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Product Trend Report 46 | Kitchen & Bath Design News July 2014 Being afordable is especially important when the product is not factored into the original budget. Wine storage, for example, is often not budgeted for in the beginning of a project, says Malek, so afordability is key. Homeowners are better educated on what they are looking for, and sites such as Pinterest and Houzz allow them to explore options quickly and efciently. This allows for the market to grow, says McPeek. "We are seeing more consumers coming to the design table with specifc product requests that make their homes more efcient, functional and convenient," she says. This knowledge of the marketplace prompts consumers to seek out the best deals, while still getting the functionality they want. Hall says, "They have a good understanding of what things cost, what they want their kitchen to look like and how they want it to perform. To get all of the features they want, they shop to get the best 'deal.'" SHIFTING STANDARDS Sometimes, a feature is asked for so often, it becomes an indus- try standard rather than an add-on for the luxury market only. While these items may begin as high-end luxury items, with the education of consumers and the ability to research quickly and easily, elements such as soft-close are soon considered necessary rather than just preferred. "Soft-close is becoming more standard," says McPeek. "Once seen as a luxury add-on, more customers today see it as a ne- cessity – or as we like to call them, 'Necessories' – and this is why we have been focused on creating more innovative items featuring soft-close." Fitzpatrick says that the demand for soft-close requires manufacturers and cabinet makers to rethink what the standard is to the consumer. "In some cases, the cabinet manufacturer will use all soft-close hardware in its kitchen displays and present them as a standard," she says. "That is hard for anyone buying a new kitchen to refuse. For the in- staller, these hardware items have the beneft of adjustment so the closing action can be consistent no matter what size the door or width of drawer." The pull-out shelf is another accessory that was once an upgrade, but now appears to be an industry standard, Hall says. "We are trying to educate consumers to show them that Glideware will take the place of pull-out shelves when it comes to storing cookware efciently and providing the best aging- in-place solution." Tripp says that some items formerly considered luxury items – such as blind corner solutions, waste bin pull-outs and interior cabinet lighting – are now becoming standard items for a lot of people. "Interior cabinet lighting is very hot," he says. This demand has grown, in part, due to the fact that LED lights can now easily integrate into cabinetry in ways they could not previously, he says. McPeek agrees that LED lighting is on the rise, not only be- cause of its multiple uses such as display, task and atmosphere, but also for the green aspects of this kind of lighting. Total Light from PMI consists of made-to-order wood framed units with acrylic inserts and press-in LED light bars designed to replace conventional top, bottom or shelf components. Dual light strips fully illuminate upward and downward with a 3500K color value at 3 watts per foot output. They are available for either face-frame or frameless cabinetry and are compatible with standard manufacturing procedures. Circle No. 184 on Product Card Century Components has introduced the X-Series Bracket System for roll-out shelves. The metal brackets screw to soft-close undermount slides, and with a simple sliding/ swinging motion lock into the prefnished solid maple pilasters. Tool-free adjustability allows homeowners to easily custom locate the shelves after a kitchen is installed. Kits in standard and full-height base and pantry cabinets are available. Circle No. 183 on Product Card Rev-A-Shelf's Double-Tier Blind Corner Organizer features clean lines, chrome accents and a choice of gray or maple soft-close shelving surfaces. 'The Cloud' pivots and slides on a mounted telescopic post system, and features a stabilus gas piston assist-opening system. Three sizes accommodate 16-3/4", 18" and 21-3/4" cabinet openings. See this and other products in the company's new 2014/2015 catalog. Circle No. 182 on Product Card Vauth-Sagel's Recorner Maxx creates more storage space in cabinet corners by eliminating the central column. The round shelves are supported by a traverse that stretches across the entire carcass and the assembly of the vertical bracket is carried out in the interior of the carcass. The new solution is compatible with tall, base and wall corner cabinets, providing round 3/4 and 4/4 shelves. The ftting also permits height-adjustable shelf positioning. The unit is equipped with the Premea-Glassline wooden shelf program. Circle No. 181 on Product Card Grass America presents the Sensomatic electronically assisted opening mechanism, teamed with the Nova Pro double wall drawer system for an electronic waste bin application. With a slight push on any area of the drawer front, the Sensomatic moves the drawer regardless of the weight distribution inside. The integrated soft-close shock absorber on the Nova Pro also slows the momentum of the closing and brings the drawer to a quiet close. Nova Pro ofers contoured sides that are fnished in either Champagne or Metallic base coat and fngerprint- resistant gloss topcoat. Circle No. 180 on Product Card Made in the U.S., the Tenmoku cutting board from John Boos & Co. is named after an ancient tenmoku glaze used in Asian pottery. The rich brown, yellow and black colors within the hard rock maple and American black walnut have similar colors to those in the pottery. Edge-grain constructed, the boards have a sloped juice groove and stainless steel feet. They are available in two sizes and in either hard rock maple or American black walnut. Circle No. 179 on Product Card Wood magnetic knife strips from M.O.C. Woodworks are constructed of traditional and exotic woods and strong magnets embedded within the board itself. The design features a handcrafted, seamless 12" magnetic knife board made out of maple, cherry, walnut, mahogany, lacewood, wenge and zebrawood. Circle No. 178 on Product Card Fast Trak knobbed mats for radiant heating and cooling tubing installations from Uponor are available in two models. Fast Trak 0.5 is 1/2" thick, which eliminates the need to alter baseboards, moldings or doors. Fast Trak 1.3i is 1-1/4" thick and includes insulation already in the mat. Circle No. 177 on Product Card KBD_42-47_PTR.indd 46 6/16/14 2:37 PM