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The U.S. Department of Energy is challenging home builders across the country to build 220,000 homes that use 30% less energy than typical homes by 2012. U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman issued this challenge to U.S. home builders and other design professionals on Green Day, the second day of the 2008 International Builders’ Show in Orlando, FL. He urged them to build these “new high-performance homes” by 2012 as part of the Builders’ Challenge, a new national energy savings program from the DOE.

Under the new program’s terms a high-performance home is one using at least 30% less energy overall than a typical new home meeting the criteria of the latest model building codes, Bodman explained to the crowd gathered just outside in the Show Village at the 2008 International Builders’ Show in Orlando, FL. Thirty-eight home builders already accepted the challenge. Twenty-two were honored following his announcement.

“We expect these partners will build at least 6,000 homes across the country this year. As the challenge expands and more builders sign on, we hope to spur the construction of 1.3 million high-energy performance homes by 2030. If we reach that level, [then] we will have helped Americans achieve cumulative savings of $1.7 million in energy costs and have taken the carbon equivalent of 600,000 cars off the road,” said Bodman.

“These new energy-efficient homes will have to meet DOE’s Building America Program performance criteria for comfort, health and quality. And they will all be rated according to the DOE’s new Energy Smart Home Scale, or E Scale. The E Scale will help consumers make better informed, more energy-efficient choices when buying a new home.”

Homes today typically average 100 on this scale. Builders in this challenge will build homes rating 70 or lower, making them approximately 30% more efficient, Bodman added. (To hear more of what Bodman said, click here.)

For more 2008 IBS news, and upcoming K/BIS Chicago news, go to www.KitchenBathDesign.com. Be sure to sign up for the site’s annual trio of K/BIS eNewsletters.

For more breaking news also visit the Top Headlines and Live Events sections.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman issues the Builders’ Challenge at the 2008 IBS in Orlando, FL.

Despite lower attendance numbers than the previous year’s show, the 2008 International Builders’ Show marked another successful year in Orlando, FL with its highly attended education sessions and extensive product showcase attracting more than 92,000 attendees, according to IBS sponsor, The National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB).

This dip in attendance in its final year in sunny Orlando was felt by an industry that has been rallying against the effects of the meltdown in the subprime mortgage market since the market unraveled late last summer.

However, many of the more than 1,900 exhibitors reported having quality traffic. And speakers such as Chief Economists David Seiders (NAHB), Frank Nothaft (Freddie Mac) and David Berson (PMI Group) were predicting cautious optimism about recovery and the economy. The trio forecast more vigorous economic growth following tax rebates by mid-year that will set up a recovery beginning in 2009. “The vast bulk of the housing contraction is behind us,” Seiders asserted.

The trio also presented housing and economic forecasts that project no recession at all, despite numerous reports of one. However, Seiders did say one could be likely, and things could spiral downward from this point, but the stabilization process is the key to recovery in the housing sector.

“We’re happy that the economic stimulus package is being signed into law, happy with what the Federal Reserve is doing, but we may need even more strenuous legislation to help the housing situation,” Seiders added.

To that end, following President Bush’s signing of H.R. 5140, the Economic Stimulus Package of 2008 during a press conference on February 13, the NAHB continues to work around the clock on Capitol Hill to encourage Congress to enact housing incentives, broad GSE reform and FHA modernization. The association has even taken out ads in support of these steps in all DC and Capitol Hill newspapers.

Even President Bush called on Congress during the press conference to do the same: “Congress can also help by passing legislation to reform the regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to modernize the Federal Housing Administration, and to allow state housing agencies to issue tax-free bonds to help homeowners refinance their mortgages. I hope that Congress can act on these matters quickly.”

In addition, others with a stake in the housing market also stepped up to put pressure on the federal government to aid the industry while thousands of building and design professionals were at the IBS.

For example, keynote speaker Mary Matalin announced to the crowd at the grand opening ceremony of the 2008 IBS in Orlando, FL that in support of the housing industry Camp Hill, PA-based PA Partners’ “leadership has declined to give any further contributions to any politicians at the Federal level until they do something on behalf of your industry… This is a first because the way to a politician’s heart had been to up the ante, but to pull it back should have some interesting effects.” (To listen to Mary Matalin and James Carville’s comments at the IBS 2008 Grand Opening Ceremony, click here. Editor’s Note: This audio file is no longer available for listening.)

Also read KBDN’s 2008 Forecast. In addition, read Eliot Sefrin’s 1/08 editorial, The Sky is Far from Falling in ’08.

