Tracking down Richelieu’s latest decorative hardware collections, which showed at KBIS this year, took a little effort, but I think they were well worth it. Presented in the center of the booth, they were a pleasant surprise for me when I stopped by on the last day of the show. I love that they seem to be experimenting with shape and material and feel so contemporary and new.

Richelieu showed much more than what follows below, but these images should provide you with a sense of the collections, of which there are four. Incidentally, I don’t know how much of the information has been finalized as I was given what looked like a preliminary copy of an upcoming brochure. In any case, enjoy!

First up is Precious Materials. Available in a variety of rectangular and square shapes, the collection features pulls and knobs accented by amber, onyx and mother-of-pearl. Depending on the material, pulls vary in length from 4 3/8 in. to 8 5/8 in., while knobs come in sizes ranging from 9/16 in. x 9/16 in. to 2 1/4 in. x 2 1/4 in.

The Inspiration collection is comprised of several metal pulls and knobs that boast funky and fun shapes. Available in chrome, Old America and faux iron finishes, they are, for the most part, contemporary in appeal and come in five designs, three of which are shown here (I am particularly fond of the second one, but wonder how or where it would be used):

This next one seems to be a bit of an oddball, not included in any of the materials I was sent but it’s intriguing as it resembles a black button. The two after that were designed by Björn Dahlstrom and are made of porcelain. I like their curvy, organic shape, as well as their very faint resemblance to—dare I say it?—slugs. The white finish, however, takes the pieces out of the garden and makes them very modern, very hip.

I’m not sure if designer and artist Giuseppe Lorenzi actually designed the pieces in the Materia Viva line or his work inspired it. Either way, they’re intriguing, as they showcase Raku ceramics, an ancient Japanese technique of creating pottery that is often used in tea ceremonies. Although most of the designs in the collection are earthy or neutral in color, it does include some accented with turquoise or red. All of the hardware is handmade.

Interestingly enough, these collections seem to be so new that when I called a U.S. marketing person to request information and images, she didn’t seem to know what I was talking about.

Thanks to Ben Fix, of Villeroy & Boch, who told me about the collections and suggested I take a look. So glad that I did.

—Alice Liao

Last week in Las Vegas I had the wonderful opportunity to spend some quality time with old friends. KBIS was far smaller than in years past. It was possible to “walk the show” in one day with time for lunch and a couple of coffee breaks! In my quest to find product “inspiration” I found myself in the company of folks I have been doing business with for a long time.

Long-term relationships tend to get relaxed and blurry. You stop noticing the details. Who hasn’t experienced waiting three days for a significant person to notice a new haircut? (Are those new glasses?) Vendor relationships are the same.

Rev-A-Shelf is an old friend. I haven’t done a kitchen, bathroom or laundry area in years without specifying their inserts and pullouts. And that was the problem. I had gotten laid-back. I “knew” them.

Life is what you make of it. With my comfortable significant other (who only takes 1.5 days to notice a haircut) and a desk full of deadlines awaiting me at home, I could choose to either be annoyed at this less-than-scintillating trade show—or I can choose find inspiration by looking with new eyes.

Part of Environmentally Responsible Design (my passion) is Inclusive or Universal Design. It is truly Green Design. I challenged my old friends at Rev-A-Shelf to show me what products they felt should be incorporated in an inclusive and responsible design approach. These are some of the things they showed me:

• Electric Assist Trash Unit. Blum’s new Servo Drive technology allows the door to open and close with a touch of a finger, toe or knee. This trash unit comes ready to install from Rev-A-Shelf with Blum’s tandem heavy-duty slides and a dovetailed box to hold the trash receptacle. The cabinet can be opened manually in case of a power outage. The soft close never lets it slam.

• Servo-Drive technology is available from Blum and others separately for use in any door or drawer cabinets. A light touch anywhere on the door or drawer will open or close it. Think of the possibilities not only for “goopy fingers” but arthritic ones as well. It can be programmed to touch to eliminate “dog-tail” openings.

• Tambour Table extends from the drawer slot of a 24-in. base. It locks to extend and contract, and is Carb 2-compliant for California (and indoor-air-quality-concerned) projects! We know this as convenient extra counter space but it creates the perfect prep area for folks in wheelchairs!

• New Chrome Accessories for organized and secure drawer storage of pots and lids, dinnerware, canisters, bowels, etc. Drawer inserts have been available for years. These offer a more modern approach without having to buy an entire European kitchen. In general, drawers are more easily reachable by folks in wheelchairs, children and anyone who prefers or needs a more ergonomically friendly storage solution than typical base or wall shelves. These inserts make drawers a flexible, easy and logical storage choice.

All these items are convenient and fun for the fit and fabulous, but they are indispensable for multigenerational and multimobility level households. While I have been in a comfortable haze not seeing them, Rev-A-Shelf (and others) have been busy working on things that are important and inspiring to me! Hmmm, maybe it’s time to take a fresh look at some other relationships…….is that a new haircut?

Thank you Rev-A-Shelf for reminding me that “golden” old friendships can provide the most welcome surprises.

Just a side note: Rev-A-Shelf chose to be one of the sponsors for the kick-off event at KBIS this year. It was a wonderful evening made even more so by spending it with old friends.

—Roberta Kravette, AKBD, LEED AP ID+C

No, this wasn’t shot at KBIS this year, but Hettich did offer up an abbreviated version of its Kitchen Concept 2015 demo shown here at its booth. I also saw a similar demo at the LivingKitchen show in Cologne but unfortunately, it was entirely in German, so I didn’t understand everything that was being explained.

What’s particularly cool is that some of the products and technologies on display already exist—if not in full form then some partially realized version. The hardware is a given and the retractable faucet reminds me of Blanco’s Statura, which was shown at LivingKitchen.

And when I saw the induction cooktop, I thought of Gaggenau’s CX480 full-surface model, which was also shown at LivingKitchen. Here’s a video:

If I took anything away from this year’s KBIS, it’s that geometric shapes, nature, and textures continue to dominate kitchen and bath design – especially when it comes to cabinet hardware.

Some of my favorites included the clean lines of Hafele…

Apologies for the slightly blurry shot – Hafele’s minimalistic look.
…to the thoughtful detailing and textures from Berensen Corp….

Berenson Corp. Samplicity® — their newest line features waves and stylized butterfly designs.

…to a third option from Atlas Homewares who took advantage of combining both architectural lines with inner texture and designs:

Top 3 rows: the Asian-inspired Nobu. Bottom rows: the 1960s-inspired Primitive line.

My overall impression is of a faint return to the lines of Art Deco, even if the manufacturers didn’t note it themselves. What do you think? Do any of these inspire you?

Until next time,

—Kelly