If you've spent any time researching cabinets for your new kitchen or bath you've probably come across then name Wood-Mode. It's the nation’s largest manufacturer of custom cabinetry for kitchens, baths and other rooms throughout the home and they've been around for 42 years. I learned that Wood-Mode has great name recognition in the industry for good reason. Their booth at KBIS was impressive and fun! Four yellow Lab pups were on hand to demonstrate one of their lifestyle concepts, The Pet Parlor.
There's a place for everything from food storage, food bowls, bathing and more. Great idea, yes? To highlight it Wood-Mode had the most interesting gig going at the show. For all selfies posted with the dogs they donated $5 to the Susquehanna Service Dogs. This will be an ongoing partnership. They call it a PAWSitive partnership. You can read more about it here.
Wood-Mode's newest lifestyle concept, Oceanside, is right after my own heart. This coastal style is a modern fresh mix of contemporary and transitional. The subtle aqua and sandy shades of beige are on point. The Oceanside approach includes a very open plan with efficient hidden storage. I see this as a reflection of the trends I saw in Italy last year, fewer or no upper cabinets but high function tall cabinets instead. The combination of materials and finishes add lots of visual interest.
With over 200 doors to choose from as well as furniture finishing techniques and options for built-in storage, Wood-Mode can create the perfect solution for your lifestyle, whether is be Coastal, pet-perfect or both!
If you're going to be needing cabinets, you're also going to need to get into them. That's where Top Knobs comes in. Another brand with great name recognition, TopKnobs specializes in fine decorative hardware for the kitchen and bath. You can tell the quality of a cabinet knob or handle by the weighty feel of it and I have always noticed that about TopKnobs products. The other important thing the finish which they guarantee for life!
They introduced the Transcend Collection at KBIS. This includes the Podium, Ascendra and Contour Series which come in Brushed Satin Nickel, Polished Chrome, Polished Nickel, Sable and Umbrio.
Also new at the show was Aspen II in three finishes, Polished Chrome, Polished Nickel and Brushed Satin Nickel. “The Aspen II collection combines old-world shape and style with contemporary finishes,” states Christine Zimmer, product manager for Top Knobs. “They bring to the market a unique look that designers can use in transitional spaces. Made with solid castings of artisan grade bronze, you can feel the quality of Aspen II in the palm of your hand.”With Wood-Mode and Top Knobs your dream kitchen can come to life!
Honor Mother Nature with Style at TOTO
"People First Innovation" is the guiding principle behind Toto, the world’s largest manufacturer of bathroom fixtures and fittings. TOTO is an un paralleled luxury brand creating beautiful and functional fixtures for the bath. What really impresses me is that at the same time the are heavily focused on water conservation, a leading global concern that needs more attention here in the US.
In 1989, in response to the state’s dramatic drought conditions and the growing need for water conservation, TOTO USA was established in California. Today they operate three manufacturing facilities in the US. I was amazed to know that 80% of all toilets on the Las Vegas strip are, you guessed it, TOTO! The brand first started nearly one hundred years ago in Japan. Today there is still a zen aesthetic to both the design and experience of the product. 
The Washlet is a must have in my opinion. There are lots of choices to make when creating a new bathroom. A few judiciously selected "special items" can make your bathroom awesome and this is one I'd pick. TOTO reinvented the toilet seat by creating the Washlet, which gives people a new way to be cleaner and more comfortable every day. Washlet seats can be installed on virtually any toilet and use pure, clean water –along with several TOTO technologies – to make their users cleaner and more refreshed. Ok we're taking personalization to a new level here but you must admit... In case you're wondering, there are many public restrooms you can visit and see for yourself. Here's where they are. If you do, get back to me. It would make a great blogpost ;) Speaking of blog posts, I also found this great post by engadget.com A Westerner's Guide to Japanese Toilets .In addition to this, TOTO uses a lot of technology designed to preserve both the environment as well as your water and energy bill. This even includes something called SanaGloss. TOTO’s patented, super smooth glaze that repels visible and invisible waste, making it difficult to adhere to porcelain. I'm all for less toilet cleaning!
Accessible design and real showers were a part of TOTO's interactive booth at KBIS2015! 
Up next: The other item not to be missed for your bath, Mr. Steam! You can easily plan it into your bathroom renovation.
BigTrends from KBIS2015 Part I
Day two of the Modenus Blog Tour was opening day for the 51st annual Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS). The Bloggers were given an inside peek into many of the booths at the show and as we toured, trends most certainly did emerge.
