A few things that caught my attention during the first day of the International Builders’ Show:

Avocado, The Remix
A few days ago Kitchens.com editor Kim Sweet sent me an email about Elmira Stove Works’ new line of retro appliances that were avocado colored. I would imagine many would be hesitant to let this greenish color back into the kitchen after years of shunning it, but if you saw the UltraCraft’s display of avocado-colored cabinetry at the Builders’ Show, you might just change your mind. I admit, I thought UltraCraft’s avocado looked more like hunter green, but maybe that’s because it was paired with their dark zebra colored cabinetry, making the avocado appear darker than it actually was. And yes, avocado and dark zebra seem like an odd couple, but they combined to create a sleek, ultra-modern look. Both colors are available in UltraCraft’s UCMetro line, which contains bold colors and styles in matte and glossy finishes. The glossy finishes, like avocado, are contained in their new Acrilux style, the latest style added to the UCMetro line. As the photo below illustrates, the UCMetro line makes for a streamlined and European look.

UltraCraft UCMetro Kitchen

If It Wasn’t For Electrolux, I Wouldn’t Have No Lux At All
Speaking of European, Electrolux – an appliance manufacturer that arrived in the States from Europe in 2004 – is continuing to expand their Electrolux Icon line, which features the Professional and Designer series. Expect them to make an even stronger push into the American market during late 2007 and all of 2008, as they’ll be releasing more lines of their appliances.

Magnets In the Kitchen Don’t Just Go On The Fridge
At the Builders’s Show, Delta introduced their latest kitchen faucet, the Allora. While it may not look too different from most pull-down faucets, it has a unique twist: it uses a magnetic closure to secure the faucet head to the rest of the faucet. This prevents the faucet head from sagging when it shouldn’t, and it also lets the faucet head easily glide back to the frame after its been pulled down.