Owned by the National Kitchen and Bath Association www.nkba.org, KBIS is expected to attract more than 35,000 bath and kitchen industry professionals; there will be nearly 700 exhibitors. The industry's leading companies will showcase some of the latest and most innovative kitchen and bath products for the home. Mark Karas, president of the National Kitchen and Bath Assn. highlights some of the newest products, which will soon be available at local retailers.
AQUATIC - AVA BATH
- Aquatic specializes in developing innovative and inspirational bath ware - both tub and shower products
- They displayed the Ava Bath at KBIS, which sets a new industry standard for those consumers with limited mobility issues
- The Ava Bath is a sleek, modern design that beautifies any bathroom, unlike the typical accessible bathtub available today, which often looks institutional and is not attractive
- The tub provides unprecedented ease of access with an automated door that lowers to open and rises to close whereas accessible tub doors typically swing in and out, requiring a higher level of mobility for maneuvering
- It has a patent-pending quick drain feature that empties the 70-gallon tub in an astonishing 30 seconds or less.
- This enables a bather to exit the tub almost immediately and retain the full benefits of hydrotherapy instead of waiting minutes for the tub to drain. Cost: Starts at $12,000
- Where to find: At distributors nationwide; product is on display at Century Pipe in Valparaiso, IN, (219-462-7500)
- Website: www.aquaticbath.com
BLANCO - BLANCO SOLON
- The SOLON is a high-tech compost bin to collect everything from fruit and vegetable peels to egg shells and coffee grounds
- This product coordinates with any sink and is an eco-friendly way to be eco-conscious indoors and also get a greener garden outside
- The SOLON is innovative in that it's a built-in composting system that doesn't take up any countertop or under-the-sink space
- It also features a sealed lid so you can prevent odors and dishwasher safe
- Cost: $595
- Where to find: At showrooms nationwide
- Website: www.blancoamerica.com
COSENTINO - INTEGRITY SINK
- Cosentino is a global natural stone manufacturer
- They are launching their new Integrity sink which is the first sink to be made completely from one piece of silestone
- Silestone is a natural quartz, and features a very durable surface with built-in anti-microbial protection
- The sink integrates perfectly with the worktop and has all the benefits of silestone, including hygienic properties and a high resistance to scratch, stain and heat
- Customers will have a choice of 21 popular colors and at launch; it's available as a single bowl format
- Cost: Prices range from $800-$1,200
- Where to find: At showrooms nationwide
- Website: www.cosentinonorthamerica.com
GE CONSUMER & INDUSTRIAL - GEOSPRING(TM) HYBRID WATER HEATER
- The new GeoSpring Hybrid Water Heater is the first smart-grid enabled appliance available on the market, to be followed by full suite of appliances from GE
- The product is designed to use up to 62% less energy than a standard electric water heater and can cut residential water heater energy costs by more than a half
- Following air heating and cooling, home water heating is the largest in residential energy consumption
- The smart appliances are forward thinking in that they can "talk" to the utility grid and use less electricity when prices are highest
- The product can also change operating modes to avoid using power during peak demand times - it's also easy to install
- Cost: MSRP is $1599-$1699
- Where to find: Available nationally at Lowes, Sears, Appliance Dealers, Plumbers, and Plumbing Distributors
- Website: www.geappliances.com/geospring
LIEBHERR - CBS 2062 36" REFRIGERATOR WITH BIOFRESH TECHNOLOGY
- This fridge features 36" French doors and has sleek, European styling
- Liebherr is a German manufacturer known for responsible manufacturing and its longstanding green story
- At the heart of this extraordinary freestanding fridge is BioFresh; a patented technology designed to maintain the optimum balance of humidity and temperature
- Manufacturer claims foods stay fresh up to 3x longer in precisely controlled BioFresh drawers, but vitamins and minerals are maintained for the healthiest enjoyment
- An impressive Energy Star (R) rating, LED lighting throughout and large capacity storage options round out a long list of high performance features for this fridge
- Cost: $5,500
- Purchase: At showrooms nationwide
- Website: www.liebherr-appliances.com
MAAX - VIAGGI BATHTUB
- MAAX is a leading North American manufacturer of award-winning bathroom products for the residential housing market
- Company showcased the freestanding Viaggi bathtub at KBIS, which radically transforms the art of bathroom design
- Similar to a sculpture in a museum, this stunning piece is designed to take center stage in the bathroom
- Tub sits effortlessly atop a solid wooden base and features a strikingly modern clean-cut design
- Its rich and earthy textures and colors add to its revolutionary structure an air of modernity and the new bathtub is also amazingly ergonomic
- Cost: not available
- Where to find: At select showrooms nationwide
- Website: www.maax.com
MOEN- ARBOR PULLDOWN FAUCET
- The Arbor faucets feature distinctive, high-arc spouts and curved S-shaped handles for a sophisticated look to coordinate with any kitchen decor
- Consumer-preferred multi-function wand and docking system is available on the pull-down model, and offers added utility in the kitchen, with multiple spray patterns
- Pull-down model also features patented pause button, in order to perform tasks outside of the sink area
- Faucet is easy-to-operate, single-handle design, which can be installed on the right or left side of a sink for added convenience
- Cost: In chrome finish ($295); in Moen's Lifeshine (R) Classic Stainless finish ($383.50)
- Where to find: Wholesale plumbing showrooms nationwide
- Website: www.moen.com
TOTO USA - AQUIA WALL-HUNG DUAL FLUSH HIGH EFFICIENCY TOILET
- The water-saving Aquia enables you to select the level of water used each time the toilet is flushed -- 1.6 gallons for heavy or bulk waste or 0.9 gallons for light or liquid waste
- The toilet is the largest indoor water consumer, using 26% of a household's water resources as the average American family of four flushes more than16 times per day
- This stylish toilet was designed to reflect the delicate curves of nature
- It attaches unobtrusively to the wall and its tank is hidden inside the wall, so this toilet unit saves 9" of room space and blends easily with any environment
- The vitreous china used in this product has TOTO patented nana technology SanaGloss glazing, which prevents the build-up of grime with its super-smooth, ionized barrier
- Its Dual Max Flushing System inside the bowl insures that the bowl is thoroughly cleaned with each flush
- Cost: $350 for toilet; price TBD for in-wall tank (product comes in two pieces)
- Where to find: TOTO Chicago Gallery (500 North Wells Street / 312.661.0876), showrooms nationwide, or call TOTO USA Customer Service line to find exact location: 1-888-295-8134 (option 5)
- Website: www.totousa.com
