What red wine spill?

If you're prone to splashing your pinot, some of the newest colors in quartz countertops may be for you, and they'll be available soon. Berry and eggplant tones were introduced this week in Las Vegas at the annual Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference (KBIS), a trade convention. Paired with cabinets in a dark-brown espresso finish, these colorful surfaces take on the rich appeal of a chocolate-covered cherry, while raspberry ripple comes to mind when they're teamed with cream-colored built-ins—another trend evident at the show. —The Editors

Koan quartz countertop from the Zen series by Silestone by Cosentino.

Mulberry Mist quartz countertop by CaesarStone

Fancy That!

It was a tiny bit insulting to overhear some aunts whispering during a family gathering at my place, "Why does she make everything so FANCY?" It's not like I've decorated my home Liberace style. In fact, my taste runs more to midcentury minimalism. As it turns out, they were referring to my habit of replacing ordinary household items with finer versions of themselves. It never occurred to me that I was being fancy (or that fancy was BAD); spiffing things up seemed as basic as brushing my teeth. Why not make the items you use and look at every day as beautiful as possible?

For example, who wants to see a jumble of vitamin bottles? It may seem like a bother to transfer vitamins from their original plastic containers to apothecary jars—preferably made of dark glass to best preserve nutrients (as you can see, I'm still looking for the perfect ones)—but, in return, for a moment's effort, you're rewarded with something lovely. And don't cotton balls look great in a big covered jar instead of their original plastic bag?

Going Up

Dozens of new products debuted last week at the International Builders Show in Orlando, Florida, including a jewel-encrusted dishwasher and entry-door locks that recognize your fingerprints. But none is generating more buzz than Gaggenau's BL 253 Lift Oven.

The stylish German import is 24 inches wide and mounts to the wall; the bottom drops down so food can be easily loaded into it before it's raised into the cooking cavity. Simple up and down buttons operate a ceramic base, lowering it directly from the oven (a sensor makes sure it stops before reaching countertop objects). The base holds up to 24 pounds.

The unit has a sleek, stainless steel–tinted glass front and several interior racks, and it cooks using 11 heating methods, including convection. When you lower it to check on dinner, you don't have the energy loss you would with a conventional oven because the heat rises back into the cavity. The makers expect the space-saving appliance to be used as a secondary oven in places such as pool houses, bonus rooms, and in-law suites. It will be available in July and will retail for about $3,000. —Brick Chick

Dozens of new products debuted last week at the International Builders Show in Orlando, Florida, including a jewel-encrusted dishwasher and entry-door locks that recognize your fingerprints. But none is generating more buzz than Gaggenau's BL 253 Lift Oven.

The stylish German import is 24 inches wide and mounts to the wall; the bottom drops down so food can be easily loaded into it before it's raised into the cooking cavity. Simple up and down buttons operate a ceramic base, lowering it directly from the oven (a sensor makes sure it stops before reaching countertop objects). The base holds up to 24 pounds.

The unit has a sleek, stainless steel–tinted glass front and several interior racks, and it cooks using 11 heating methods, including convection. When you lower it to check on dinner, you don't have the energy loss you would with a conventional oven because the heat rises back into the cavity. The makers expect the space-saving appliance to be used as a secondary oven in places such as pool houses, bonus rooms, and in-law suites. It will be available in July and will retail for about $3,000. —Brick Chick

Touch of Glass

To add shimmering interest to this South Carolina kitchen, designer Linda H. McClain, CKD, of Signature Kitchens in Charleston (signaturekitchens.net), specified a 1-inch-thick glass breakfast bar. The blue-green tones of the glass coordinate attractively with Blue King granite countertops and slate floor tiles elsewhere in the room. Photograph: J. Savage Gibson.

We've seen natural stone, synthetic stone, metal, wood, and even paper countertops. So what's the next big thing? According to many high-end architects and kitchen and bath designers, it's glass. “People are getting bored with the same old materials,” says designer Robert Schwartz of St. Charles of New York in New York City (stcharlesofnewyork.com). “For about the same price as better granite or marble, glass offers a crisp, soft contemporary alternative.”

Crystallized glass can be molded into any shape and comes in long sheets sized like granite, so you can get a big island without a lot of seaming. The polished, opaque surface is also heat and stain resistant. “You can put hot pots right on it, and it's impervious to oils, wine, lemons, and red wine,” says Schwartz.