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May 11, 2007 - Live Blog From Vegas - K/BIS Day Three

PM Managing Editor Kelly Faloon wraps up her live reports from the 2007 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas.

Kitchen and Bath Ideas' "Gourmet Traveler at Home" setting featured a deluxe wine room.

A Night Out - At Home

I spent much of the third day of KBIS walking around the North Hall. (The LV Convention Center has three halls - North, Center and South - and K/BIS exhibits were in all three.)

I visited the NKBA Design Idea Center, which showcases five home settings designed by editors from Meredith Corp.'s five home magazines: Midwest Living, Better Homes & Gardens, Country Home, Traditional Home, and Kitchen and Bath Ideas. This year's theme was "Destination Home: Everyday Getaways."

One of the more interesting was Kitchen and Bath Ideas' "Gourmet Traveler at Home" setting. These editors were responding to the "rising tide of travelers who bring home their culinary interests and experiences." Most striking was the deluxe wine room, which displays the homeowner's collection. It includes an area for wine tasting, wine refrigeration units, sink and dishwasher for entertaining, oak cabinets to hold wine bottles and glasses, and walnut flooring.

Midwest Living's "Back to Basics" barn retreat included a spa bathroom. The carved countertop drains into a silver trough.

Midwest Living's "Back to Basics" barn retreat included a spa bathroom. (The carved countertop in the photo here drains into a silver trough.) Two contemporary drawer bases support the countertop. The bathroom also has a separate water closet, a freestanding tub and an outdoor shower.

Country Home's "Big Little House in the Woods" showcased a combination dishwasher/sink (dishwasher sits to the right of the sink).

And Country Home's "Big Little House in the Woods" kitchen had a little surprise: a combination dishwasher/sink. This home setting is all about luxury in small spaces - saving space with the combo sink/dishwasher allows for a larger French-door refrigerator.

A special coating on the glass of Thermique's towel warmers allows electrical currents to circulate evenly across the surface.

Towel Warmers Upping The Ante

Also in the North Hall was Thermique, maker of glass towel warmers. A special coating on the glass allows electrical currents to circulate evenly across the surface of the glass. The unit is warm when operating, but is not hot to the touch. Models will soon be equipped with a programmable electronic timer to be programmed at different times each day of the week, but also have customized settings for each user. Thermique is showing a prototype of its freestanding glass towel warmer - the final production model should be available this fall.

Another interesting item that caught my eye as I walked past the booth was from Neo-Metro, a division of Acorn Engineering - an ADA-compliant, wall-hung double sink with resin countertops lighted from underneath called the Ebb Concept. Currently, Neo-Metro markets to the hospitality industry. The resin countertops are available in seven colors, and basins conceal the drainage for a very sleek design. Other models include single bowl and can use either wall-mounted faucets or deck-mounted faucets.

Many manufacturers I talked to were pleased with the traffic and the number of good leads. So, another successful K/BIS show. But me and my aching feet were glad to get back on a plane headed for Chicago, which is the venue for next year's K/BIS. Back to the familiar McCormick Place, April 11-13, 2008. I hope to see you there!