August 25, 2014

The International Woodworking Fair (IWF) took place last week in Atlanta. The event is a stage for material processing and design industries to connect, and while it is not specifically a kitchen and bath show, I did discover several products and themes that struck home with our industry, including decorative materials for cabinets and countertops, innovative storage organization systems and hardware, paint and stain solutions for cabinets and decorative hardware for kitchens and bathrooms. 

Decorative Materials and Finishes

LumiArt decorative panels from Richelieu (pictured above) are handmade, textured resin panels that reflect and diffuse light. They are available in opaque and translucent styles for drama and radiance and can be used on cabinet doors and backsplashes or as decorative inserts.

Abet Laminati’s Parade Collection of colorful laminates was designed by designer Giulio Iacchetti and is now available in the U.S. It offers a bold, digital design and easy maintenance and is available in three color variations: 

• Derby: a burst of green, yellow or red; great for horizontal or vertical applications
• Tar-Tan: reminiscent of Scottish textile design with varying colors and thicknesses intersecting at 90-degree angles
• Ya-Yoi: a polka dot pattern available in red/blue, blue/green and green/pink combinations.

Osborne Wood Products  has added solid wood, 72-in.+ live-edge slabs to its Highland Creek Collection that can be used for kitchen islands, bar tops, tabletops and shelving. The sustainable slabs are kiln dried, allowing the wood to feature natural imperfections while maintaining structure. They are available in cherry, walnut, oak and maple. Each slab features a story from the tree from which it came that can be found on the company’s website. 

Innovative Storage Systems

Blum introduced its newest addition to the Aventos lift family – Aventos HK-XS, a smaller, cost-effective lift system that can be used in shallow-depth wall cabinets above a refrigerator and in pantries. Aventos HK-XS will be available in spring 2015 as a complete program for both face-frame and panel cabinetry, and it features easy installation with CLIP technology.

The Vionaro Drawer System from Grass America features strong right angles that offer a slim 13-mm double wall side that allows for more interior storage space. The system incorporates the company’s Dynapro undermount system and is available in two heights, as well as various colors, including sliver grey, graphite and golden brown. 

Häfele’s Twister is designed for corner cabinets and features an offset axle that provides more storage room. The shelf set includes one height-adjustable post, one bearing and adjustable shelves and is available for face-frame or frameless cabinets. 

Vauth-Sagel featured VSA and DUSA – collections of tall cabinets with drawers that can be combined to create a modular system. The VSA is designed for a larder cabinet with large-scale interior baskets for bulky food and utensils. The DUSA tall cabinet has interior baskets and narrow baskets on the inside of the cabinet doors and is suitable to store smaller items like spices. 

The Universal Pull-Down shelving system from Rev-A-Shelf was designed to store medical products in the kitchen, but it can also hold pet supplies, craft items and baby needs. It is available for 24-in. wall cabinets and features anti-skid-lined drawers and removable storage bins with drop-in dividers. The system can be customized with pre-printed and blank labels, and it uses a nitrogen-charged, gas-spring mechanism.

Functional and Decorative Hardware

Knape and Vogt’s easy-to-install pocket door slide with a KV hinge base included features an easy three-step installation process and allows the slides to be installed without the follower strip attached. 

Century Hardware’s Mackinac modern collection of knobs and pulls for the kitchen offers clean lines and raised details in a variety of finishes. 

TEC 863 face-mount hinges from Grass America were designed for face-frame cabinets. The soft-close version offers a soft-close damper that is pre-mounted in the hinge cup, as well as an adjustable switch to regulate opening and closing.

Paint and Stain Solutions

Sherwin-Williams’ Ultra-Cure Waterborne UV Pigmented Blending System allows kitchen cabinet, furniture, wood and composite building products and millwork manufacturers to increase manufacturing and maximize production efficiency. The environmentally friendly technology delivers accurate color and gloss matches and meet environmental emissions guidelines.