Posh Products Provide Pizzazz &
Practicality
Today’s hottest bath products are not only practical, they
also inject a magical sense of luxury into the personal retreat the
bath has become.
By Barbara Capella Loehr
No matter what the style or purpose, the key trend in bath products
today seems to be the more luxurious, the better.
Indeed, consumers looking to redesign a single bath, or remodel
their homes to include more, bigger and better baths, want their
plumbing fixtures, surfacing materials, vanities and finishes to be
posh, make an impact and offer supreme functionality, say designers
recently interviewed by Kitchen & Bath Design News.
It doesn’t matter whether a bath is sporting contemporary or Old
World styling, consumers still want as many bells and whistles as
their budgets will allow. They’re also willing to spend more to
obtain the luxury they feel they deserve in the bath particularly
in a master bath.
The same idea holds true for powder rooms, which have
increasingly become a place to put products in particular, vanities
that have enough pizzazz to wow guests and make a powerful style
statement in their own right.
Function and easy care surfaces may be more of an issue when it
comes to main baths geared toward families with children, but even
there, stylish appearance and luxury amenities are still
increasingly in demand.
SPLISH SPLASH
Indeed, consumers’ choice
of plumbing fixtures are most often guided by style mixed with a
practical sense of what works for their individual lifestyles, with
the goal of creating a luxury retreat that looks great and works
even better.
For that reason, whirlpools became something of of status symbol
over the years, representing a certain level of luxury consumers
wanted to attain in their baths especially in their master baths.
Then, more recently, shower systems that featured multiple
showerheads and body sprays began catching consumers’ eyes. These
systems have evolved into large, walk-in, spa-like showers that
also feature rain showerheads, thermostatic valves,
adjustable-height handsprays and even steam.
These two luxury bath products are facing off, according to many
designers, who say many consumers are now looking to include large,
glass-enclosed, showers that have all of the aforementioned
accoutrements sometimes in addition to a whirlpool.
In fact, Julie Trewhitt Kays of Julie M. Trewhitt Interior
Design in Pacific Palisades, CA, says her clients are “requiring”
both a whirlpool tub and a shower. She says she rarely sees a bath
with just a shower in it because of consumers’ keen awareness of
resale value in that market.
According to Cheryl Braun, project coordinator with Kendale
Design/Build in Jacksonville, FL, her clients are “demanding both,
as a rule,” especially when they haven’t yet experienced a
whirlpool. Only those who have had one are asking just for showers,
she says.
DeWitt Beall, principal of DeWitt Designer Kitchens in Studio
City, CA, agrees, noting that “full-blown master suites would have
both, and the shower would include steam.”
Fu-Tung Cheng, principal/owner of Cheng Design in San Francisco,
CA, believes that while there’s a continually growing demand for
showers, consumers particularly Baby Boomers are viewing whirlpool
tubs as therapeutic alternatives as they age. However, Cheng does
see a strong demand for large showers among his clients. In fact,
he says many of his clients are asking for walk-in showers. Inside,
“they want handshowers, [and] a bench. In some higher-end baths
we’ve done mini spas with a bench and duckboards,” he says.
However, other designers say that whirlpool size is decreasing
and whirlpool requests are waning, sometimes being replaced by deep
soaking tubs. Indeed, “the large driver in baths jetted tubs is
shrinking,” observes Sheldon Crosby, AIA, principal of L’ARC
Architects in West Hartford, CT, who adds that his clients are
seeking whirlpool tubs that fit one person.
“I am getting less clients who are asking for whirlpools People are
opting for ‘hot tub therapy’ outside, and inside they would rather
have a soaker tub made for one or two,” adds Rick Farrell, designer
with Binns Kitchen + Bath Design, in Pickering, Ontario,
Canada.
Some consumers are even removing their existing whirlpool tubs
entirely. “I think [whirlpool tubs are] less popular than 10 years
ago [Lately], I’ve had so few requests. I haven’t specified one in
a long time,” notes Joan Eisenberg, CMKBD, ASID, of JME Consulting
Inc. in Baltimore, MD. “Now I see more people do showers with
multi-showerheads, and a seat, which is routine.”
