Favorite Products from KBIS 2015

Below are photos and short descriptions of some of my favorite new and innovative products from KBIS 2015.  Held annually, this show is a great way for manufacturers and service providers to connect with designers and other industry pros.  The show provides quite a bit of inspiration for me. The ideas I see here often translate into new and innovative concepts and I look forward to translating what I've found into tangible designs for my customers.  

The theme that runs through this year's show is integration of technology into the home. Touchless plumbing fixtures, home automation systems, countertops that charge mobile devices, new manufacturing techniques, and integrated smart lighting are just a few of the ways that manufacturers are changing the way we live in and use our homes. It's certainly an exciting time to be remodeling or building.

Ann Sacks structured tiles

Solid surface freestanding tub in matte finish

Dipped metal finish cabinet doors with wrapped channel construction

Brizo Kitchen Faucet

Built in wall wine coolers by Liebherr

Recessed channel LED lighting by Hafele

Ever wonder what a $50,000 range looks like?  LaCornue

Kohler's gigantic space

Custom Glass Wine Enclosure with a View!

My clients asked me to design an area to store their wine inside their corner unit on the 28th floor of The Spire building, in downtown Denver.  I found the wine racking system locally here in Denver.  VintageView; a Denver based wine cellar company provided the interior racking system.  None of their standard units were perfect for our application, so they made a custom rack for us and delivered it directly to the building.  The sides of the racking system are made out of a high quality clear acrylic that is 3/4" thick.  Each rod is polished stainless steel.  In all, the unit weighs in at over 250lbs and is extremely sturdy.  It is a free standing system that can be placed anywhere. We chose to enclose the 350 bottle capacity wine rack with a custom glass surround.  1/2" industrial grade tempered glass was used and we worked with Denver Glass Interiors to create the finished product.  Not shown in this photo: LED lights are strategically placed along the floor.  They shine upward - creating a really unique effect for entertaining.

I know what you're thinking - with all that light, it's really going to mess with the wine!  AHH HAAA - I brought in a special commercial window tinting specialist to advise on this.  As it turns out, the windows in this LEED certified building are all super Low E...meaning they block 99% of all UV rays, and a lot of the heat.  Also - the patio of the unit above this apartment casts a year long shadow over the windowed area where we installed the glass enclosure.  But just to be sure, the homeowners also had auto-blinds installed behind the wine rack.  The blinds are operated by remote control and can be closed in any situation where directly sunlight makes its way into the apartment.

I think this wine enclosure is awesome.  It was the first one I had ever designed and I think that it turned out amazing.  I can easily see using this version or a modified version of it (possibly temperature controlled) in any wine enthusiast's home.

This 10' tall wine enclosure has a 350 bottle capacity.