I just wanted to post some additional images I took at ICFF not because they’re so wonderful but just because I really enjoyed seeing the actual products. Many are of decorative lighting fixtures, which, as I mentioned before, are always in abundance at the show. But I’ve also included something from Country Floors, which showed a beautiful new collection of ceramic tile created by Franco Pecchioli. Because it’s so new, there aren’t any professionally shot press images yet, so you’ll have to endure the two that I took:

From Laguna Beach, CA-based industrial design firm Cerno, Levis is a line of LED-lit pendants that come aluminum, beech veneer or polymer with aluminum shades.

If you’re into chandeliers, Baccarat had plenty of them, as well as this display featuring a design by Philippe Starck:

Mambo, a Portuguese company, makes furniture, rugs, accessories and lighting products, such as its Circus I pendant.

These next two were shown at the hive booth. They are Fandango, which measures 39 1/4 in. wide and is formed of organic cotton and metal wire,

and Cloud, which comes in four diameters ranging from 13 in. to 32 in. and is made of cotton fiber paper and metal wire.

Missed ICFF this year? You can always go next year, when the show will return to the Jacob Javits Center on May 19-22, 2012. For more information, visit its website.

—Alice Liao

First things first: I goofed in my last post when I said the last day of the ICFF show was Monday. It was actually yesterday, when it opened to the public. Sorry about that. (It’s been a little nuts here.)

As I mentioned previously, several European—and non-European—plumbing companies that did not show at KBIS were on hand with their latest, which made the show that much more rewarding for me. In terms of ICFF’s audience and strong focus on design, I can understand their decision to appear here. It’s a very different crowd that attends each year and the show has a very different feel.

One of my first stops was Dornbracht’s booth, which offered up a range of kitchen and bath products, among them electronic systems for the shower and the kitchen, as well as Deque, a new collection of sleek, funky bath faucets designed by Sieger Design “from the inside out,” as Esther Perman, of Veeder Perman, noted. I like the line’s clean, squat look and think it well complemented by the PearlStream water flow, which features a cascade of strands of beaded drops.

Dornbracht also showed Gentle, a softer-looking line of bath faucets in chrome by Matteo Thun.

First-time exhibitor Villeroy & Boch had a modest booth that featured its Subway 2.0 line of bath products, which includes vanities and sinks in rectangular and round shapes,

as well as the +Sound mirror, which—if I remember correctly—is equipped with Bluetooth capability and six speakers, enabling you to play music from your iPod without having to plug it in. Also on display was a My Nature washbasin in this slightly off-center shape

but with a design similar to the one shown here:

Another first-timer, Blanco was serving a mocha (it was mocha, wasn’t it?) drink when I stopped by. The beverage was similar in color to its Truffle finish, which is being offered on the Silgranit II sink and as an accent on the Silgranit II faucets.

The color is attractive enough, but I suspect that the prototype display featuring the Crystalline sink and Linus faucet received much attention, as the glass cutting board can also fit over the sink when the latter is not in use—a space-saving solution that’s ideal for small New York kitchens.

Seeing a product “in the flesh” is always much better than seeing it in photos, which was certainly the case with Altmans’ Spira collection. I first came across the lav faucet when it was entered in last year’s K+BB Product Innovator Awards, where it was passed over. The real thing is pretty cool, but unfortunately, my camera doesn’t do it justice. (Hopefully, I’ll get some professional photography soon.)

It’s interesting how shower drains of late have become such eyesores demanding serious makeovers. Thankfully, several companies have come up with various solutions. One such company, Infinity Drain, showed a handful of options, including TileDrain, which features a 3/4-in.-deep grate frame that enables tile to be incorporated for a more discreet appearance.

Here’s a press image, which is pretty dramatic:

At the AFNY booth, which incidentally won an ICFF Editors Award in the kitchen and bath category, Desai/Chia followed up its award-winning Recess Lav from last year with the Surface Series, which consists of a lavatory, vertical and horizontal cabinets, a mirror, shelf and a tub. Of note, the lav has an integral shelf on top for keeping toiletries and soap (yes, there’s even a drain!). Similarly, the ends of the tub also double as a storage area.

