April in Chicago is indeed the cruelest month, as I should know, having grown up there. So as a 35-degree wind cut through my sport coat, I cursed myself for “traveling light” and not bringing my overcoat. Publisher Jennifer Matthews and I had just arrived from the spring furniture market in High Point, North Carolina (where it was also unseasonably cold), to attend the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, or KBIS. (We would be joined by executive editor Laura Mauk, regional manager Kate Sollitt, and account director Craig Abrams.) But I was happy to be in Chicago despite the weather, because after the show, on Sunday, I’d have the opportunity to visit with my mother and stepfather, who live in the North Shore suburb of Northfield, and my sister Anne and her family, who live in Chicago.

Fortunately, the Kitchen and Bath Show is held indoors, at McCormick Place, and there’s a lot to see, so Jennifer and I were inside all day. On Friday morning (early!), we attended the Electrolux press breakfast. Electrolux is making a major push into the U.S. market on all fronts (you’ve seen the TV ads with Kelly Ripa, no doubt), and they have an impressive array of new products, including touch-control induction cooktops. Then we went on to see Jason McClain at Hansgrohe, a company that combines high-design with the latest in water conservation technology. At KWC, Chris Marshall gave us a tour of the company’s new luxury offerings, which are always dazzling. Meanwhile, Laura Mauk met with Scott Davies at Fisher & Paykel (I happen to have a Fisher & Paykel refrigerator in my own kitchen). We then took time to sit (my legs were already tiring, I hate to admit) with Wm Ohs president Robert Cilli, who introduced me to some very talented California kitchen designers who are using Wm Ohs’s excellent cabinetry in their projects. After that, we were running late for a meeting at Zephyr, one of those great innovative companies from California. Arcadio Lainez showed us Zephyr’s new line of sleek range hoods by industrial designer Robert Brunner, who also designed Apple’s iMac. Very cool, and a nice complement to Zephyr’s more textured offerings from Fu-Tung Cheng. Owner Alex Siow was on hand, and looked very pleased (he should be) with his booth.

As lunch time neared, we made an agonizing stop to see Brian Pember at the TurboChef booth, where chef Jonathan Waxman was cooking up delicious morsels at ridiculously fast speeds. (Agonizing because I wasn’t seated at the counter to partake of those morsels!) I was reluctant to move away from Waxman’s handiwork, but I was happy to see Reed Fry at the Blanco booth. Blanco has a great new finish they’re introducing, and its warm, earthy tones should be a popular choice in a wide variety of kitchens. Jennifer and I grabbed a glamorous lunch (a pretzel with salt and mustard, if I remember correctly) and struck out for Sonoma Cast Stone, the remarkable California company started by the visionary Steve Rosenblatt. Steve really pioneered concrete as a green, sustainable material for countertops, sinks and tubs, among other things, and Sonoma Cast Stone is still at the forefront of the industry. He’s branched out into fixtures and metalwork, all produced not far from his home in the Sonoma Valley.

We then hit Rocky Mountain Hardware (how many cool companies are there in the West?), where Patsy Nickum and Christine Pfau greeted us and showed us some of their beautiful new pieces. Rocky Mountain has been growing along with the booming western market, and it’s exciting to see them thrive. LG Electronics is bringing some very smart appliances to market, and John Weinstock gave us an informative tour. It was good to see Paul Leuthe and Michele Bedard at Sub-Zero/Wolf, whose products crop up in all the high-end projects I’m seeing in the West. And at Miele, Lori Dolnick showed us the company’s beautiful new laundry machines (who knew laundry machines would become so chic?), among other marvelous offerings.

I’m always intrigued to see what’s new at Vitraform, the Denver-based company (yes, another western notch) that produces the most beautiful glass and crystal sinks and vanities on the market. Owners Jerry and Sheila Fein were mobbed by visitors to the booth, and their business is booming internationally. No surprise, as their product is unique and on the money, style-wise.

