Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM FEBRUARY 2015 12 while retaining the same attention to detail and build quality, and adding in high-tech features like remote control and their new Bloom™ HD LED lights," notes Cheng. "As we worked together, I would supply the design cues, and Zephyr would incorporate the technology. It all adds up to a powerful synergy that cements our relationship and keeps it vibrant." Cheng is quick to point out all that he's learned from Zephyr over the years, including their ability to anticipate the market, their sense of what's manufacturable, and their unique ability to make innovative designs compelling not just to consumers, but to sales people on the showroom floor. In celebration of the decade-long partnership, Zephyr has recently unveiled the Limited Edition Okeanito hood. It retains the model's classic interplay of sweeping curves and linear forms, along with its delicate rail and perforated metal. But the updated models reimagine this classic in two new finishes and elegant metallic colors that speak to today's eclectic kitchens: Black Mirror and Rose Gold. "Consumers have become more sophisticated over the years," observes Cheng. "They understand venting requirements and CFM [cubic feet per minute]. But they also are looking beyond stainless steel, and are expressing themselves in the kinds of imaginative colors that we're offering with these new models." Zephyr Ventilation President Luke Siow provides his own retrospective on the decade, "These past ten years at Zephyr have been marked by a continual effort to push our boundaries, both aesthetically and technically. On the artistic side, we've also teamed with other award-winning designers such as Apple veteran Robert Brunner. On the technical side, we've unveiled innovation after innovation, such as our exclusive DCBL Suppression System, which increases venting power while reducing both noise and electrical consumption by 80 percent, which is an unprecedented feat in our industry." What, then, does the future hold for the Zephyr/Cheng partnership? "A continued focus on uniting form and function in products that delight and endure," says Cheng. Siow chimes in, as if completing Cheng's thought, "At Zephyr, we have always dared to be different. Fu-Tung has shared that world view with us, while never relegating function to form. His designs are as beautiful to behold as they are gratifying to live with. That's why they're as fresh and relevant today—and will be in the future— as they were when we first saw them come to life as pencil drawings on his sketch pad. We look forward to continuing this journey together." RO RO A Partnership for the Ages O K E A N I T O P A D O V A T R A P E Z E C A C H E O K E A N I T O , P A D O V A , T R A P E Z E , & C A C H E F R O M T H E C H E N G C O L L E C T I O N

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