Inside International Builders’ Show
Each year, thousands of companies from across the planet gather for the International Builders’ Show (IBS), a showcase of the latest products and technologies available to builders.
This year’s show brought together a record 1,900 companies exhibiting products in 300 different categories over 1 million square feet of space. “It’s like a mega-mall with something new every year,” says Robert Frost, a Missouri builder.
While the show is not open to the public, we do have a sneak peek of the latest products to come from the show. Look for them in show rooms and new homes in the upcoming year!
“New innovations in the world of bathrooms and showers were abundant. Notable was a shower with multiple spray settings that can work separately or together to create a full body shower experience. Another advance in the shower world is a digital touch screen pad mounted on the shower wall that controls all showerheads, sprays, and temperatures, even allowing homeowners to customize and save their settings.
On the subject of showering, imagine stepping right out of a hot shower into a warm towel. That’s possible now thanks to a new towel warmer that fits into an existing drawer or cabinet. Up to four towels can be warmed in as little as 15 minutes.
“Fireplaces are smoking hot right now and there was no shortage of fireplaces with style at IBS 2007. An outdoor fire pit with an English granite top could come in useful to homeowners who enjoy nights outdoors. When you’re done with the fire pit, simply cap it with the coffee table-like top and the entertaining can continue. For those preferring their fireplace indoors, a new fireplace was unveiled that uses a combustion system to simulate the look and feel of a real fire without the hassle of using real wood.
“For those who enjoy spending time in the kitchen, products at IBS 2007 proved that the kitchen can be the most stylish room in a home. New pull-down wand faucets were displayed where magnets reconnect the pull-down wand with the main faucet creating one clean and sleek line for the kitchen sink. New ovens were also hot — some capable of cooking up to 15 times faster than current conventional ovens. Oven capacity was also greatly increased in many models.
A new drawer dishwasher was also displayed. A stacked pair is designed to fit into the same space as a standard 24-inch dishwasher and the look fits perfectly into the kitchen. Dishwasher capacity doesn’t change and electronic control panels hidden on the top of the drawer give it a sleek look.
“Home security products were a huge trend. After becoming a must have feature on cars, keyless is making its way onto the home front. New home keyless entry systems displayed showed off new systems with easy to read keypads accessible for all ages and abilities that give you the additional peace of mind should you forget your keys.
The first ever complete home design package was launched during the show, allowing builders or buyers to customize everything in a home to match including lighting, ceiling fans, doors, locks, faucets and bath accessories.