More than 45,000 home building professionals turned out for the NAHB International Builders’ Show this February in Orlando, Fla. IBS and the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show combined at the Orange County Convention Center for the annual Design & Construction Week, drawing more than 70,000 attendees to see the nearly 1,200 exhibitors. Here we present our editors’ top picks.
Eldorado Stone, Grand Banks Limestone
As part of Eldorado Stone, the Westlake Royal series of hand-painted stone and brick products that take their aesthetic cues from natural textures, Grand Banks Limestone features a pastel palette. Rust and gray-green accents juxtaposed with cream and silver-blue hues come through on the limestone’s rough-hewn rectangular shape. eldoradostone.com
Pabco Gypsum, QuietRock
As we do more activities—like work and school—from home, having a quiet space is essential. Pabco Gypsum has created QuietRock, a drywall designed to reduce the transfer of sound from room to room. QuietRock employs constrained layer damping with multilayer composite panels to increase the acoustic performance of the wall. quietrock.com
Masonite, M-Pwr Smart Door
This residential smart door is a one-stop shop, using a system that integrates power, lights, a video doorbell, and a smart lock by connecting to a home’s electrical system and wireless network. All these features can be controlled remotely with a smartphone app, and the system is backed up by a 24-hour emergency battery. prosmartdoors.com
Mohawk, RevWood Premier
Designed to be indistinguishable from natural hardwood, RevWood Premier draws on a library of microdata from different wood species to create flooring planks. The high-resolution Premier line also uses an antimicrobial solution and wet guard to prevent damage. mohawkflooring.com
Clopay Modern Steel Garage Door, Lustra Black Matte Finish
The Modern Steel Garage Door with a lustra black matte finish, available later this year, is a new offering from Clopay, a manufacturer of residential and commercial fiberglass entry door systems. Using UV- and moisture-resistant materials, this door and finish require minimal maintenance. clopaydoor.com
Cambria, Amherst Cabinet
The new Cambria Amherst Storage Cabinet, available in June, is a collaboration with Room & Board Business Interiors and the luxury fridge company True Residential. It comes with built-in refrigeration, and is available in several sizes with three wood finishes and six quartz countertop options. cambriausa.com
LP NovaCore, Thermal Insulated Sheathing
This dual-layer panel, available later this year, is designed to protect structures against heat loss and gain. Structural OSB sheathing and XPS foam insulation are bonded together to create an insulated wall panel that is easy to install and can be handled, cut, and drilled the same as OSB or plywood, delivering an R-value of 5 per inch of thickness. Provided that all panel edges are properly supported, NovaCore can be installed in vertical or horizontal orientations. lpcorp.com
Feeney, Resin Panel Infill for DesignRail
Composed of resin with organic embedded materials, these ¼ inch-thick panels for indoor applications are available in nine standard styles from resin provider 3form, with additional designs available (Bamboo Rings Natural shown here). Resin panels are available in 36-inch and 42-inch DesignRail systems and are compatible with most DesignRail top rail styles. They can also be mixed and matched with other DesignRail infill options and tempered glass along with laser-cut aluminum and stainless-steel mesh panel infill. feeneyinc.com
Signature Kitchen Suite, French Door Refrigerator
Using the Signature Kitchen Suite 36-inch model as a launchpad, this new 48-inch French-door refrigerator features metal interiors, LED lighting, and Wi-Fi connectivity for the “technicuriean.” The fridge also includes three freezer drawers (providing options for both frustum ice and spherical Craft Ice) and one convertible drawer with five preset temperatures ranging from -6 F to 41 F. signaturekitchensuite.com
LX Hausys, Calacatta Collection by Himacs
This new collection brings the rare and beautiful look of Italian Calacatta marble to solid surfaces. As a nonporous surface, the Calacatta Collection offers maintenance, cost-saving, and hygienic benefits, and is available in 30 inches by 145 inches with ½ inch thickness (Calacatta Luna shown here). lxhausys.com
MiTek, Visualization Services
At IBS, MiTek showcased visualization services including augmented reality, 3D renderings, and flythroughs. The service aims to help building professionals collaborate virtually in the design phase, identifying collisions to address and opportunities for design optimization to reduce waste. It can also bring an architect’s design to life and give customers the opportunity to “walk” through a complete 3D rendering of their home before it’s built. mii.com
This article appeared in the March 2022 issue of ARCHITECT. This artcle has been updated.