For more 2008 IBS news, and upcoming K/BIS Chicago news, go to www.KitchenBathDesign.com. Be sure to sign up for the site’s annual trio of K/BIS eNewsletters.

For more breaking news also visit the Top Headlines and Live Events sections.

More than 92,000 building professionals gathered at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL to visit more than 1,900 exhibitors at the 2008 International Builder’s Show.

Political analysts Mary Matalin (left) and James Carville (right) spoke to the crowd during the 2008 IBS Grand Opening Ceremony.

Chief Economists David Seiders (NAHB), Frank Nothaft (Freddie Mac) and David Berson (PMI Group) were predicting cautious optimism about recovery and the economy during the 2008 IBS.

The Kitchen & Bath Confidential blog will feature live reports from the 2008 International Builders’ Show (IBS) Feb. 13-16 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.

Starting the week of Feb. 13 and throughout the show and educational conference, we’ll be posting audio, pictures and text, live from the show floor. Check back here each day for show sights and sounds and analysis of the latest IBS product and design trends. And don’t forget to check out our Live Events and Top Headlines sections for up-to-the-minute news and event details, all live from the show floor.

For instance, the blog, along with the Live Events and Top Headlines sections, will contain details about the show’s emphasis on green design and building this year, which will culminate in the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) recognition of the phenomenal growth of green building as it celebrates Green Day on Thursday, Feb. 14. On that day the association, which hosts the show, will officially launch the NAHB National Green Building Program, and will unveil the new Certified Green Professional educational designation for home builders, remodelers, kitchen and bath designers and other industry professionals.

The day will also include a full slate of green educational seminars on topics ranging from market trends and consumer research to innovative design and new products. Information about the 10th annual NAHB National Green Building Conference will also be available. Noted green architect and educator William McDonough is the featured speaker Thursday morning, and will also conduct an in-depth session on “Cradle to Grave” environmentally and ecologically efficient building practices.

Four press conferences will highlight the new NAHB National Green Building Program, the National Green Building Standard and green trends, and will also offer a detailed look at The New American Home, NAHB’s official showcase home, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary. It’s also the first show home certified by the NAHB National Green Building Program.

With all of that going on and more at this year’s IBS, we hope you’ll join us online – it’s the next best thing to being there!

Popular notion holds that today’s home automation means some lighting and temperature control, while automated appliances remain part of a Jetsons-like future we’ve never quite achieved. However, the future was achieved at this year’s NextGen Demonstration Home, showcased during the 2007 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show & Conference (K/BIS). The entire home was equipped with remote and touch panels that powered a home automation system called Life|ware 2.0 from Exceptional innovation.

Life|ware 2.0 controlled everything from the appliances and the lighting to the home’s security, ushering what was termed “a new level of digital living” into the kitchen and throughout the home. It is a digital entertainment and automation solution that expands a homeowner’s ability to manage subsystems and appliances via Microsoft Windows Vista Media Center to create a comprehensive digital living experience. The home automation solution is powered by its use of Web Services for Devices (WSD) to communicate between different home systems.

By integrating Life|ware into Media Center, a user’s entire music collection, complete with album art, can be accessed on screen. It’s also possible to view slide shows of digital photos, schedule and record favorite TV programs, retrieve home videos and watch DVDs. Life|ware also gives homeowners the power to control a home’s lighting, thermostat and security systems, distribute music throughout the house, and enact homeowner-defined “Life|scenes.”

In addition, the home automation solution also allows remote access and management of a home’s systems through a TV with a Media Center PC, Media Center Extender or Xbox 360, from a home or office PC or notebook from a Life|point touch panel or from a wireless device like an Ultra Mobile PC.

The NextGen Home also showed the result of the partnership between LG and Life|ware: Life|ware Connected appliances that employ an adapter module that makes an appliance Life|ware Connected, thereby allowing homeowners to check the status of appliances and adjust functions to better suit their schedule.

Other high-tech touches the NextGen Home showcased included a one-touch refreshment dispenser in the kitchen and a mirror that also served as a nightlight in both baths.

Look for more information about this in the upcoming issue of Kitchen & Bath Design News. And log onto Live Events and Consumer Resources. In addition, try logging onto http://www.securityinfowatch.com/ for more information about home automation systems and home security.    