Meanwhile, Laura Mauk had made stops at Noritz (state-of-the-art showering technology), Bentwood Kitchens (a real up-and-comer in cabinetry, out of Texas), Liebherr (the BMW of refrigeration—look out Sub-Zero!), Eldorado Stone (wonderful new surfaces and looks), Walker Zanger (yes, a California innovator in tile), Acryline (luxury tubs and whirlpools) and Toto (some of the most water-efficient toilets on the market, and they look great, too), among others. But we couldn’t chat too much as we were hosting a cocktail party at the wonderful Blackbird restaurant (look for my upcoming blog entry about our Blackbird party) that evening and had to grab a cab and head out into the cold Chicago afternoon. (That meant missing the annual Moen spa event, with complimentary foot massages, facials and such, which was heartbreaking. My feet still haven’t forgiven me…)

On Saturday morning, still somewhat groggy from our party the night before, we headed back to McCormick Place. We started out at the Bosch breakfast, where I gratefully consumed enough coffee to get up to speed. Bosch has entered the refrigeration market, adding to their market position. Of course, their dishwashers are tops (I have one), too. We said a quick hello, and then we were due at Thermador (my wife, Margo, loves our Thermador oven!), where Michele Kautz and Gregory Welteroth pointed out the many new features in their cooktops and refrigerators. At Franke, Krista Rivers did the honors, showing us their new sinks, which are outfitted with ingenious and flexible cutting boards, draining trays, spray faucets and such. A great choice for those who really do cook!

It was interesting to see what’s going on at the venerable Jacuzzi (yes, another California company!), where Tom Koos is shaking things up and giving the brand some new buzz. They unveiled a new contemporary Italian-designed shower (by noted Ferrari designer Pininfarina) that was a showstopper. Somehow we were running behind schedule (more coffee!), so we sped ahead to see Kari Tomsic at Amerock, a hardware company you’ll be hearing more about as they raise brand awareness in the consumer arena, and Dacor (southern California again!), whose line of high-end ovens has been gaining attention (and traction) in the marketplace. Sun Valley Bronze (need I point out the western connection?) always has a beautiful booth, and this year was no exception. Jennifer Hawley showed us what’s new. Lisa Jasper then clued us in on what’s new at the superbly sophisticated (and ultra-high-end) Dornbracht booth. Their new shower system has apparently been purchased by Queen Elizabeth and Mick Jagger. (Now there’s a potential ad campaign!)

It’s always great to stop by and see our friends at Rohl (a California company, of course!). I enjoyed visiting with Ken Rohl and talking to him about his new house in Idaho, while Skip Johnson was busy fielding all kinds of press interest. Jen Brough and Tom Landry then took us through the Baldwin Hardware booth, where each year a broader range of styles and options is presented.

We were happy to see Tom Liebhardt and Jamie Dalton at the Moen booth. Moen keeps bringing innovative new faucets to market, with a real eye toward user ease and function along with style. Then we headed (staggered, really) off to CaesarStone, where the glamorous Maggie Amir beckoned us to sit (thank you!) and meet with Arik Tendler, the company’s hard-charging president. Another remarkable California-based company, Caesarstone keeps outdoing itself, leading the marketplace in high-style countertops with a seductive range of colors and finishes.

Kohler’s set up at KBIS is always spectacular, with Cirque du Soleil-like entertainment, spectacular water features, and amazing new products. Mark Mahoney took us through Kohler and Kallista, which offer a complete range of beautiful fittings in every style. Truly one-stop shopping for the bath, from faucets, sinks and baths to mirrors, vanities and showers. Then we met with John Hart at Ann Sacks (out of Portland, Oregon, I should add!). The Ann Sacks tile offerings this market were phenomenal, with new tile designs by Michael S. Smith and Robert Kuo that stretch the concept of what you can do with tile. John showed us a brief video about the hand-made processes involved in each collection. Robert Kuo’s new pieces are hand-cut by master stone-workers in China, while craftspeople in Oregon create some of the other Ann Sacks lines, sustaining handcraft traditions internationally. That’s important.

After a quick drop-by at La Cornue (the luxury oven company is introducing a smaller version of its spectacular large-scale model), I glimpsed Laura Mauk at a distance, and for someone who had been to Villeroy & Bosch, American Standard, Porcher, JADO, Everpure, Viking, Elkay, Silestone, Duravit, Electrolux, Samuel Heath, Lutron and Scavolini, she looked remarkably fresh. I, on the other hand, was starting to drag. Fortunately, it was time to brave the cold (and the endless cab line) and head back to the hotel. Though I’d have liked to have gone out to hear some music or discover an exciting new Chicago restaurant (as some of the Western Interiors team impressively did each night), I was done.

On Sunday morning I had breakfast with friends at the W Hotel, which is a very cool spot in a renovated old Chicago building. On my way there, walking into the teeth of a freezing wind, I had to duck into an Eddie Bauer on Michigan Avenue and buy a sweater (the winter clothing was on a marked-down clearance rack, since it was supposedly balmy spring weather now). Then I got on the train and headed up north, through Evanston, Wilmette and Kenilworth, which brought back many childhood memories. And as the train slowed and pulled in to the Indian Hill station, there was my mother, standing far below in the parking lot, holding out an overcoat.