Highlights from the International Home + Housewares Show 2017
The Beyond Design team made the annual trek to McCormick Place last month to check out the Home + Housewares Show. As one of our favorite events, we saw hundreds of innovative designs and trends that have inspired us to keep creating and building here in our north side studio. Below is a look at what caught our eyes this year.
Cork + Mortar
A natural material trend we saw this year was the incorporation of cork in kitchen appliances. Specifically, we saw the use of cork in coffee and tea makers from Bodum. The cork grip adds texture and a warm touch to the glass brewers.
Specialty Ice
First Build’s nugget ice maker, Opal, is the trendy machine for those looking for that specific, tiny chewable ice texture in their kitchen or bar. The “flavor saving” ice is created at 1 lb/hour.
Smart Appliances One Step Ahead of the User
Honeywell’s smart thermostat is incorporating the use of geofencing to ensure your house is ready for your arrival. By setting custom Home and Away distances on the app, your thermostat will automatically adjust its temperature depending on how close you are to home, thus keeping your home at the optimal temperature 24-7.
From Quarry to Bar Top
With nearly 80% of soapstone being deemed “waste” after mining, Sparq has taken these scraps from quarries and turned them into elegant bar accessories. The Denver based company creates handmade soapstone coasters, whiskey rocks and steel wine pearls – a more refined addition to their entertaining barware line.
Magnetic Storage
Youcopia fused magnets into their kitchen storage products. The father-daughter duo displayed their convenient utensil organizer which allows the user to add on more compartments as needed via small magnets. Youcopia offers several other innovative organizational tools, notably: the SpiceStack. With over a million sold, the SpiceStack smartly holds 18 spice bottles within a kitchen cabinet.
Familiar Faces at the Show
Beyond Design is excited to see our work on display again this year. Our sharp looking Vinturi corkscrew and aerator are still on the cusp of 2017 trends. Providing a smooth open and ergonomic handle, the corkscrew easily uncorks a bottle of wine in seconds.
Reinventing the Trash Can
One of our favorite brands we look for each year, Joseph Joseph, had another great spread of designs. Notably, their totem trash can caught our eye. It combines waste and recycling and has a specific caddy for food. Organization is key with this unit and it seamlessly provides different compartments for glass, paper, plastic, waste, and more. Their latest design is a trash can that you can compact yourself. With a swoosh of a handle you push the trash down within itself and it compacts quickly and effectively. They also had a mix of trendy and delicate gold pieces for the home, modern designed bath accessories, and small wall climbing men that will conveniently hold your keys.
Clean + Quiet Air
Rowenta’s sleek and house friendly compact humidifiers emit bacteria free air up to 500 square feet. The unique machine has sensor capabilities that measure the level of humidity in the air and will immediately adjust how much clean air to produce. For new parents, the models also come with “baby mode” – when chosen this mode will maintain the optimum amount of humidity tailored for an infant. The Rowenta Turbo Silent Oscillating Fan is quiet enough for use in a library and produces 80m3/min of airflow (if set to turbot boost). Air Innovations Cool Mist Humidifier uses a long nozzle to extend the range that the humidity can reach.
Clean + Cool Air
Chigo’s brought out their new and improved version of their portable AC unit. The easy-to-use control panel is an upgrade on their original model while the unit itself still retains the noble appearance and anti-bacteria protection with their air cleansing features.
Sleek + Strong Kitchen Blades
Old world, French company Tarrerias-Bonjean Groupe kept things traditional with their matte black kitchen knives. The Evercut series have been a work in progress for the past 15 years and are constantly being updated and improved. As designers, we applaud TB Groupe’s decision to focus 5% of its earnings to Research and Development of their cutlery. With this devotion they are continually on top of new designs and technologies in kitchenware. This dedication allows TB to produce 250 new projects each year. Their most recent line of knives, Furtif (meaning stealth in French), came out this year.
Colorful Designs
HTI Buying Group displayed a modern collection of cook and bakeware in smooth pastels. Similarly, the crowd favorite color was a fresh and flourishing green. Symbolizing nature, renewal, and harmony – this color is definitely something that we saw incorporated in several exhibitor displays.
Pantone Color of the Year: Green
The Pantone Color Institute revealed that 2017’s color is Greenery. The yellow green hues are representative of the kick off of spring, nature being restored and renewed, and is symbolic of new beginnings. The color is “trans-seasonal”, meaning it can be incorporated into many different color combinations. It is perfect for new, innovative products making their mark at the Show and adds a pop of color to traditional appliances as well. Pantone calls Greenery the “reconnection we seek with nature.”
Distinctive Combinations
We saw the combination of different, sometimes contrasting, materials at the show this year. From silicone and metal strainers to plastic and metal high end trash cans. Minky’s “Sort” trash can is small and compact with two different levels for waste. The bottom compartment pulls out at an angle maximizing space. The use of plastic doesn’t take away from its style and it is being slated to be sold on the market for a cool $200.
To see the work we have done please visit our website at https://www.beyonddesign.com/work/ or contact us at info@beyonddesignchicago.com. See you next year!
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