(Be sure to log onto KitchenBathDesign.com for Kitchen & Bath Design News’ coverage of the 2007 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference (K/BIS) in Las Vegas. Log onto the home page to visit the Live Events, Top Headlines, Project Spotlight and Consumer Resources sections, and Product Gallery. And don’t forget to sign up for our eNewsletters that will cover other upcoming industry shows.)    

The NextGen Home’s home automation solution was demonstrated.

As the kitchen gets greener and cleaner, the kitchen is becoming more digital than ever before. This could be seen in the wide range of products on display at the 2007 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference (K/BIS) in Las Vegas equipped with high-tech or “smart” features that turned the kitchen into the digital control center of the home, including energy-efficient, function-packed appliance suites controlled by intuitive LED touch screens, kitchen and bath cabinetry with soft-close and one-touch-open features, hands-free faucets, feature-rich plumbing fixtures and high-tech lighting systems.

Many of these high-tech gadgets and appliances were found in the Digital Entertainment Kitchen presented in the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) Industry Trends Marketplace. It included such seamlessly integrated digital components as a HP TouchSmart PC on a lazy Susan located on the main island and a centralpark-connected refrigerator from Whirlpool Corp. that allows users to dock CE-based devices such as digital picture frames, satellite radios, MP3 players, DVD systems, tablet computers and more.

The display also brought to life the results of the Digital Kitchen Study, a cross-industry collaboration involving leading members of the CABA Internet Home Alliance Research Council including Whirlpool Corp., Bell Canada, Cisco Systems, Inc., Direct Energy, HP, HomeCrest Cabinetry, Intel Corp., Microsoft, the NKBA and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Together, they form a network of companies dedicated to advancing the home technology market.

The Council’s study, conducted by Zanthus, a research and consulting firm, was intended to determine the consumer electronics and appliances already in use in American kitchens and what new products or services homeowners would like to add to their kitchens in the future. The study was based on a survey that reached 602 homeowners between the ages of 25 and 64 who have broadband Internet access and household incomes of more than $35,000 per year.

The survey results suggest that most consumers are looking for functionality and control from their kitchens, rather than entertainment. But while most respondents showed little interest in watching movies or playing video games in the kitchen, they do still want a TV there. The study found that 33% of homeowners currently watch TV in the kitchen, 43% want to watch TV in their ideal kitchen and 51% of respondents planning to remodel their kitchens in 2007 intend to include a TV.

As a result of the survey, Blue Arnold, CKD, CBD of Kitchens by Request, Inc. in Jarrettsville, MD, designed the “ideal” digital kitchen that featured the following innovations:

• Digital Calendar. The survey found that the primary kitchen user is also the primary schedule keeper, and a digital calendar was the most preferred concept of the 22 concepts tested. Those surveyed reported wanting a calendar on a large screen that allows users to add appointments and post notes that everyone in the household can see and access, whether from the kitchen or via the Internet.
• Recipe Projection System. Eight in 10 of those surveyed said they cook for enjoyment, and 64% do so at least several times per week. Consumers reported wanting a wireless recipe projection system that would allow them to look up a recipe online, or even say aloud what they want to cook, and then have the recipe projected onto a surface in the kitchen from a small, cabinet-mounted device.
• Energy Usage Monitoring and Control System. Those surveyed reported wanting to monitor energy consumption by area (family room, swimming pool, etc.) and appliance (hot water heater, etc.); to monitor energy usage by circuit; to chart peak energy usage times; to diagnose areas of wasted energy; and to calculate energy costs. This concept was most popular in the West where California recently became the first state in the nation to impose an emissions cap on utilities, refineries and factories.
• Home Control Station. Consumers want a home control station in their kitchen that allows them to manage their HVAC and security systems easily. Specifically, they requested a screen where they can view the temperature inside and outside of their home, adjust the thermostat on a touch pad and view live video of both the front and back of their house. This functionality was equally appealing to households with and without children.
• Universal Charging Station. Consumers reported wanting to charge up to three cell phones or PDAs simultaneously, regardless of brand or model. One-third of households reported that they currently keep their cell phones on the kitchen counter, and one-half said they keep their phone chargers there, too. Consumers would like a universal charging station so everyone can charge their phones in the spot where their phones and chargers are usually kept.
• Wireless Internet Access. Consumers reported wanting to have a wireless network in their home so they can have wireless Internet access in all rooms, including the kitchen. Twenty-nine percent of all homeowners and 43% of those remodeling their homes want to surf the Web while in the kitchen. Consumers reported wanting Internet access for e-mailing and Web surfing and don’t want to use a PC in the kitchen for offline applications. Wired Internet access is not desired; just 5% of homeowners said they wanted wired Internet access in their kitchen.
  Arnold further interpreted the results to mean that consumers want technology to be accessible, but not the focal point of their rooms. Thus, she placed the cabinetry in shadow boxes with the technology nested within it. There are touch screens for control, and the computer on the lazy Susan can be easily accessed by family members from both sides of the island.

