It would be easy to presume that the products at the 2012 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show would follow the same continuum of the last four years or so—largely uninspiring offerings with only a handful of standouts. But that would be incorrect.
Though the show has shrunk from its pre-recession attendance numbers, it offered a surprising amount of cool products that showed manufacturers are still thinking up ways to make things better. While the show has a long way to go before it reaches the halcyon days of the housing boom when luxury and innovation ruled, a lot of manufacturers had a trick or two up their sleeves.
Companies introduced good looking, universally designed kitchen and bath products, accessible slide-out hardware for corner cabinets, easy-install farmhouse sinks, clever faucets, and cool appliances.
Rohl introduced a very popular stainless steel copper sink that was a huge hit at the show; The Murano Collection displayed a granite countertop system that can be installed for as little as $10 per square foot; and Niagara Conservation showed a simple aerator offering three pressure-compensating flow rates from 0.5 to 1.5 gallons per minute.
For photos of these and other innovative products we saw at the show, check out the slideshow.
