9 Hot Products We Saw at the International Contemporary Fair
ICFF, the annual showcase of furniture, lighting, kitchen, and bath, offered a softer take on contemporary design this year with warm metals, pops of color, and wood finishes.
Held from May 19 to 22 in New York City, the show formerly known as the International Contemporary Furniture Fair hosted more than 800 exhibitors, many of which hailed from outside the United States. Among the first-time exhibitors were a handful of relatively new companies, such as Oliver James Lighting; Parachilna, a Spanish lighting company making its U.S. debut; and Reform, a Danish manufacturer of architect-designed fronts for Ikea kitchens.
The show is a “perfect fit,” says Ann Grønskov, head of global PR for Reform, which opened its first U.S. showroom in New York just three years ago and plans to open a second in Los Angeles later this year.
Since its rebranding a few years ago, ICFF has continued to expand beyond its initial exhibitor base of furniture and accessories. This year, the unveiling of a new pavilion suggests its next area of focus may be commercial design. Of course, the show has always included products suitable for commercial applications. But the bulk of the show is residential. Of these, lighting, plumbing, and hardware manufacturers made a strong showing.
In many booths, chrome was scarce, replaced by matte black and oil-rubbed, aged or satin versions of bronze, copper, and nickel. Light fixtures seemed slimmer and sleeker, and favored spherical or circular glass diffusers.
“We’re definitely seeing a lot more split finishes, mixed materials, and mixed textures [in faucets],” says Avi Abel, president of Watermark Designs. Think metals with concrete, wood, stone, and glass or crystal. Color is also creeping into the mix. Watermark added Oxblood, a deep red liquid metal handle option to its Elements line, Fantini’s Nice faucet has strips of color in its handles, and multiple booths had industrial-style wheel-type handles in red. In cabinet hardware, Belwith-Keeler showed its Chrysalis line with blue glass.
A few plumbing exhibitors displayed white faucets, but Abel says it’s not a trend. One obstacle, he notes is “there’s so many different shades of white, so it’s very hard to match.” Knikki Grantham, trend manager for Belwith-Keeler, agrees it’s a problem but still has her eye on white for the near future.
What else will be trending then? Who knows, but to tide you over, here are nine products that turned our heads.
The minimalist AP Door Knocker measures 6 inches tall, 2 inches wide and 1 inch deep. Available with or without an integrated door viewer, it comes in stainless steel, champagne, brass, bronze, rose gold, oil rubbed bronzed, gunmetal and carbon.
The Lily collection offers lavatory faucets with three accent designs: dimple, ogee drop (shown), and diamond. Faucets come in a variety of finishes.
Touch&Steam is a 10-cm-deep steam generator that installs inside the steam shower. An integrated touch screen allows users to choose from a variety of steam functions.
VTouch Pro offers wireless smart home control without the need for special wiring or electric boards and features minimalist glass control panels that can replace conventional switches.
The Danish company makes the “custom look” more affordable by offering architect-designed doors and drawers for IKEA kitchens. Its latest, Frame, was designed by Swedish firm Note Design Studio and features oak-veneered door.
Hand-molded out of a resin material consisting of polyurethane and mineral stone, Mineralboard decking is slip-, stain-, and algae-resistant. It comes in six Enhanced Grain and three Weathered designs.
CL.1 is now available with Swarovski crystal handles in an asymmetrical design or with filigree fluting. The latter is offered in clear crystal, while the asymmetrical handles can be specified in clear, tri-color, or chartreuse.
Made from Norwegian larvikite, the manufacturer’s Real Stone countertops do not require sealing, can be used indoors or out, and have been third-party tested for stain, heat, and acid resistance.
Maison wall tiles mimic the hand-painted look with a brushstroke pattern and subtle texturing and come in a variety of jewel tones (Olive shown) and neutral colors. The 8-inch-square tiles are also available in solid colors.