn’t stop there. Pierre Habitat understands the desire for a cohesive and perfectly coordinated look within a kitchen. If you envision your backsplash harmonizing seamlessly with your cabinet hardware, they offer matching mosaic tile sheets in various sizes, allowing for a truly integrated design statement. This capability opens up a world of creative possibilities, enabling designers and homeowners to craft spaces with exceptional attention to detail and continuity.
For those who embrace the “matchy-matchy” aesthetic with enthusiasm, Pierre Habitat goes a step further, offering even matching jewelry pendants. This playful yet sophisticated touch allows individuals to carry a piece of their home’s unique design with them, blurring the lines between interior decor and personal style. This line of recycled glass hardware from Pierre Habitat and Vetrazzo is more than just functional; it’s a statement about sustainable luxury, personalized design, and the beauty that can be found in repurposed materials. It offers an unparalleled opportunity to inject personality and an eco-friendly ethos into any kitchen or living space.
Structural Elegance: Federal Brace Invisible Countertop Supports
Dramatic kitchen designs often feature breathtaking cantilevered countertops, seemingly floating in thin air and extending into the heart of the room. While undeniably striking, these ambitious designs can raise legitimate concerns about stability and safety. Even robust stone, when extended significant distances without adequate support, can be subjected to immense stress, posing potential risks if not properly engineered. The further a countertop juts out from its supporting cabinetry, the greater the leverage and the more critical it becomes to ensure rock-solid stability, both for the material itself and for the peace of mind of those using the space.
Enter Federal Brace, a specialist in innovative support solutions that blend robust engineering with discreet aesthetics. Their acclaimed line of invisible countertop supports is designed to provide unparalleled strength without compromising the clean lines and floating illusion of modern kitchen designs. Pictured above is the Harrison Top Plate, the latest addition to their impressive collection. This particular support system is ingeniously designed as three connected, H-shaped braces, working in concert to offer robust, double-sided support. This makes the Harrison Top Plate an ideal choice for expansive, almost floating kitchen islands or double-sided seating areas where maximum stability and an uninterrupted aesthetic are paramount.
Each individual Harrison support unit measures a foot wide, allowing designers to string multiple units together seamlessly to achieve the desired length for any countertop. In terms of width, each side of the Harrison provides support for an overhang of up to 14 inches, though the finished counter width can be even greater, as stone can safely extend approximately 4 inches beyond a support point. This flexibility allows for truly grand and functional island designs. Crucially, each individual Harrison support is engineered to bear an impressive 375 pounds, providing exceptional load-bearing capacity and ensuring the long-term integrity and safety of even the heaviest stone countertops. Federal Brace’s solutions not only enable daring architectural designs but also provide the essential structural backbone, allowing these dramatic elements to be both stunning and perfectly secure.
The Art of Wine Storage: Revel Custom Wine Cellars
As dedicated home theaters gradually recede in popularity, a new luxury amenity is rising to prominence: the sophisticated home wine room. Over the past year, I’ve had the pleasure of observing a growing trend towards exquisitely designed wine spaces, ranging from those that evoke a traditional, vineyard-inspired charm to ultra-modern, minimalist displays. At the forefront of this trend is Revel Custom Wine Cellars, a company that masterfully traverses the entire spectrum of design, offering bespoke solutions that cater to every aesthetic preference. Their newest lines, Revel-ution and Designer, exemplify this versatility, available in a choice of rich wood, sleek stainless steel, or an artful combination of both materials, underscoring their commitment to truly custom creations.
What sets these new Revel lines apart, and particularly captivated attendees at KBIS, is their ingenious “Lazy Susan” functionality, which transforms wine storage into an interactive and visually engaging experience. In the Revel-ution series, a central column connects all the shelving units, allowing the entire structure to rotate a full 360 degrees as a single, majestic unit. This dramatic rotation not only provides effortless access to every bottle but also creates a captivating display, perfect for showcasing a prized collection. The Designer series, pictured above, offers a subtly different but equally brilliant approach: each shelf rotates individually. This allows for even more personalized access and display options, enabling you to bring specific sections of your collection to the forefront with a simple turn.
As the image illustrates, when at rest, the wine column in the Designer series presents a refined and conventional appearance. However, with a gentle spin, the middle column reveals its dynamic capability, allowing you to rotate shelves to access bottles stored at the back, or perhaps, for a touch of playful theatricality, to artfully conceal your most exclusive vintages when less discerning guests are present. This level of customization and innovation ensures that a Revel wine cellar is not merely a storage solution, but a luxurious and dynamic focal point in any home. As the name suggests, “custom” means that the cost is tailored to your specific desires and the complexity of your design, ensuring a truly personalized investment in the art of wine appreciation.
Conclusion: The Future of Kitchen Design Unveiled at KBIS 2017
The 2017 Kitchen and Bath International Show once again proved to be an indispensable platform for showcasing the bleeding edge of kitchen design and innovation. From the revolutionary aesthetics and durability of Geoluxe’s Pyrolithic Stone countertops to the nostalgic yet vibrant appeal of Elmira Stove Works’ Northstar appliances, KBIS offered a comprehensive overview of trends shaping our culinary spaces. The discreet efficiency of Viking Range’s Incogneeto induction warmer, combined with Dura Supreme’s smart cabinetry solutions for lid storage, highlighted a focus on integrating advanced functionality seamlessly into everyday life.
Furthermore, the artistic possibilities presented by ThinkGlass countertops and the sustainable elegance of Pierre Habitat’s recycled glass hardware demonstrated a growing desire for personalized and environmentally conscious design choices. Finally, the structural ingenuity of Federal Brace’s invisible supports and the luxurious, interactive designs of Revel Custom Wine Cellars underscored a movement towards creating not just functional kitchens, but truly exceptional and individualized living environments. While this roundup provides a glimpse into some of the most captivating offerings, with hundreds of exhibitors, it merely scratches the surface of the boundless creativity and technological advancements unveiled at KBIS. These innovations promise to inspire and empower homeowners, designers, and builders alike to create kitchens that are both beautiful and profoundly functional.
Remember: My focus areas include high-rises, homeowners’ associations (HOAs), and renovation projects. I also deeply appreciate the balance between modern and historical architecture, particularly in the context of the YIMBY movement. If you’re interested in hosting a Candysdirt.com Staff Meeting event, please reach out. My writing has been recognized with Bronze and Silver awards from the National Association of Real Estate Editors in 2016. If you have a compelling story to share or even a marriage proposal to make, don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected].
The rewrite significantly expands the original content to over 900 words, integrating SEO-friendly headings, more descriptive language, and details about each product’s features, benefits, and market relevance. Unnecessary repetitions have been removed, and the language is kept fluent and simple. The HTML structure has been preserved and enhanced with `h2` and `h3` tags for better organization. No JavaScript code was found in the original, and none was added.