Look for more information about this in the upcoming 6/07 issue of Kitchen & Bath Design News. And log onto Live Events, and Consumer Resources.

(Be sure to log onto KitchenBathDesign.com for Kitchen & Bath Design News’ coverage of the 2007 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference (K/BIS) in Las Vegas. Log onto the home page to visit the Live Events, Top Headlines, Project Spotlight and Consumer Resources sections, and Product Gallery. And don’t forget to sign up for our eNewsletters that will cover other upcoming industry shows.)   

The Digital Entertainment Kitchen included such “smart” gadgets and appliances as an HP TouchSmart PC on a lazy Susan located on the main island, a centralpark-connected refrigerator from Whirlpool Corp.

The Digital Kitchen Study and the resulting Digital Entertainment Kitchen display at this year’s Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference (K/BIS) further shed light on what consumers felt were the most desired kitchen activities.

According to the Digital Kitchen Study, a cross-industry collaboration involving leading members of the CABA Internet Home Alliance Research Council, the following are the activities consumers would most like to do – and not do – in their “ideal” kitchen:
 

1. Kitchen as control center, not entertainment center. While some who are remodeling their kitchen said they want to watch movies and videos in the kitchen, the vast majority (85%) of homeowners said they don’t see themselves watching videos or movies in the kitchen, perhaps because those are activities that need time and attention, two things in short supply when making dinner. In addition, the vast majority (93%) would not play video games in their ideal kitchen. There are just two entertainment-oriented items that consumers want in their ideal kitchen of the future: a TV and wireless Internet access.
2. Crack the books, but not where you crack the eggs. According to the survey, 48% of children do their homework in the kitchen. However, the survey also found that the majority of parents (59%) prefer that their children not do their homework in the kitchen. According to parents, the ideal kitchen is not an ideal place for doing homework.
3. Keep the Play-Doh away from the cookie dough. In homes with children, 43% reported doing arts and crafts in the kitchen. However, 69% of all parents say they don’t want their kids doing arts and crafts projects in the kitchen. In homes without children, the survey found that crafting activities rarely took place in the kitchen.
4. Weather or Not. The survey revealed that 37% of homeowners would like to check the weather from their kitchen. But an on-demand weather information device was chosen by just 12% of respondents as something they’d like in their ideal kitchen. It may be that a device that provides weather information only is less appealing than wireless Internet access in the kitchen, which can transmit a variety of content.

Look for more information about this in the upcoming 6/07 issue of Kitchen & Bath Design News. And log onto Live Events, and Consumer Resources. (Be sure to log onto KitchenBathDesign.com for Kitchen & Bath Design News’ coverage of the 2007 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference (K/BIS) in Las Vegas. Log onto the home page to visit the Live Events, Top Headlines, Project Spotlight and Consumer Resources sections, and Product Gallery. And don’t forget to sign up for our eNewsletters that will cover other upcoming industry shows.)  

The Digital Entertainment Kitchen display showcased such high-tech features as a hidden Xbox and a built-in, flat-panel TV with a host of features including a fireplace display.

Like so many other products and displays at this year’s Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference (K/BIS) in Las Vegas, the 2007 Design Showcase, presented by Woman’s Day Special Interest Publications (WDSIPs) and Home magazine, was inspired by the “Digital Age.” Dubbed ‘Digital Dreams,’ it featured forward-thinking ideas, bold use of color and plenty of comfort.

Its L-shaped kitchen was highlighted by a mix of colors and contrasts and provided a host of ergonomic features. It had an ergonomic chef center with cabinetry by Armstrong and a two-sided center island with one side made for clean-up and the other made for snacking.

Digital features included a Broan-NuTone video monitoring system, a Dell laptop equipped with Internet access and set on one end of the island that is actually a rolling cabinet, and a 20″ Sharp Aquos TV, along with a Sharp DVD player, tucked into an open wall cabinet for easy viewing.

The adjacent, inviting, cozy family room doubled not only as a dining room, but also a fully-equipped home office, a space-maximizing butler’s pantry/bar area. Digital features included a Dell desktop PC, LCD monitor and sub-woofer, a 65″ Sharp Aquos TV and a Marantz DVD player.

