To  make matters worse, this week applianceadvisor.com is reporting that the appliance vendors who did choose to display were courted by representatives from CES (Consumer Electronics Show). Apparently, according this applianceadvisor post the CES reps were canvasing booth to booth looking for commitment from the KBIS appliance vendors for their annual January show in Las Vegas. They also report on previous posts that CES is privately pressing the big kitchen appliance companies for commitment.

What does this mean? Consider this. If the CES folks are successful at convincing just a few of the big shot appliance companies to come on board there very well could be a domino effect among other appliance manufacturers. Without appliances on display at KBIS what will be left?

For several years now the number of cabinet companies choosing to display has dwindled. In fact many have already been referring to KBIS as a plumbing show. So here are the key questions:

Will appliance manufacturers bail on KBIS in favor of perceived greener pastures at CES in Las Vegas?

Where and when will Subzero, Wolf, Dacor choose to exhibit next year?

Is KBIS done? Another victim of a sour economy?

I’ll keep you posted as the situation develops.

The specific hoods selected for display are: Gloss, Double Vertigo, Lift, Lipstick, Secret, Surf, Dune and Chorus.

These models were also shown at Eurocucina in Milan April 14 – 19. While not currently available in the U.S. Best has chosen to display these particular hoods here in order to monitor the reaction from the design community. If they receive favorable feedback they may just decide to market these products to U.S. consumers. For more specs and photos click here.

The designers certainly had the studio apartment market in mind for these cabinets. This idea also appears perfect for commercial applications. Imagine a traveling chef able to set up and cook anywhere appliance hookups are available. It’s doubtful your home kitchen will win any design awards with this cabinetry set up but you’ll certainly have a great conversation starter.

If you need more than 24″ uninterrupted counter space you’ll be out of luck. It’s also reasonable to guess that these cabinets are not going to readily accept North American appliances either. Perhaps if you live in an urban environment in Europe these might be a good alternative to the typical installed kitchen. However for the U.S. market it seems unlikely to catch on.

Their pet name for their ongoing passion within this small space is the “R3 Project”; meaning reduce, reuse, recycle. The improvements to the space included double glazing the windows and re insulating the entire space. They also installed eco-friendly cork flooring and updated the electrical and plumbing systems for improved efficiency. The original woodwork was completely refinished by sandblasting then finishing with enviro-friendly oils.

Obviously the most interesting part of the “reuse” effort is visible in the kitchen. Rather than simply discarding old wine crates the couple decided to incorporate them into their kitchen design. Along with a carpenter friend they used the crates as door and drawer fronts for their kitchen cabinets. You can see it provides an incredibly eye catching look and also preserves memories of their favorite vintages from special occasions.

This couple has been on a mission to make a difference in their world. In the process they have a home that is comfortable, attractive and reflects their individual personalities.

Smart-Logic Corian Living Entrance

The idea is to reduce the impact of interior design materials on the environment while positioning Dupont and Corian as leaders in sustainable interior design products.

Smart-Logic Corian Living Sleeping Quarters

The Milan display will feature a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living room and garden all using Smart-ologic Corian® as the primary design element. The curving shapes and creamsicle colors are signature Rashid design elements.

Smart-Logic Corian Living Kitchen and Bath Quarters

I should note that in all the research done for this post nowhere could I find whether or not Dupont plans widespread production for Smart-ologic Corian® or when it might be available.

Smart-Logic Corian Living Sitting Space

In addition Dupont has designed a “futuristic concept” of Zodiaq quartz surfacing expected to debut at i-Saloni as well. No word yet on if the concept Zodiaq will make it to production.

Kitchen Design Series – Part 1.6 Drawing a Raised Panel Door from Gerry Snapke on Vimeo.

In this video I’ll show you the techniques I use to draw a raised panel cabinet door in 3D AutoCAD.

The plumbing fixtures offer a light, floating feel which continues with wall mounted furniture components. The same gentle curves and contours found in the fixtures carry over to the cabinetry components as well. There are no visible handles or knobs. They are replaced instead by fully integrated finger grip grooves keeping the look and feel clean and light.

Tall storage units, medicine cabinetry and vanity sections are all part of the collection. All units come standard with a gloss white finish. Finish options are available for the furniture surfaces such as gloss white, gloss black, deep red, ebony or aluminum. An entire line of bathroom accessory items is also available.

This collection has gotten plenty of praise from the design community since its introduction. Some awards include a gold medal gathered from the “Good Design 10″ contest sponsored by Deutscher Designer Club (DDC) e.V. The IF Product Design Award 2010, the Red Dot Award and the Good Design Award of the Chicago Athenaeum have all given the Puravida line accolades.

Kitchen Design Series – Part 1.5 Drawing a Turned Column/Carved Toe from Gerry Snapke on Vimeo

Here I’ll  split and apply the turned column I drew previously and modify the cabinet face frame to accept it. Then I shape and dress up the cabinet toe kick.

Vetrazzo Firehouse Red - Photo Courtesy of Vetrazzo.com

Other companies soon followed each putting their own signature on the concept and each offering a different finished look.  Enviroglass uses a polyurethane binder rather than cement and IceStone uses more refined and smaller glass aggregate.

Alehouse - Photo Courtesy of Vetrazzo.com

Residentially recycled or “curbside glass” is the main source of glass used in recycled glass countertops. Salvaged glass from construction demolition makes up the balance of glass material used.

While comparable in price and durability to granite and marble countertops, glass offers a few additional benefits. Once harvested form the earth granite and marble will not grow back. At least not any time soon. The same can be said of engineered stone products such as Sileston and Dupont Quartz. Recycled glass counterotps are made from waste material and therefore offer a much more earth friendly option.

Vetrazzo Floating Blue - Photo Courtesy of Vetrazzo.com

Because the finished glass countertops are completely non-porous there is no opportunity for bacteria to invade and flourish. Thus glass countertops tend to eliminate the possibility of cross contamination in the kitchen.

All things considered recycled glass countertops are an excellent choice for kitchen and bath applications. They offer long lasting beauty and they tell visitors to your home that you care about our environment and the future of the world we all share.

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