Written by Laurie Doherty

Three containers of much-needed furnishings donated and delivered to the residents of Breezy Point.

When tragedy strikes people pull together to help one another. When Hurricane Sandy devastated Breezy Point over eight months ago, a local fourth generation family-owned manufacturer knew they had to find a way to help. This past Saturday, Samuelson delivered three containers of furniture to the residents with the help of Habitat for Humanity of Westchester.

Bank of America, already active in rebuilding the area, stepped in to finance the shipping of the donated product from overseas. The Samuelson crew joined forces with their employees to organize and deliver the much-needed furnishings directly to homes in the area. The 150 volunteers distributed cabinets, chairs and tables but it was the humanity of people coming together that really inspired those present.

“Residents of this seaside community continue to work to rebuild their homes and their lives,” stated Lawrence Chalfin President of Samuelson Furniture.  “The wave of destruction on this small community is staggering and we felt the need to give back to them in a way that we could.  Our family and an of army volunteers arrived Saturday morning ready to help by delivering furniture and to let the community know they are not alone!”

Written by Shelly Johnson

This spring marked the return of the most exciting design event in New York City – the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF). As the premier showcase for contemporary design, ICFF drew architects and designers from all over the world in search of the latest trends in design for every room of the home.

Walking the neon carpet at the Javits Convention Center I noticed a distinct theme for this year’s ICFF – stylishly modern products with a nostalgic feel! While companies showcased new designs made from cutting edge materials, they were reminiscent of period styles – from the mid century modern to the unexpected mix of traditional but with a twist of modern.

One highlight for me (I love poker!) was the “All In” poker table in the Akke Woodworks booth. Created by Axel Yberg, the surface was constructed using fifteen species of exotic wood and the base was fabricated with gold-painted plumbing pipes and fittings. Love it!  www.akkewoodworks.com

Hands down, my favorite piece from the show was the massive Radford tub from Victoria + Albert. This tub really is big enough for two! The company unveiled their ‘new traditional’ collections – Drayton and Radford at the show and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Attendees and press both took notice, with the Drayton winning a Metropolis Likes Award at the show. Also unveiled at the show was the new Staffordshire faucet line, the company’s first traditional faucet design. www.vandabaths.com

The Furniture Guild’s Sydney and Sophia vanities were also in Victoria + Albert’s booth at ICFF.  Both new models have an art deco feel and are available in wood stains, matte paints, and now a collection of eight High Performance Automotive Finishes like Escalade White! www.thefurnitureguild.com

The new designs at the show were so refreshing – I can’t wait to see what the show has in store for us next year!

Written by Laurie Doherty

Vibrant color in the kitchen was the hottest trend at this years ADNY, but nothing rivaled the depth of color found in the Pyrolave booth. Co-Sponsored by The New York Times, The Architectural Digest Home Show was held March 21-24, 2013 at Pier 94, 55th Street at 12th Avenue in New York City. The show featured the latest products for the home with over 500 premium brands represented and offers presentations from celebrity chefs and the most talented and recognized designers. Showcased in the La Cornue booth, Pyrolave’s brilliantly enameled lava stone counter garnered the attention of both industry professionals and the national media. A special thank you to the design bloggers at ADNY – Pyrolave is enjoying great show coverage. www.pyrolave.com

Written by Laurie Doherty

The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) held recently in New Orleans was an interactive showcase of everything new – a venue where the brightest and best professionals assembled to spot trends, find practical solutions and build valuable relationships that will take them into the future.

Atlas Homewares, always on the leading edge when it comes to design, introduced trend-setting new collections of decorative hardware including the ‘Ergo’-nomically designed and transitional in style Ergo Collection. The expansion of their popular Dream Glass Collection including the Polka Dot knobs in the 2013 Emerald Pantone Color of the Year was a show favorite. And a Champagne finish was introduced on some of Atlas’ most popular modern and traditional collections to match the oh-so-popular Champagne bronze faucets.

Atlas also rolled out four new and unique new bath accessory collections: the hotel-inspired Axel bath collection; the elegantly-contoured Solange collection; the Gratitude bath ensemble which features a refined, vintage look; and the irresistibly modern Parker Collection with its simple yet sharp design.  www.atlashomeware.com

Lenova, known in the kitchen and bath industry for creating the finest in affordable luxury sinks, topped it off this year with the introduction of an all-new line of solid stainless steel kitchen faucets. The new line includes a wide variety of models ranging from sleek and modern to elegantly traditional in single lever or dual handles. Constructed in type 304 stainless steel with long-life ceramic disk cartridges and finished with a satin polish, the new faucet line is designed for beauty and built to last. Even the stream and sprayheads are stainless steel NOT plastic.

All about the kitchen at KBIS this year, Lenova showcased their new OT line of stainless steel sinks that convert to a food prep center when accessorized with available stainless steel colander, cutting board, and unique roll up stainless steel drain grid.  The OT line is constructed with commercial grade 16-gauge stainless steel for durability can be under mounted or top mounted for maximum design flexibility.

Lenova also unveiled their new Fireclay Farm Sink featuring the durability and beauty of fireclay with Italian craftsmanship. The new model is reversible, offering an elegantly sculpted side and a sleek and simple side for maximum flexibility in design to add beauty and functionality to any kitchen.  www.lenovasinks.com

As we wrap it, we can look forward to an exciting 2014 when  IBS (International Builders’ Show) and KBIS will co-locate!  The two events will remain separate but will be held simultaneously at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Architectural Digest recently held their 2013 Architectural Digest Home Design Show, which ran through Sunday, March 24th, at Pier 94 in New York City. With over 400 exhibitors, this year’s show featured a large kitchen and bath area as well as a section where individual artisans could showcase their work.

