Housewares

WOW! Colorful And Innovative Housewares Products May Change The Look Of Homes And How We Live In Them

Story by Karen Klages
Copyright Chicago Tribune

GET MORE COLOR IN YOUR LIFE, get your body feeling good and, by all means, get smart.

Those were the messages from housewares manufacturers who staged their big (trade-only) event at McCormick Place. Some 1,900 exhibitors from 33 countries unveiled tens of thousands of new products. And while noteworthy innovation at these big shows tends to be slow in coming, this year's event packed a lot of "wow."

Color covered everything including previously bland items like irons and hard anodized cookware. The iMac proved its wide-ranging design influence as makers of computer chairs and even microwave ovens used colorful translucent plastic (or variations of the material) to achieve a fun, offbeat style.

Products that promote personal comfort, health and hygiene were more extraordinary (and sometimes bizarre) than ever before. We spotted a pen that doubles as a pressure-point massage, an electric tongue cleaner and even a battery-operated breath monitor for detecting your own bad breath.

But it was the stash of smart products that offered the most stunning testimony that we have entered a new century of innovation and that it surely will affect how we live in our homes. Both Samsung Electronics America and Sharp Electronics Corp. showed microwaves with Internet connectivity. And Sunbeam Corp. unveiled a family of nine products that communicate with each other--not by computer, but by radio waves and by the electricity you have in your home. Which means: Anybody can get smart, not just the computer-savvy.

Take a look at a few of our favorite things from the show. Most products will be available in the coming months. The bright side Light deprivation can effect mood, and that's why many people feel low during the fall and winter months. Although light boxes have been on the market, they haven't looked like this one from the Dutch-based Philips company, which softened and modernized the devices. Previously unavailable in the U.S., the Original Bright Light System has a sleek, modern shape and can be set on a table or hung from a wall. Measuring nearly 2 feet tall and 18 inches wide, the portable appliance is equipped with special lamps
that simulate natural daylight--but without UV radiation. Sit in front of it, take a daily
light bath and get happy. $299. Call 800-243-7884 or visit the Web site at www.originalbrightlight.com.

Get smart

Turn on this new Sunbeam alarm clock, and it will "talk" to your coffee maker and have the machine brewing before you get out of bed and turn your electric blanket off, as well, to help rouse you. In one of the most exciting launches at the show, Sunbeam Corp. unveiled a family of nine products that communicate with one another via sophisticated HLT (Home Linking Technology). You simply plug them in and the communicating happens through radio waves and your home's electricity. Thalia Products, a new Sunbeam company, will produce these smart appliances and hopes to license the HLT technology to other manufacturers. Products will be competitively priced ($50 to $80 for the 10-cup coffee maker and for the alarm clock) and won't hit stores for another year or so. Check out the Web sites at www.thaliaproducts.com and www.sunbeam.com.

Cube it

OXO found a way to perfect the ice cube tray. The patented design comes with a clever cover that not only makes stacking trays in your freezer a dry idea, but also slides off to allow you to pop just as many cubes as you so desire. Cubes are staggered and rounded to augment easy popping. Cost: $3.99 (available in June at
department and specialty stores, or call 800-545-4411 for a list of retailers).

Got headache? Get pen

The new Massager-Pen from MEDISANA USA is just that--both a massager and a writing tool. A vibrating massage ball sits inconspicuously on top of the pen and offers a surprisingly powerful, pressure-point massage to temples, sinuses and even knees and wrists. Secret to all of this is a 1.5 volt N battery (included). Cost: $23.95. Call: 800-928-9366 for ordering information.

iMac craze

Will they match your iMac? The .com Computer Chair from Central Park Products features a frame made of a strong, polycarbonate material in all the right translucent colors. The chair has a pneumatic height adjustment and five dual-wheel casters. Cost: $50 to $60 at Bed Bath & Beyond stores (call 800-462-3966 for nearest locations) now and in select Target stores (call 800-800-8800 for nearest locations) in March.

Dishing it up

The Homer Laughlin China Co., maker of Fiesta ware, has unveiled its first new shape in 40 years. Fiestaware 2000, which the company describes as having a 1950s Deco look, initially will be sold open stock (i.e., $11 for a dinner plate, $9 for salad plate) and in four colors (cobalt blue, pearl gray, persimmon and juniper). Call 800-452-4462 for retail sources.

So sharp

Call it the iMac influence--the Half Point microwave oven from Sharp Electronics Corp., restyled and reworked in bold translucent colors. Meant for apartments and other small quarters, the 13-inch, compact, cube-shaped oven has 600 watts of cooking power and a variety of automatic settings and controls. Cost: $99.95 at stores in April. Call 800-237-4277 for locations or go on-line at www.sharp-usa.com.

Floss more

Waterpik introduced a battery-operated dental flosser that generates 10,000 strokes a minute to remove plaque from above and below the gum line. (It won't slide in between teeth to dislodge food caught in a tight space, though.) The colorful device comes with 30 nylon filament replacement tips. Cost: $24.99. Call: 800-525-2774 or check the Web site at www.waterpik.com for stores.

Atomic time

New Atomix atomic clocks from Chaney Instrument Co. of Lake Geneva, Wis., feature the company's new motor, which has brought the price of these high-tech timepieces way down. Unlike regular clocks, once batteries are installed into an atomic model, the clock is set via a radio signal from the U.S. Atomic Clock in Boulder, Colo. Precision is correct to the millionth of a second, and clocks even reset themselves for daylight-saving and standard time. Atomix wall clocks have wood and/or metal frames and most cost $40 to $60. Call 800-777-0565 for dealers.

Clean machine

Put your kitchen sponge in this small, electrical appliance, close the lid, and four hours later, it will be free of 99.9 percent of many bacteria and germs, including salmonella and E. coli, according to Otres, its maker. The countertop unit uses activated oxygen to do the killing. Cost: $39.99. Call 847-482-9306 for stores.

No smoke, but mirrors

No, it's not an expensive cast-iron stove. This little number (nearly 26 inches high, 23 3/4 inches wide and 15 1/2 inches deep) from Canada-based Dimplex is electric--and portable. Nothing burns inside. The Stove looks real, thanks to some key interior mirrors and lighting; artful faux painting on the faux logs; and a spinning mechanism. The 70-pound unit will emit heat, if you like. Cost: about $400 at Menards stores. Call: 847-934-9749 for locations. There is an optional stovepipe attachment.