Kolbe’s extensive product lines and custom capabilities enable us to create window and door solutions that enhance your lifestyle with functionality and convenience. Our partnerships in technology were also highlighted at IBS, where visitors had the opportunity to interact with our new products, various glass options and automation systems.
Explore how Kolbe fused trends and technology into this year’s IBS booth, with these 8 inspiring ideas for incorporating our versatile windows and doors into your home.
Missed the Show? Recap with us below to understand why – We’re for the visionaries.®
1. ENERGY EFFICIENCY & COMFORT
Because windows and doors greatly affect the interior environment through lighting, thermal performance, acoustics and air quality, choosing the right type of product is key to creating your ideal living space.
Kolbe has partnered with LuxWall, Inc., to explore a new, high-efficiency vacuum insulating glass (VIG) option called Enthermal™. A cutting-edge technology that features an airless space between two panes of glass, called a vacuum, Enthermal’s VIG design dramatically reduces heat gain from the sun and heat loss from a warmed interior to decrease energy consumption while creating more comfortable spaces.
At IBS, Kolbe showcased a combination of VistaLuxe® AL LINE windows, featuring a direct set with Enthermal VIG. Also shown in the booth was a VistaLuxe AL LINE outswing door with a large Enthermal glass opening and a Mapes architectural panel below it, for a contemporary, high performance entrance door. The European-styled all-aluminum door was finished in a Steel Gray powder coat with a Clear Anodized handle.
2. ANIMAL-FRIENDLY SOLUTIONS
In addition to providing unique window and door applications for humans, Kolbe also offers solutions for our furry and feathered friends, as seen in our booth.
Kolbe has partnered with
Pawport to demonstrate the
Ultimate System - a smart, secure pet door solution - as a pre-installed option for automated access coming to select Kolbe
® products later this year. Visitors to the booth could experience a Pawport pet door installed in a stylish Dutch door panel.
Kolbe showcased a
bird-friendly glass - ORNILUX® Mikado - in a direct set window at IBS. The glass featured patterns within it that are barely visible to humans so as not to obstruct the view, while remaining visible to birds.
3. ENHANCED INDOOR-OUTDOOR LIVING
Kolbe’s window and door solutions are designed to create larger openings that seamlessly connect indoor spaces with the outdoors. This year, Kolbe expanded its VistaLuxe® Collection with a new sliding door product.
At IBS, Kolbe introduced the
VistaLuxe® WD LINE Stretta™ sliding door to offer larger panels with smooth operation, and tight sealing around all four sides when closed. The enhanced performance against air, water and noise infiltration adds to the comfort and convenience the door system provides. The Stretta sliding door shown at IBS was an impressive 20 feet wide by 10 feet tall, with an active panel approximately 10 feet square and a stationary piece of glass direct set into the frame of almost equal size.
Also at IBS, an 18-by-9-foot
VistaLuxe AL LINE pocketing multi-slide door with integrated handles was fully automated and finished with an Ultra Pure White powder coat. A retractable Centor
® screen shown in Graphite Shade insect mesh on the left side and Standard Weave on the right, slid in opposite directions to pocket into the wall. Above the door, VistaLuxe WD LINE automated awnings complemented the design, with a Bright White painted wood interior for a cohesive look.
For further ease of use,
AutoSlide™ automation has been added to our
Forgent® Series complementary multi-slide door. As demonstrated at IBS, two panels were operable via wall switch, key fob, or smartphone app, while the third remained stationary.
4. PRIVACY: TECHNOLOGY VS. TRADITION
From smart coatings to smart glass, Kolbe’s numerous glass options provide energy efficiency, beauty and performance, to enhance design as well as décor. Visitors to the booth were able to see some of Kolbe’s modern and traditional privacy glass options and experience various solutions for privacy and shading.
At IBS, Kolbe showcased its
CLiC™ On-demand Privacy Glass option within a 2-wide direct set window configuration below a row of cupboards, controlled through a standard light switch. CLiC’s polymer stabilized cholesteric texture (PSCT) liquid crystal technology applied directly to the glass allowed it to switch from obscure to transparent on demand.
