At the National Association of Home Builders Show in Las Vegas last week it was all chiaroscuro, or shadow and light. There was darkening gloom about the present and brightening hope about the future as the historic inauguration appeared on Jumbotrons overlooking the Strip and in the convention hall itself. A lot of the hope centered on new designs and eco-friendly products. Here are some quick highlights.
Boyce Thompson, Editorial Director of Hanley-Wood Magazines (shown speaking at the opening press conference) commissioned the Builder/Livinghome. Factory built, the panelized structure was assembled and finished on the exhibit floor in a miraculous, if not biblical, three days despite last minute trucking delays due to high winds. The sleek, contemporary, and open 2,500 sq. ft. home is a product of LivingHomes, of Santa Monica, California, and was designed by Philadelphia architects Kieran Timberlake. Boyce told me the idea of doing a modern prefab on the convention floor came from his visit some years ago to Sunset magazine, where he saw Michelle Kaufmann’s prefab Glidehouse in the parking lot. I found applications for us at Houseplans in the use of many green materials on the interior by Don Anderson of Color Design Art in Culver City, California. Here’s what stood out:
Four end tables from Livingreen make a new beginning as a handsome coffee table. And in a pinch they can become stools — and even end tables again.
This handsome U-shaped counter is Dupont Zodiaq, which is 93% quartz crystal and creates a surface with depth and sheen.

Recycled glass tiles add serenity.
In the master bath the Kohler tub gets immersed in elegant squares of recycled glass tile from Crossville, Inc to create the sophisticated, unified look of a hotel suite in a destination resort.

How to make a splash in the powder room.
I couldn’t resist including the powder room: the strong simple material choices — recycled tile from Crossville that’s treated vertically instead of horizontally, and the minimalist glass vessel sink and stainless steel wall fixtures from Kohler — give this tiny room maximum impact (Zen with hot sauce?) and make it feel larger than it is. I’ll include more vignettes, news, and ideas from the show in future postings.