This last image is of a resin sink from AFNY’s Bath/Walz line, which was designed by Kevin Walz and also includes a vanity and a tub. There’s something faintly archetypal about the sink and that 5 1/8-in. ledge on top, which is why I took a photo of it.

—Alice Liao

Having worked on a lighting magazine for five years, I still have a special place in my heart  for lighting and lighting products, especially those of the funky decorative persuasion, which are always plentiful at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF). And this year’s edition is no exception. Following are some of the “highlights” seen on the show floor.

Spain’s LZF Lamps exhibited some oversized pendants that stopped me (and others) in my tracks:

CP Lighting showed its LED newGROWTH line:

Like glass? Brockton, MA-based Studio Bel Vetro makes custom glass chandeliers, pendants and sconces:

UK-based Mineheart showed its whimsical Birdcage Lamp in both black and white. I love the company’s tag line, “lovable design.”

Also from the UK, Jeremycole showed some flora-inspired light fixtures that were not short on drama, such as this one, Aloe Shoot:

Los Angeles-based artist Parvez Taj uses a variety of media to create artwork and products, such as these colorful pendants. Check out his website, which features a pretty energetic video that gives you a good sense of his vision.

Okay, I know this last one isn’t really kitchen- or bath-related, but it’s pretty cool. Each of those LED-lit rectangular sections can be switched on and off by simply pushing it back and forth. Of particular interest to me, the company that makes it, QisDesign, hails from Taipei, Taiwan, where I grew up.

There were several European plumbing companies at the show as well, but I haven’t had a chance to go through the press kits I collected. Plus, I didn’t really finish walking the show in the way that I like, which means I’ll probably go back today.

For those of you in the Tri-State area, ICFF is a fun show that’s definitely worth checking out, but Tuesday is the last day. For hours and more information, visit its website.

—Alice Liao

I don’t remember much about that small, yet critically acclaimed indie film Old Joy. What I do recall, however, is the hot springs, where the main characters soaked in large wooden tubs while being soothed by the sounds of the forest and their reconnection to nature. So vivid was the scene that it prompted me to look up the location, Bagby Hot Springs, as if I would actually hike out there.

I most likely won’t, but the appeal is real and may, in part, account for the continued interest in wooden tubs, be they humble and rustic  or über-contemporary. It may also explain why the movie came to mind when I came across three such tubs via email and at recent shows.

The first comes from Oregon Hinoki Products (OHP) and is handcrafted from hinoki, a Japanese white cedar that was much favored by the country’s emperors and aristocracy, who used it to build palaces, temples, shrines, noh theaters and, of course, bath environments. As a tub, the wood is ideal because it’s highly resistant to rot and, when filled with warm water, releases aromatic oils that are believed to be healing to the body and mind.

OHP offers its tubs in two sizes: a standard 42-in. x 30-in. x 26-in. model for $6,500 and a deluxe 60-in. x 36-in.x 26-in. version for $8,500.

Custom sizes are available, or if you already have a tub, there’s a 16-in. x 15-in. x 10-in. foot bath that can be had for $800.

At the recent ICFF, AFNY’s booth showed Rapsel’s Ofuro, which seemed to stop many a passerby in their tracks. Made of solid larch wood, which is naturally waterproof and abundant in the cooler climates of countries like Russia and Canada, the tub is only available by special request from AFNY sales or Rapsel. Its wood hails from 300-year-old trees in Siberia (which may seem kind of a shame to cut down), and its ovoid cylindrical form results from a labor-intensive layering process that requires 25 steps—all of which may explain its exalted price tag: $28,000, give or take.

A sleekly modern take, and an unabashed attention-getter at this year’s KBIS, Maax‘ Viaggi is also a custom product that is still being tested. The 70-in. x 36-in. vessel is formed of polished maple and supported by a wenge-tinted oak base. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because the tub, when launched, will be part of an existing collection that currently offers a white acrylic version with bases in oak, bamboo or burl wood. The company estimates pricing to range form $12,000 to $20,000.

—Alice Liao