"There is a three year lag between Europe and North America when it comes to trends", says Warren Ramsland, President of Top Knobs. Taking that into account, there were many differences between what I saw here and what I witnessed in Italy at Euro Cucina last year. Perhaps the biggest European influence that continues to pick up steam is contemporary design for both the kitchen and bath.
Laminates are enjoying a serge in popularity. This material is more widely used and experimented with by our friends across the pond but we're picking up speed. I was wowed by the offerings at Wilsonart who debuted their "Spirit of Mindfulness" collection of 27 exciting laminate colors and textures. Also introduced were a line of quartz counter tops in a great assortment of neutral, workable hues. By late spring, a selection of 50 patterns will showcase a full range of colors, textures and four structures: Fine and Small Scale, Medium Scale, Large Scale, and Veining and Movement. That is one of the things I love about quartz, the wide variety of pattern, or no pattern at all! I was impressed not only by the innovative product development at Wilsonart but also their philosophy. This press release statement says it all:"Fueled in part by a turbulent economy, today’s more budget-savvy and eco-conscious consumers have responded by making their homes the calm eye in the storm of life. For many, this translates to finding a spirit of mindfulness within themselves and expressing it in their surroundings."
One of the new Wilsonart quartz options showing beautiful veining. Photo courtesy of WilsonartCheck out the Wilsonart Visualizer to help you pick your counter top color. It's easy, fun and very helpfulTechnology is also taking the kitchen and bath world by storm. There were numerous examples but two stood out for me. A company called TechTop took home the Best In Show Award for their counter top charging technology. Simply place your phone, tablet etc. on the counter top and viola' it will charge, no plug-in required. 
This great idea is from LG Hausy, yes it's the same "Life's Good" LG that makes appliances. They make counter tops too. I also loved this Solna articulating faucet by one of my favorite brands, Brizo. How convenient, right?!Fifty Shades of Gray has moved on to what I call "greige". It's the new warm toned beigey-gray which I saw everywhere! Palettes are definitely neutral. A great example is the Tangent collection by Walker Zanger. Love the mid-century inspiration which I also saw a lot of at the show. 
Walker-Zanger deals in tile, marble and stone artistry. Their collections are arguably the most innovative I've seen. Case in point is their Sterling Row collection, inspired by menswear and a favorite at the show. I found it to be extremely sophisticated, eye catching and innovative. The collection was a favorite at the show. 
We saw more of the Sterling Row Collection later on the blog tour in The New American Home, so there's more to come!Perhaps the BIGGEST trend of the show was personalization. I mentioned this in the last post about Thermador but they were not alone. Here are a few more pics highlighting the concept. Frigidaire's SpaceWise Custom Flex refrigerators allow you to totally customize the shelves inside by moving the drawers and shelving to your desired configuration.
How about this great storage system by Rev-A- Shelf? I know we all want this level of organization in our lives, yes? Right now this is a prototype but the response from the industry was good so I think we can expect to see this in the coming year.
Enough for now? Well there's more to come.Up next: KBIS 2015 Part II where I'll tell you about all my great finds for the bath and more.
Locker Up! Storage, Style and Savings
The more we crowd our environments with "stuff" the more we need to find a place to put all of it! Pair that with a very real need to recycle and reuse (to keep the new "stuff" to a minimum) and you can see that the concept of "used lockers" can be very relevant.
Aside from being cost effective, they can be a very creative storage option. Buyusedlockers.com is the place to go if you want to know more, so that's just what I did. I had the pleasure of interviewing Chance Cook who had some reavealing and insightful things to say about the business of using used lockers. All photos are from their Pinterest page and there are more pics here.
AK: BuyUsedLockers inhabits a very unique niche in the market. How did it come about?
Chance Cook: "BuyUsedLockers is part of a larger, family-owned business named Jorgenson Industrial Companies. Jorgenson Industrial Companies has many divisions specializing in machine tools and material handling—one of which is a very successful division named SchoolLockers.com. Several years ago after doing a very large install of brand new lockers here in Salt Lake City, Utah, the owner purchased the used lockers he was removing that were heading out to be sold as scrap metal. Instead he bought them. After looking on the Internet late one evening, he found there was a huge need out there across the country by people looking to buy used lockers over brand new lockers. He quickly assembled a business model, began buying used lockers from just about everywhere, and built a website that specialized that focused on buying and selling just used lockers."
