BEST OF KBIS 2014 with MODENUS BLOGTOUR VEGAS

I just returned from Las Vegas and my second tour with Modenus Blogtour.  I had an amazing time at KBIS.  I had great intentions of reporting from Vegas daily, but our third day was so busy, that I fell off the writing wagon and I am just now getting back on. Veronika Miller, owner and creative visionary of Modenus, once again curated an amazing group of designers, architects and industry professionals for this trip. We ate fabulous food, saw amazing new products at KBIS and enjoyed learning more about our sponsors.  This was my first time to KBIS ,so I really didn't know what to expect.  I'm here to report it was a must do for any designer in the kitchen and bath industry.  If you design kitchens and bathrooms you have to put KBIS on your 2015 calendar. This was the first time that KBIS(Kitchen & Bath Industry Show) and IBS (International Builders Show) combined to co-locate creating a joint event called Design & Construction Week.  "Talk about killing two birds with one stone."  This was a brilliant move and resulted in a record crowd of over 77,000 attendees in the Las Vegas Convention Center.  It felt good to see so many people anxious to see new product.  The general consensus among attendees and exhibitors is that the economy is finally recovering.  Yay!

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Blogtour were judges for the Best of KBIS, so our first duty was to check out the contenders.  We were directed to an expansive product wall which displayed all the products entered in the "Best of KBIS" Contest.  Each item entered in the competition was featured with a special scan code which gave  more information about the product, as well as location at the show.  It was important for us to see the products in person, so off we went for a whirlwind tour of the show floor.  

 Ask Veronika Miller what it is like to herd 16 designers through a place like KBIS with the intention of seeing all the exhibitors in a timely manner.  I'm sure she would say it is the equivalent of trying to walk a kid through a candy store.  There was a strong temptation to meander off in various directions, when we saw something that peaked our interest.  Eventually we behaved and followed orders, but not before persuading Veronika to stop and gander as well.   Our time was limited, because we had so much to see on such a tight schedule, but we worked fast!  Our hopes were of returning to places of interest at a more leisurely pace later in the day.

Formica unveiled new products that will knock your socks off.

Wait til you see their new woodgrain line.  It isn't the old Formica our mom's had.  Move over granite, you have some major competition with the new Formica products.  I can't wait to share what we saw!  Incredible!!!  I also can't wait to use some of them in upcoming projects.

Toto wowed us with amazing products as well, like their new Luminist hybrid resin epoxy sink.  It's scratch and stain resistant, with the translucence of glass.  And if that isn't revolutionary enough for you, Toto also introduced a self cleaning toilet.  Yep, that's right, the darn thing cleans itself. You no longer have to stick your hand (or your cleaning lady's hand) in your toilet.     

My new friend, designer Rhonda Knoche modeled the toilet for me, but you will have to check out my instagram for that pic, I didn't want to insult anyone showing that pic here. It's pretty graphic! (Wink, wink!) While you are on instagram, cause i know you peeped...make sure you sign up to follow TotoUSA to see pics of their new products.

Poggenpohl always brings their "A Game" no matter where they show up.  This beautiful cabinet line thrilled us again, with uber sexy finishes and fabulous german technology. There was a trend at the show towards mixing finishes in kitchens which I find very interesting.  Poggenpohl is a master at mixing finishes to create a sleek, interesting kitchen.  I can't wait to share the fun night we spend at The Mandarin Oriental Penthouses viewing Poggenpohl cabinetry and SubZero/Wolf appliances.  It was a night to remember!

Poggenpohl unveiled their Goldreif line which offers an extensive array of color options and beautiful sleek styling like the signature line, but at a more aggressive price point.  

Our stroll by the Topknobs booth proved fruitful.  Not only did treat us to a delicious breakfast, but also unveiled delicious new hardware!  They shared their beautiful new glass knob collection which is available in a variety of color options as well as some interesting shapes, like the one pictured below which is offered in four finishes. 