With a record 44,000 visitors attending, the event proved to be the perfect venue for Victoria + Albert to showcase their newest Premium tub, the Cabrits.

The star of the show, Cabrits had all who passed it stopping to take notice and even hopping in to test it out! The tub is immediately striking for its distinctive curvaceous shape that resembles a piece of modern art, but those curves serve another less aesthetic purpose too. The sleek contours of the tub fit the body offering improved support and superior bathing comfort. With one end of the tub arching higher than the other this tub is well suited for bathers of different size and a low profile makes it easily accessible without muscle strain.

Cheers to another fabulous show Victoria + Albert team!

BainUltra is once again leading the industry with the introduction of Thermasens, their new category of therapeutic bathtubs. Inspired by the enveloping warmth and therapeutic benefits of Roman baths, this innovative product awakens the senses through a combination of therapies and enhanced comfort. Slipping into a ThermaSens bath is like immersing yourself in the calm and soothing waters of a lake, leaving you with a feeling of fulfillment and tranquility.

ThermaSens was designed to address the needs of consumers in today’s stress-filled world by improving the conventional bathtub to promote personal relaxation, health, and well-being through benefits offered by a therapy tub. ThermaSens baths feature three therapies supported by distinct technologies for a wide range of benefits.

AromaCloud™ is an aromatherapy diffuser seamlessly incorporated into the bath deck of ThermaSens tubs. It releases a fine mist of essential oils that retain their therapeutic qualities and are readily absorbed. AromaCloud delivers the benefits of the oils, whether for their toning, anti-inflammatory, or regenerating properties, allowing users to immerse themselves in a calming aromatic mist of therapeutic goodness.

The tub features chromatherapy with a fully integrated light system that allows users to choose from six different colors and experience the energy vibrations and multiple therapeutic benefits of various hues. Red stimulates the senses, blue soothes the heart, and green stabilizes the emotions, providing a range of possibilities to customize a unique and energizing user experience.

The new ThermaSens also features BainUltra’s new WarmTouchShell™.  Heating zones are built into the bath’s inner shell that provide a warming touch to the parts of the body that need it most. These WarmTouchShell zones are located on the bathtub headrest, backrest, and seat, where they quickly reach a temperature of over 101°F, creating a warm cocoon-like sensation and a state of comfort and relaxation for the bather.

Its silent therapeutic technologies are also well suited to the high-end condo market as they offer a prestigious product that meets industry standards.

With ThermaSens, BainUltra helps consumers design their own personalized space tailored to their specific needs and to create a bathroom where they can fully experience individual relaxation, health, and well-being rituals. Now they can enjoy therapies that have been around since ancient times and regain a state of well-being.

Written by Laurie Doherty

Each year Pantone announces their choice for Color of the Year and when Pantone says a color is the it-color of the season it becomes the must-have hue in the design world. To celebrate Pantone’s pick of the year, Atlas Homewares introduces the addition of Emerald knobs to their Dream Glass collection.

“Lively. Radiant. Lush. A color of elegance and beauty that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony,‘’ said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. Always a trendsetter, Atlas Homewares takes the chosen color and livens it up with a pop of polka-dots to create a limited edition collection that will simply make the room alive with style! Adding splashes of color is the easiest way to quickly transform any space, and these emerald spotted jewels are a great way to add some flair to a kitchen or bath.

The limited edition Pantone Color of the Year inspired Emerald Dream Glass Knobs are 1.5″ in diameter and are available in either Round or Square with a matte black or polished chrome finish.

Written by Shelly Johnson

Even though the weather in Toronto was below freezing, exhibitors at IDS heated up the convention center with their displays of creative and innovative new products.

The 4-day show kicked off with its Opening Night Party — the biggest design party of the year. Attendees got a a sneak peek at the products on display along with some great local food and cocktails.

The Cabrits Tub from Victoria + Albert won the hearts of designers who were captivated by its unique freestanding beauty. The tub’s intriguing design had attendees climbing in left and right. We even had three people in it at once! Created from Victoria + Albert’s signature ENGLISHCAST®, a naturally white material rich in volcanic limestone this newest tub contours to fit the body offering improved support and comfort. This tub was truly a showstopper!

Shelly Johnson with Jennings & Co. is shown here with Jonathan Carter from Victoria + Albert at IDS 13

Written by Shelly Johnson

Victoria + Albert has done it again! Their Cabrits Tub was recently given the honor of receiving a Merit Award in Kitchen + Bath Business magazine’s 2012 Product Innovator Awards. The K+BB Product Innovator Awards honor manufacturers for superior product innovation.

Victoria + Albert’s Cabrits was chosen by a panel of distinguished industry professionals for its dramatic illustration of how “form follows function,” as one judge noted. Winners of the awards are featured in the November/December 2012 issue of K+BB magazine. Congrats Victoria + Albert!

Written by Shelly Johnson

BainUltra’s Geysair technology takes the bubble bath to a new indulgent level. Taking its name and function from hot water geysers, Geysair is a hot air system that surrounds the bather in a cocoon of warmth. How does it do this? Airflow produced by the system stays warm and humidified until it comes into contact with the bather. The result is a wonderfully therapeutic experience that is extra relaxing.

Visit www.bainultra.com/geysair for more information.