You go to an industry trade show.

You see the latest, brightest, shiniest "do-dads" your industry offers.

And as you walk the floor of a show like "Design and Construction Week" (which encompasses KBIS, IBS, Surfaces and Wall Coverings) you land in a space of realizing that you've suddenly got alot of "first world problems". Things like:

1. Your toilet doesn't function via commands from your phone

2. Your shower doesn't sing to you in melodic tones

3. Your drawers don't open by the sound of your voice

4. Your clothing doesn't come down from the top rod via a motorized push button remote

Suddenly, the lovely home you left is now a long list of renovation items and upgrades.

With any luck, you can put those thoughts out of your head and focus on why you attend the show in the first place:

Get Great Ideas for Clients and New Business Opportunities!

So let's go there.

What great things did I discover as I scoured the exhibit space? What might be the latest trend or technology innovation?

I have to start with closets.

Richeliu is totally rocking it with their forward thinking. They are taking the functional aspects of closets out of the box and in to what is nearly modern art.

One example is the re-use and re-positioning of what is traditionally an ugly, long, vertical wall bracket that provides adjustability. They've "moved" this bracket away from the wall, positioned at the front of the structure and cantilvered the shelves so there actually is no back wall bracket. The system is attached to the wall at the top, rests on the floor and looks beautiful.

The strongest color trend going is still the combination of using light and dark colors, like you frequently see in kitchens where the island is one color and the surrounding cabinetry in another.

In this scenario, a bit closer to "closet home" is a mudroom by Wellborn Cabinets that does an excellent job of highlighting this trend without looking mish-moshed or over busy.

Another "favorite thing" is the remote controlled pull-down clothing rod. I'm normally not a fan of the pull-down rod, but am open to hoping this one is as durable as it is cool. Take a look at this video to get the idea:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W75D0qMm8vo&feature=youtu.be

And last, but not least, is the shoe bathtub. Take a look and let me know which of your clients this might just be perfect for.

But it's fun to see all the beauty and be inspired by the merging of art and technology for everyday living.

And if you'd like some terrific closet design tips – you can download them from this link:

https://butchkoandcompany.leadpages.net/5-must-have-closet-design-tips/