AK: Who is your customer and are you noticing any clear trends?
Chance Cook: BuyUsedLockers.com finds our customer base ranges from someone looking for a DIY project in their home (such as a mudroom or laundry application for locker storage) to any other client that would need new lockers for their business facility. Savings over new lockers can be upwards of 40%.
There are in fact trends with many of the home applications as well. Currently we find that for home applications, people are looking for the really cool aged, vintage lockers for their studio apartments, mud rooms and just about every other corner of a home. Most of these are being done as a Do It Yourself (DIY) décor project. Look around on eclectic boutique shops and especially Pinterest and you’ll see that all things vintage are commanding high prices as people are enjoying that retro, vintage and rustic look for their homes.
AK: What is the best way for homeowners to incorporate your product into a residential design?
Chance Cook: Of course color is the best way to incorporate our product into a home. A vintage locker that you paint and age works as a great way to add accent colors along with storage into your home. If you go onto our Pinterest page you can see the many, wonderful ways that normal, everyday people have done this in their own homes. By using a vintage locker, you can add that awesome hint of color you are looking for to further accentuate an accent wall, or even add the sole accent color a home’s otherwise neutral color scheme.
The ideas and ways to incorporate a used locker into a residence are as endless as the imagination desires. People have turned lockers into tables, rolling storage units, laundry hamper storage cabinets, mud rooms, dressers and so forth. Plus the additional storage capacity makes them perfect for any room of the house where any other piece of furniture can be set up. We even see people who have added chalkboards to the locker’s exterior doors to make ‘quote boards’ and ‘dream walls’ for the home, and I have even seen resourceful people take the doors off sections of the lockers and turn them into chic bookcases for living rooms and dens. It's anything you can dream up.
AK: What do we need to know about sizes to work lockers into a design plan?
Chance Cook: That is the great part about using used lockers in your home. Most people think lockers only come in the tall, single tier style they used in high school. But little do they know there are MANY styles and designs to choose from! Box lockers for instance are essentially small cubbies that can stand upright or even come as a bridge; with two locker columns as bases and then a horizontal locker across the top. This currently popular style further adds to maximize a garage or mud room’s limited storage and design. There are 2-tier, 3-tier and many other styles and all have shelves which you can easily adjust, remove or add all depending on your needs.
AK: How about color, can they be painted as needed?
Chance Cook: Any locker can be stripped, sanded and painted any new color you would like. It is surprisingly easy and since lockers are built from quality, cold rolled steel, you don’t have to worry about breaking or harming the locker! Our BuyUsedLockers.com blog has many detailed and helpful tutorials on how to paint a used locker and a list of supplies you will need, but suffice it to state that painting a locker is just like painting something like a metal vase or rustic home décor items that are made from metal and need a new paint job, aging or just refinishing.
AK: How much can one expect to invest per lineal foot?
Chance Cook: There are many many variables. The closest I can get, depending on the style, it could be anywhere between $45.00 to $200.00 per linear foot.
Thank you so much to Chance and the folks at buyusedlockers.com for taking the time to visit with me at Artful Kitchens. If you are rocking the "used locker look" I'd love to see it!
A New Way to Organize Your Kitchen
Technology is a great thing but what about the inevitable "cord spaghetti"? There is a very cool solution for that. Check out this little video by Adorne. They've got you covered for all types of under cabinet magic including lights, outlets, music and more. High function with a lovely aesthetic. 
This New Sink is Definitely THE ONE
Organization and efficient use of space will make or break your kitchen. It all starts at the sink which, it may be argued, is the heart of your kitchen. Living in South Florida, I do my fair share of condo kitchens where space is a precious commodity. It’s not always practical to devote 36” (the standard) to a sink base cabinet when every inch counts.
That is why I’m so pleased that my go-to sink manufacturer, Blanco, has introduced something very good in a small(er) package. It’s called Blanco ONE. These stainless steel single bowl sinks are not only sized right to fit in 30" or even 27” sink cabinets but they can be customized to the way you work. They come in three sizes XL Single Bowl, Super Single Bowl and Medium Bowl. All are 9" deep which is a good thing when it comes time to insert that spaghetti pot.
Perhaps the best thing of all is that you have lots of accessory options sold either as kits or a la carte. They include grids, work stations, cutting boards, magnetic drain covers and sink caddies to hold that necessary evil, the sponge.
Click here for more information about Blanco ONE.