{"id":5406,"date":"2017-02-10T22:10:58","date_gmt":"2017-02-11T03:10:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vanessafrancis.com\/staging\/?p=5406"},"modified":"2017-02-10T22:10:58","modified_gmt":"2017-02-11T03:10:58","slug":"blogtourkbis-pretty-functional-lixil-brands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vanessafrancis.com\/staging\/2017\/02\/blogtourkbis-pretty-functional-lixil-brands\/","title":{"rendered":"#BlogTourKBIS: Design + Function from American Standard and Grohe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello,<\/p>\n

I’m back with my fifth update from KBIS<\/a> (the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show) which I attended last month as a member of BlogTour<\/a>. (Where did the month go?) American Standard and Grohe are part of the LIXIL brand of companies along with DXV who I will be writing about posthaste (and sharing a sneak peek of what’s been happening over at my newish<\/em> house. )<\/p>\n

American Standard:<\/strong><\/p>\n

You probably have heard of American Standard<\/a> as they have been around for over 140 years. They produce high performing fixtures, stylish faucets and sinks, plus whirlpool tubs and other wellness products for the kitchen and bath.\u00a0 They have a passion for plumbing and the bigger problems it can solve like decreasing our footprint on the planet and improving the quality of life.\u00a0 They introduced a number of innovative products at KBIS such as the following two.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \u00a0The ActiClean toilet<\/strong> which cleans itself (yes, cleans itself!) combining the power of their VorMax flushing technology with a fully integrated self-cleaning system<\/a>. Simply press a button, walk away, and let the toilet do the rest \u2013 it\u2019s that easy. Sign me up! (I don’t know about you but anything to make this chore easy is worth its weight in gold.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"Vanessa<\/a><\/p>\n

    There’s a hidden cartridge in the tank which you replace around every nine weeks. The technology runs on AA batteries:<\/p>\n

    \"Vanessa

    The Quick Clean takes only one minute and the Deep Clean takes ten:<\/p>\n

    \"Vanessa

    In my former home I had a couple of American Standard VorMax toilets but they didn’t have the added self cleaning feature. But I can attest to the fact that it was a very powerful flush and combined with their Ever Clean surface (antimicrobial which inhibits the growth of stains and bacteria), it really was a cinch to keep clean. Hope I have convinced you to look at these well-priced toilets when you are upgrading or undergoing a bathroom reno.<\/p>\n

    2) The Measure Fill Faucet<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

    This kitchen faucet has a dial on the spout which you can preset in ounces or cups to dispense exactly the amount of water you need without using a measuring cup. Genius! Coming to retailers soon.<\/p>\n

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    You can learn more here:\u00a0 www.americanstandard.com<\/a> or youtube.com\/AmericanStandard01<\/a><\/p>\n

    Grohe:
    \n<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Grohe<\/a> is a global brand with its engineering, innovation and design anchored in Germany and products bear the “Made in Germany” stamp. A couple of new products from them are the following:<\/p>\n

    1) The Essence Semi-Pro faucet with its interchangeable silicon hose sleeve in every colour of the rainbow was a huge hit at KBIS as well as IDS in Toronto. I think the colours are so fun but I think most people like me would play it safe and stick with the neutral colours – black, grey or white. What do you think?<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"Vanessa

    2) Grohe’s FootControl technology is also right up there as far as innovations go.\u00a0 You can turn your faucet on or off using your foot! Watch a little video I took at KBIS here.<\/a><\/p>\n

    \"Vanessa

    3) And lastly, Grohe’s SmartControl 3D Showering system is simple and easy to operate. With a push of a button, you can start and stop the water flow and a simple turn adjusts the water volume. The volume is now preset when you go to shower again. You can read more about it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    \"Vanessa

    Photo 4 and 7 taken by Felix O.B. at FXO Photography, 5 by me and the rest via American Standard and Grohe.<\/p>\n

    Learn more at\u00a0grohe.com\/us<\/a> and youtube.com\/user\/GroheAmerica<\/a><\/p>\n

    These were just a few of the highlights from these two brands at KBIS. Visit their sites to see more of their products and learn about their innovative technologies and design features.<\/p>\n

    Thank you LIXIL for being a #BlogTourKBIS sponsor. And thank you Modenus<\/a> for inviting me on my second KBIS BlogTour. Stay tuned for more posts tomorrow – I still have two more to go! Look for the #designhounds and #BlogTourKBIS hashtags on Instagram to see more photos from all of us.<\/p>\n

    {Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram here<\/a>. If you need help (even a 2 hour design consultation to get you on the right track) with a kitchen or bath renovation, please email me at decorhappy@gmail.com.}<\/p>\n

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