Nothing dresses up cabinetry quite like pretty hardware and Topknobs has a wide variety of fabulous new options! We were bamboozled by the new Glacier collection which is sleek and smooth with several new finishes.  Topknobs is a master at making hardware that feels as good as it looks. Their craftsmanship is exquisite.  I think it's their best collection yet!

Oh! Mr. Steam you truly are my dream man!  You get me all hot and bothered and release the toxins from my body at the same time!  Did you know Mr. Steam won The Good Design Award ?  Check out Mr Steam for their innovative products.

My favorite being the isteam which turns your bathroom into a spa.  Who doesn't want a spa at home?

We visited Wood-mode Cabinets to see their new fab products. Did you know Wood-mode is made in the USA and is a family owned company?   They also served us mimosas! Yum!  Thank you Wood-Mode!

 The options are endless to get any look you want with Woodmode.  Want a long sleek drawer, but worry about the weight?  Woodmode can create a  sleek exterior look and actually divide the drawer into two interior drawers which allows for a center support.  How smart is that?  

Woodmode is available in all these colors so there is no need to have all white kitchen!  Chose a color please!!!

Blanco Sinks has an amazing new product called "The One Sink".  With this sink you decide what components work best for you and the way you cook.  Blanco is totally changing the way we think about our sinks with this new concept.  I especially love the knife block option, shown on the left which makes using knives a lot safer.  Check out the other options here and find out which "One" sink you prefer.

Blogtour took a moment at Dekton to pick out our favorite ultracompact surface.  They were all beautiful! Are you familar with Dekton?  It is amazing!  Dekton was introduced last October in New York by Consentino.  This is biggest new product introduction since Silestone. This product changes the way we think about what we use both inside and outside of structures.  This material can take the place of many products.  It is an incredibly innovative material.  I especially love the beautiful matt finish.  Architects and Designers are loving this new product.  Click here to watch a video about this revolutionary product. 

The bartender at the cocktail hour at Consentino was serving drinks on Dekton. He said he enjoyed working on the Dekton surface because it didn't stain and was easy to keep clean.

After viewing all the amazing products entered in the contest, our Blogtour team was ready to vote for the Best of KBIS.  Continue reading to find out the results of our voting.

Our Blogtour member, Stacy Naquin from Baton Rouge, La announced the winners for the Best of KBIS. 

These products were the winners:

Best in Show – Dacor: Discovery™ iQ 30” Wall Oven
Best of Kitchen: Gold – Dacor: Discovery™ iQ 30” Wall Oven
Best of Kitchen: Silver – Glideware
Best of Bath: Gold – Delta® Temp2O™ Technology
Best of Bath: Silver – TOTO: NEOREST 750H

Make sure you click on the links to check out the products. 

They were all amazing!

Do you know about the People's Choice Awards?

We aren't the only ones allowed to vote!  You can vote too!
KBIS will have a People's Choice Award announced the week of February 10, 2014. If you would like to vote in the People's Choice awards    Click Here for Details.

If you are a designer or builder and want more information about products that debuted at KBIS check out their Digital showroom here!.

It was an amazing event.  I can promise it was all work, though, there was plenty of play involved.  Just ask the Pink Panther, posing with Sarah Sarna and Tina Ramchandani of Franklin Eighth of New York City.

There were plenty of shenanigans which I can't wait to share....or not?  Ok, well some of them. 

Thank you to the amazing sponsors of Blogtour Vegas.  Not only do these companies make incredible products, but they genuinely care about providing incredible customer service!

My trip was sponsored by these companies, but the opinions expressed in my posts are my own.

I can't wait to share our visit to the beautiful Walker Zanger Showroom.  Can you say gorgeous tile!!!!  Check out my instagram for pics of the latest tile collections released.  Walker Zanger was nice enough to allow us to photograph product that hasn't been shown on their website yet!  

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