Another privacy glass option available in select Kolbe products is
Gauzy’s LCG® Smart Glass Technology. An Ultra Series XL casement window featured Gauzy’s polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films laminated between the glass. This, too, allowed the window to switch from obscure to transparent, providing enhanced control over privacy and light. Shown in a Gray color, this elegant, modern solution provided flexible transparency for interior spaces.
For those who prefer a privacy solution that aligns with the resurging interest in vintage decorative glass, Kolbe displayed a wall configuration showcasing various types of
textured pattern glass. One of the oldest forms of decorative glass, textured pattern glass offers unique designs and visual interest while providing privacy and light transmission. Kolbe offers various types of traditional privacy glass, including horizontal and vertical patterns, stained glass, leaded glass, frosted, etched, beveled, finely crafted and custom glass.
5. UNIQUE DOORS
Creating an impactful entrance is easy with Kolbe’s custom solutions and personalized design approach. While extending daylight is a priority for many entrance door design projects, sidelites and transoms are the perfect way to stylishly add extra width and height, as well as more natural light into your entryway.
At IBS, Kolbe’s
Ultra Series pivot door boldly greeted visitors with a grandiose approach. The massive door was stylishly completed with Reconstituted Rosewood, horizontal glass insets and a full-length Rockwood
® GeoMetek pull handle in Black Suede. Floor-to-ceiling sidelites and a broad transom across the entire entryway dramatically extended daylight and views.
Kolbe also featured a
VistaLuxe WD LINE French inswing door with interior triangular performance divided lites in a Coal Black finish. These details offered a similar appearance to steel, while Matte Black hardware reinforced the aesthetic. Rounding off the entryway, a grand half-circle transom added the crowning touch.
6. GEOMETRIC SHAPES
Because clean visuals and streamlined aesthetics have become the preferred aesthetic of many modern and transitional homes, window and door designs have followed closely. Focusing on simplicity and minimalism, straight lines and simple forms help contribute to a clean look.
At IBS, an
Ultra Series full circle direct set window created a giant opening through a textured wallpaper pattern. Adding a sense of spaciousness to the small powder room, the rift-sawn White Oak with Clear Coat interior made an impressive frame for light and views, while the slim Coal Black exterior frame receded into the coordinated siding to let the large window speak for itself.
For angular designs that follow a roofline, Kolbe presents two contrasting
trapezoid geometric direct set windows from its VistaLuxe Collection. Each window featured clean, narrow frames and a floor-to-ceiling appearance. The VistaLuxe WD LINE window had a Coal Black Accent style exterior that added dimension, while the VistaLuxe AL LINE window had an Ultra Pure White powder coat finish that receded into the opening to quietly disappear almost entirely from view.
7. ADDED DIMENSION
In addition to the expansive door units shown, Kolbe also showcased an alternative perspective when it comes to immersing yourself in the view.
Kolbe’s custom-crafted
VistaLuxe WD LINE 90˚direct set window with a 22-inch jamb provided a wide bench seat that wrapped around the corner of the kitchen for unobstructed views. The cozy reading nook connects homeowners to the outdoors, with a bird’s-eye view of passing wildlife or watching the garden grow. The Alder Wood with Clear Coat interior had a warm, organic feel, while the sunny Maize exterior boldly outlined the protruding glass cube against the rustic black siding.
8. CUSTOM CONFIGURATIONS
With distinct product lines and numerous options, Kolbe can create unique configurations that suit each home’s style, space and functional needs, whether through custom sizes, shapes, colors or finishes.
A 21-foot-wide Ultra Series folding window and door configuration demonstrated a side-by-side custom solution for pass-through and indoor-outdoor living on the same wall. The ability to open the entire expanse or just a portion of it adds flexibility to accommodate various needs. The bright Emerald Isle exterior and Walnut Wood with Clear Coat interior frame were coordinated between both units for a consistent appearance.
At IBS, Kolbe demonstrated its full capabilities through numerous displays that offered inspiration - hopefully sparking some ideas for your next home project.