With more than 2,500 exhibitors and over 124,000 attendees filling the Las Vegas Convention Center in February, the latest version of the Kitchen and Bath industry show (KBIS) proved itself a real-life version of "Bed, Bath, and Way Beyond." While many booths relied on displaying Stonehenge-size slabs of marble, some found more novel ways to display their wares than you shake an Iron Chef at. Brizo, for example, created a booth-within-a-booth inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, while Caesarstone broke the rules of dull meeting rooms with one that resembled a birdcage. The outside of Fabuwood's exhibit displayed several picture frames with examples of their elegant cabinetry with a flamboyantly colorful backdrop that, on closer inspection, proved to be made of paint chips.

If there was one particular trend, it would be movement. The human eye is wired to catch even the subtlest movement (thanks to predators trying to creep up on us for the last several eons). For instance, a maker of range tops and oven hoods, Fotile positioned a combination mobile/infographic whose gentle movements powered by the LVCC's air currents showed how its products dissipate odors. KitchenAid mesmerized us with a kinetic wall whose constant, steady movement was the visual equivalent of AMSR.

Chandeliers made out of a company's products were another common trope at KBIS and yet they were anything but common in their execution - no doubt because as ceiling elements they could be spied from across the massively crowded show floor. One by Kember made of 10-foot "French vanilla" planks that weighed three tons created a strangely serene, pleasantly overwhelming cathedral-like effect when you stood under it.

Those were the show's amuse-bouches that delighted us. While it was tough to narrow down our favorites, our top choices combined spa-like elegance with design touches as sharp as a chef's knife.
1 DEWILS
A multi-generational cabinet-making family business DeWils' exhibit was a knockout of design and delight, starting with a dynamic sequined wall behind the reception desk that had enough glitter for a disco revival. A series of vignettes both inside and, cleverly, around the exterior as well slowed passers-by in their tracks who took in touches both subtle and over-the-top: wallpaper that was a cross between Ralph Lauren and Jurassic Park; an ideal dressing table one of the owners fabricated; custom-made guitars; and champagne cabinets because why not?

2 WHIRLPOOL
To promote its new washers and dryers aimed at the pet peeve of pet hair, Whirlpool's Maytag brand sheathed an entire room - including the "houseplants" - in '70-style shag simulating the troublesome fur. Highlighting typical household problems as if they were an avant-garde exhibit, Whirlpool created a narrow, sparkler-bright gallery called the Hall of Family Mishaps. In it were artworks like sculptures, paintings, even found objects. Title cards, like those you'd find next to a Warhol or a Matisse, explained what the accompanying piece represented. Tortellini Tuesday, for one, referred to spills on your cooktop that stick like cement, inspiring the company's WipeClean Coating for those surfaces, or Container Conundrums, wobbly vessels that led to its flexible to-go containers.

3 DALTILE
Chandeliers made out of a company's products were a common trope at KBIS. Kember's, for example, was made of 10-foot "French vanilla" planks that weighed three tons created a strangely serene, pleasantly overwhelming cathedral-like effect when you stood under it. But that's like comparing a Yankee Candle next to the radiance of the full moon Daltile placed over its 60-by-70-foot booth. Measuring 16 feet in diameter and weighing 2,701 pounds, the chandelier comprised seven different porcelain products that formed an unforgettable attraction with shades that ranged from the silver finish of candlesticks to the gold of bullion. Two monolith-like freestanding partitions - one dubbed "Ice Queen" and one "Composer Wall" - formed imposing corner pieces. Made up of eight tile and stone samples, the Ice Queen stood 15.25 feet tall and 10 feet wide, while the Composer Wall, the twin in size to its sister, boasted 13 Daltile products. With their rich colors, often ingrained with hexagonal and wave patterns, the walls seemed less like home furnishings and more like what Rodan would have sculpted if he turned to abstract art. They led into an upscale expanse whose up-high centerpiece was the chandelier and whose down-low focus was a floor composed of seven tile types that seemed like a greatest hits of Venetian palazzos.

4 GE, A HAIER COMPANY
GE, a Haier Company, was on site exhibiting several of its brands (Café, Hotpoint, etc.) in its trademark peacock-bright style. The Monogram café always has a long line making it look like that hotter-than-hot New York restaurant you wish you could make a reservation for, while a dazzling silver sculpture reminiscent of giant Christmas ornaments stopped guests in their tracks. Exterior walls sported kitchen color schemes for the seasons while inside a fascinating interactive activity let attendees see what shades in the kitchen would look good on them by trying on scarf-like swatches in more colors than Crayola ever dreamed of. To top the GE exhibits off, guests frustrated by the huge crowds at KBIS could take out their pent-up irritation on a conveniently placed punching bag.

5 HOUSE OF ROHL
House of Rohl is more House of Soul with its elegant vignettes on artistry and a spa-like section where stacked tubs the color of tropical flowers steam like flambeed desserts. On an interior wall, an arthouse-style movie continued the company's cinematic "Life Well Crafted" campaign. Like last year's edition (which was directed by Gia Coppola - yes, *that* Coppola), the second chapter, in noir-ish black and white, also narrated intriguing lives suffused by Rohl products the way a wine-dark sea surrounds the sensuous Greek islands. With its portfolio of seven luxury brands, the booth was canvas of stylish stories with the heart of depth and heart of Renaissance paintings in a low-lit ambience that could have come from flickering candles.