I like to go into trade shows as if I'm an average consumer out for a day of shopping. I let myself get drawn in by products that I love, whether that be because I like their design or because they'll make life easier - or both! These are ten of my favorite useful items from my visit to the International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago. 

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It's not a surprise that this look is coming back now. It incorporates a combo of some of what is bubbling under the surface, style-zeitgeist-wise. These reactive glaze pottery-style tabletop pieces combine a bit of hippie-chic, a look at California modernism of the sixties and seventies, a little bit of Asian-inspiration, a touch of maker-style.

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For me, the standout line this past weekend at the Home + Housewares show in Chicago was an easy call. I gravitated to the Universal Expert booth from down the aisle and checked out all of the offerings like a true fangirl, liking each as much as the one before. This is simple good design with a clean, warm aesthetic, very Conran, very British, and I'm very happy that it has made its way to the US...

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This handsome little heater revealed at the International Home + Housewares Show 2013 from air appliance specialist, Broksonic, doubles up as a humidifier. B'bye cold, dry air!

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Every year, I'm excited to hit the aisles of the McCormick Center to suss out the hot color story at the Home & Housewares show. Last year, green ruled the roost, in 2010, somewhat surprisingly, it was a very grape-y purple and in 2009, a range of dark, deep autumnal shades were the leading edge. This time around I focused in on just tabletop items and the direction is an interesting one...looks like we're going gray! More

I just got in from the Home & Housewares show and, as usual, it was big, bustling and filled to the brim with gadgets galore. I have plenty of trend and product posts to share with you over the next few days as I pull the pics from my camera and get the coverage underway, but I had to get this news up immediately - one of my all time favorite products is back! More

One of my favorite destinations at the Home & Housewares show each year is the Pantone Color Watch exhibit. The Pantone color experts and forecasters put together palettes that they feel will represent the trends that will be influential in the coming year in the world of home goods. Curious about what might be on the horizon for color palettes NEXT year? Jump below to check out some of Pantone's predictions: More

For those who love the smell of cedar in their closet and hope chests (and really, who doesn't?), then the FSC-certified cedar products from Creative Organization are the way to go. Naturally absorbant and repellant to insects, they're one of the only FSC-certified household cedar products on the market. More

These lovely bamboo lacquered bowls and serveware by French company Bibol are painted with VOC- and solvent-free paint, and are made in Vietnam by expert craftsmen.

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By this point you would think I'd have heard of every possible green cleaner out there. But I'd never heard of Canadian-based Nellie's, with their cute vintage packaging. Have I been living under a rock? Having never tried the products in person, I can't lay claim to their effectiveness, but I definitely liked their new (and reusable) metal tin packaging. More