Tag Archives: KBIS2017
You may have already heard that cabinets made a really big showing during Design and Construction Week 2017 (aka KBIS and IBS). And even if you haven’t, that translates to closets being included in many of those cabinet displays.
The takeaway is that closets continue to be on the leading edge of higher end design. All kinds of companies, lots of them European, have incorporated a closet line into their offerings. And many are “repping”, and not manufacturing, the products.
The most dominant elements are 24” deep panels and modern looks that resemble Poliform or have backing and brackets that support the sections.
So if you’re speaking with client and they want their closet to look “just like this one”, be sure you’re designing a comparable system (versus a 14” deep, 84” high system).
One of the companies I noticed this year is Hans Krug, a fine European cabinetry line with US locations in New York, Seattle and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Hanak is actually the manufacturer and Hans Krug reps their product in the US.
I also saw another really interesting company named Velart out of Florida. They have these incredible closet systems that look like leather and according to the rep I spoke with, pricing seems reasonable. They highlighted their ability to do designs (not appealing to me, I’m a designer, but I digress).
So we’ll head to hardware.
It started showing up three years ago in the United States and is now going full force. And that’s shades of gold (though we’re still seeing shades of grey in cabinets) My first reaction in 2015 was similar to the thought of resurrecting avocado appliances (yuck). But as it has evolved, it has grown on me. The golds and brass aren’t the same as they were in the 90’s. They’re warmer or they’re coated with a layer of antiquing or they’re rose gold. And rose gold against greys and blues looks fantastic. Northern Contours showed an example here:
And Wisdom Stone knobs and pulls showed the most unique and best priced bling I’ve seen – as they would say – dazzling adornments for your home. They had some unique spins on the warm golds. A little art deco, a little contemporary. All attractive. If you’d like some closet design tips – click here to get my five favorites – https://butchkoandcompany.leadpages.co/5-closet-design-tips/
Can I interest you in a house that responds intuitively to your needs (so, probably better than your spouse, kids or partner), provides movable walls and storage and even a “smart closet”?
That’s the experience the team at Virginia Tech (Center for Design Research) provided at Design and Construction Week 2017 in Orlando.
The idea behind futreHAUS is to show how digital technologies, cutting edge products, and smart building design will unite to make our bedrooms and home offices more responsive to our future needs and way of living.
The concepts modeled in FutureHAUS can be used to build homes that intuitively respond to the needs of everyone from millennials and centennials to the aging and housebound – allowing people to live better and more sustainably.
The Virginia Tech’s student faculty research team has created rooms that demonstrate how advanced technologies and appliances can be seamlessly integrated in our homes using a modular style of building. The prototype features products from over 25 industry partners, including California Closets, which provided design expertise to maximize function and aesthetics.
The three aspects of this experiential prototype that most closely relate to our industries are Flex Space, Smart Closet and Wardrobe and Laundry.
Here’s a personal, 360 video view as I’m standing inside the space:
(Click on the image to view the video)
Flex Space includes movable walls that enable occupants to adjust living spaces for different activities and times of day. The closet conveniently expands to include a sitting room, dressing room, and laundry room, or contracts to create extra space in the bedroom or office. If an extra guest bedroom is needed, the office wall converts into a Murphy bed with a simple gesture or voice command.
The Smart Closet and Wardrobe include a smart mirror touchscreen that enables users to quickly find and select items in their wardrobe to be delivered on demand. The dress room wardrobe has self-opening drawers and an automated clothing carousel. Tiny RFID (radio frequency identification) tags in the clothes that enable the smart closet to scan and locate items – ensuring you’ll never lose a sock again. And all designed by California Closets.
The two photos below are an “open” and “closed” visual of cabinetry that’s cleverly designed so it’s not two even boxes with an expected opening. They’ve varied the height of the doors and storage sections to make for a really interesting design twist.
And then, here’s a more “overall” photo to help you get a better sense of the cabinet designs:
While this has a romantic, futuristic notion of how we’ll get dressed in the future, I’m not convinced it will be a first choice amongst fashionistas who tend to invest in high end custom closets. There’s joy in the process of putting together outfits that I think outweighs the technology of selection.
The Laundry Room can be easily hidden or exposed by moving the closet space – a convenient feature for minimizing noise and keeping the laundry out of sight. Additional accessories, such as a folding station and ironing board enhance the function of the space, but tuck away when not in use.
And here’s a video that gives you a better “tour” of the space:
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