There is no point in delaying the inevitable. Common (at least what we think would be common...if this were a real-time dialogue) questions might be: What were the best products? What was unique? What did people say, "Oooohhhh! Aaahhhhh!" about? What was the absolute coolest thing at K/BIS?!?!
Settle down! We'll tell you...right...NOW:
Hands down, the best looking item at K/BIS is part of a new line from Grohe. The line, called Ondus (think...wave), is not entirely new (Grohe unveiled the Ondus collection in Germany last year). A quick Google search will show you that people have been talking about it for almost a year now. However, this was the first time the public could touch and feel Grohe's newest creation
The plus side to the Ondus line: Unbelievable style. Every person who walked past Grohe's Ondus display was compelled to touch the faucets and shower units. Why shouldn't they? There are almost no night-black faucets on the market, let alone highly stylized ones. The faucets and shower units would certainly make the highlight reel of any home tour.
Another nice feature of Ondus: The controls are rather intuitive. Clear pictures denote whether one is affecting the shower head, body spray(s) or hand-held shower head units. Merely touch the picture of where you desire water to pour from and, VOILA! Water! Want hotter water? The digital display allows you to control water temperature to within half a degree! Ease of use of the digital display and control panel is comparable to an I-Pod.
However, PaulSupply.com's Best in Show Award is reserved for the Kohler Zofa toilet seats. Stop rolling your eyes... Most people have experienced a standard, hard plastic toilet seat as well as the occasional padded toilet seat. "What," you may be thinking, "could make any toilet seat stand out? Especially at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show? There must have been ten thousand items which are better than a toilet seat..." And right you would be, except the Zofa will make any toilet a true throne.
Kohler's Zofa toilet seats (Model # K-4673 for an Elongated, K-4674 for Round/Regular size) is neither a plastic seat nor a padded seat. It is, in our estimation, the first ever soft toilet seat. The difference being the Zofa seats have substance to them -- they won't compact so much so that they no longer offer any padding, yet they are hard enough that ripping should never be a concern.
Kohler, in a February 13, 2008 press release, stated: "The Zofa seat features closed-cell foam that does not require a separate material to act as a cover, compared to competitive soft seats wrapped in vinyl. This soft seat is warmer to the touch upon initial contact, and the contour of the seat is ergonomically designed for optimal comfort. The polypropylene ring frame prevents cracking, and is equipped with KOHLER Quick-Release™ and Quiet-Close™ technology." (Click Here to Read Entire Press Release)
Stay tuned and we will let you know when we acquire our first shipment!