The serene, nature-inspired bath showcased neutral tones in every area, including the shower, which featured a principal shower spray that poured dramatically out of a semi-arched fitting ending in a huge, square spray surface. On two levels flanking shower handles were body sprays, turning the shower experience into a spa-like one.

The vanity, which was actually a wall cabinet set on legs, featured a 1-1/2″-thick, bull-nosed quartz surface and a round, stainless steel sink. The toilet was tucked away near the tub, with green hues in the form of towels, wall art and arrangements that were paired with grass cloth wall covering, adding to the soothing ambience.

Digital features included electronically controlled shades and a TV tucked into a niche.

The future-forward Showcase was produced by New York, NY-based WDSIPs’ Project Director/Writer Mervyn Kaufman and designed by Ingrid Leess of New Canaan, CT-based Ingrid Leess Interior Design with input from the American Hardwood Information Center. And the display was built by Dallas, TX-based Elevate Group.

Look for more information about this in the upcoming 6/07 issue of Kitchen & Bath Design News. And log onto Live Events, and Consumer Resources.

(Be sure to log onto KitchenBathDesign.com for Kitchen & Bath Design News’ coverage of the 2007 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference (K/BIS) in Las Vegas. Log onto the home page to visit the Live Events, Top Headlines, Project Spotlight and Consumer Resources sections, and Product Gallery. And don’t forget to sign up for our eNewsletters that will cover other upcoming industry shows.)  

Dubbed ‘Digital Dreams,’ WDSIPs’ and Home magazine’s 2007 Design Showcase featured a kitchen that had an ergonomic chef center with cabinetry by Armstrong and Silestone tops and an inviting, cozy family room that doubled not only as a dining room, but also a home office and a butler’s pantry/bar area. Photo: John Gould Bessler

The serene, nature-inspired bath showcased neutral tones in every area, including the shower, which featured a principal shower spray that poured dramatically out of a semi-arched fitting ending in a huge, square spray surface. Photo: John Gould Bessler

The 10,000-sq.-ft. Design Idea Center (DIC) explored the idea of home as the perfect mini vacations from daily living at this year’s Kitchen/Bath Industry Show (K/BIS) in Las Vegas and featured five innovative kitchen and bath design concepts that captured the theme of “getting away” without leaving home.

The DIC’s “Everyday Getaways” were the result of the collaboration between the Hackettstown, NJ-based National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) and five of Meredith Corp.’s consumer publications – Kitchen and Bath Ideas, Better Homes and Gardens, Country Home, Traditional Home and Midwest Living. Each magazine created a vignette reflecting the theme based on the individual magazine’s core readership.
Upon entering “Everyday Getaways,” visitors were transported to five, distinct, serene and relaxing atmospheres:

• Kitchen and Bath Ideas: Gourmet Traveler At Home was designed for the adventurous couple that loves to discover food and wine while they travel across the globe. Inspired by the trend of combining passions for cooking and traveling, everything in this gourmet kitchen was created to evoke the feeling of past trips, and was positioned for the ease and enjoyment of cooking, such as countertop cut-outs in the prep island and next to the range designed to hold a series of metal bins filled with everything from spoons and spatulas to seasonings. A wine room, which served as an extension of the kitchen, was ideal for those who wished to participate in the burgeoning trend of at-home wine-tasting parties.
• Better Homes and Gardens: A Gardener’s Kitchen brought the outdoors inside via a kitchen designed to act as an oasis in the midst of one’s hectic life. Created for those who think of their garden as the ultimate get-away, this kitchen opened onto a back deck with a container garden and potting table nook. Playing on the trend of multi-functional living, this kitchen’s spaces were designed to be used for cooking, dining, gathering or just unwinding. For example, opposite the range was a dual-function laundry center whose long counter was also perfect for setting up a buffet for relaxing get-togethers.
• Country Home: Big Little House in the Woods was designed as a 525-sq.-ft., two-room cottage that offered a low-key alternative to the massive spaces that have come to dominate home building today. Perfect for empty nesters or the newly single, this tranquil get-away incorporated big design ideas and inventive space solutions in an intimate setting. The cottage, inspired by Minnesota’s wooded cabins, was a cozy get-away featuring a combination dishwasher/sink, a built-in bed alcove and a soaking tub.
• Traditional Home: Natural Inspirations was a kitchen inspired by the sea. It served as a comfortable entertainment space, as well as a high-tech cooking space. Evoking the casual lifestyle of coastal living, the efficiently designed kitchen used soft, earthy finishes and glass mosaic tile to bring the Pacific Northwest environment home. Bringing the party into the kitchen, this space encouraged guests to participate in preparing meals. A large island and four distinct cooking stations made the kitchen very functional, whether one person was cooking or an entire crowd was.
• Midwest Living: Back to Basics was created as a relaxing weekend retreat, featuring a “back-to-nature” kitchen and bath space. Pairing the Heartland’s agricultural heritage with contemporary cabinetry and appliances, the converted barn was designed to relax and enhance the weekend get-away experience. The space played on the growing trend toward more outdoor living, as the entire structure opened to nature with an 8′ entrance flanked by barn doors, an outdoor shower and a screened porch with a daybed.        Look for more information about this in the upcoming 6/07 issue of Kitchen & Bath Design News. And log onto Live Events, as well.  

   (Be sure to log onto KitchenBathDesign.com for Kitchen & Bath Design News’ coverage of the 2007 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference (K/BIS) in Las Vegas. Log onto the home page to visit the Live Events, Top Headlines, Project Spotlight and Consumer Resources sections, and Product Gallery. And don’t forget to sign up for our eNewsletters that will cover other upcoming industry shows.)

Shown are the kitchen and the wine tasting room from the Gourmet Traveler At Home DIC vignette. Photos: Greg Scheidemann
Shown is the kitchen from the Gardener’s Kitchen DIC vignette. Photo: King Au
Shown is the kitchen from the Natural Inspirations DIC vignette. Photo: Michal Venera

The new color of design was ‘green’ at the 2007 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference (K/BIS) in Las Vegas. From manufacturers who are introducing environmentally friendly appliances whose parts are almost all recyclable and those who are unveiling countertop lines that are made from up to 12% recycled materials to those manufacturers who are touting sinks that are made out of recycled copper, those presenting low-VOC cabinetry in warm woods and those offering flooring made from easily grown bamboo, the emphasis is definitely on protecting the environment through great product design.

Manufacturers and designers in the kitchen and bath industry at the show were recognizing that there’s a growing movement among consumers who want to help the environment, but don’t want to sacrifice great design.

To read more about green design, click here. To read about Healthy Kitchens, click here.

Look for more information about this in the upcoming 6/07 and 7/07 issue of Kitchen & Bath Design News. And log onto Live Events, as well.

(Be sure to log onto KitchenBathDesign.com for Kitchen & Bath Design News’ coverage of the 2007 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference (K/BIS) in Las Vegas. Log onto the home page to visit the Live Events, Top Headlines, Project Spotlight and Consumer Resources sections, and Product Gallery. And don’t forget to sign up for our eNewsletters that will cover other upcoming industry shows.)

Orlando, FL — The 2007 International Builders’ Show gives attendees craving for new building and design ideas two for the price of one. For the first time in 24 years, not one, but two official showcase homes made their debut at the show here.
The New American Home (TNAH) has always been designed to serve as a real-life laboratory to introduce the latest theories and concepts in architectural design, product development construction techniques and lifestyles trends. This year, together TNAH and The Renewed American Home (TRAH) sat on adjacent lots in the Lake Eola Heights Historic District in nearby downtown Orlando to offer double the inspiration for builders, remodelers, architects and kitchen and bath designers attending the show at the Orange County Convention Center on International Drive.
Both are sponsored by the National Council of the Housing Industry (NCHI) and Builder magazine.
With a national movement toward urban revitalization, downtown Orlando was chosen as the site for the show homes in an effort to demonstrate how designers, builders, and other allied professionals could revitalize an older neighborhood. Both homes are built on an urban infill site overlooking Lake Eola. While TNAH adds a contemporary flair to the historic neighborhood, TRAH – which was moved from its original site in to be restored and updated here – shows what can be done with today’s technologies and building advances to update older homes.
Both homes offer the latest in Universal Design, energy efficiency and cutting-edge technology, including extensive integration of various low-voltage systems such as home-run structured wiring and whole-house lighting control, entertainment and security. Built with an eye toward the environment, both homes, have been certified “green” by the Florida Green Building Coalition and are ENERGY STAR rated.
For more news from the IBS, go to the Live Events section.

The kitchen in The Renewed American Home
	The kitchen in The New American Home.

 Two Show Homes Inspire Design Ideas at 2007 IBS: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download