The bottom line is that “it really depends on a person’s
individual habit. If he/she is habituated to soaking in a tub, then
the best buy is a whirlpool or a soaker. If not, then it’s not a
good buy But, overall, I’m finding less whirlpools, and more soaker
tubs going into family-type baths,” says Alan Asarnow, CMKBD, CR,
of Ridgewood NJ-based Ulrich, Inc. He’s also noticing a trend
toward deeper tubs overall. “I’ve noticed people are interested in
more water when specifying tubs for example, taking a 14″ builder
height to a 20″ height,” he adds.
In terms of other fixtures, sink choices now offer consumers the
chance to make a statement, especially in the powder room.
The most popular sinks for powder rooms seem to be vessel sinks
or glass sinks lighted from below, say designers.
“Some people like those vessel sinks,” says Cheng. “And you’re
seeing a lot more glass and stone. People want earthy, real
products. They want them to last.”
Asarnow also sees a surge in wall-mounted faucets in conjunction
with the upswing in the popularity of vessel sinks.
Other popular looks for sinks include porcelain, undermounted
sinks, and hand-painted sink styles, say designers, with solid
surfacing materials showing up mainly in family baths due to its
easy care.
In terms of toilets, designers agree that there are a great deal
of good-looking models on the market today, and many comfort-height
styles are making headway today.
However, they say the majority of them have issues when it comes
to flushing capability, given the 1.6 gpm restriction. The
designers interviewed say they will educate their clients as to
which one, in their estimation and experience, flushes better, but
some preferred brands do not suit popular design styles, which
creates other challenges.
As for bidets, designers interviewed said that, on the whole,
they receive few requests for them, with most of these requests
coming primarily from those who have traveled to Europe
extensively.
VANITY FAIR
Another area that has taken
center stage is the vanity, agree designers. Custom-made vanities
are increasingly the rage, either featuring plenty of specific
storage options, or standing alone with some storage in them while
other matching cabinetry provides more specialized storage
options.
“It depends on the other things in the room. If linen storage is
in another place in the room, then you can go with a more
decorative vanity for the master bath,” believes Eisenberg. “I’m
also seeing vanities that hang off the floor, some by 12″, which
expands the floor area.”
“Vanities in master baths are quite personal, and the design
depends on whether the emphasis is on storage or countertop space,”
notes Asarnow.
Additionally, designers say that in the master bath, his-and-her
vanities have now become the norm.
In terms of style, designers seem to be noting two trends. One
is toward a more free-standing, furniture-style look with fluted
columns and, more often than not, glazed finishes over a variety of
different warm wood species that ranges from the more standard
cherry and maple to the more unique bamboo and sycamore, depending
on the market. The other trend is toward a more contemporary, Asian
style featuring dark stains.
Farrell and Braun say these two vanity types are strong among
their clients, while Beall says he has been doing a lot of
Neo-Deco-style vanities that interpret the Art Deco style of the
1920s and 1930s through the eyes of the 21st century. And, most of
the requests Trewhitt Kays receives involve customizing a
furniture-style vanity, or fashioning a vanity from an actual piece
of furniture.
“Vanities are starting to get interesting again compared to a
few years ago. We’re getting to use a lot of different woods again.
In fact, we just did one with quarter-sawn white oak,” adds
Crosby.
The trends extend to the mostly customized, matching cabinetry
that is seen in master baths, say designers. For example, Asarnow
is noting more medium to darker woods, that are “richly stained. ”
The blonder woods seem to be on the wane,” he says. “And whites are
softer, with patinas and glazes.”
Many designers are also adding such accoutrements to cabinetry
as outlets for hairdryers and places where toothbrushes can be
tucked neatly inside to promote a clutter-free atmosphere for their
clients.
Simultaneously, storage and function are taking on greater
meaning for vanities inhabiting baths that accommodate the entire
family, says Eisenberg.
“In family baths, there is a tendency to be more utilitarian,
and so more storage is needed. And countertop space is important,”
adds Asarnow.
In powder rooms, where storage is not as much of a factor as
design impact is, vanities showcase more unique looks, with vessel
sinks and glass being the materials of choice to add visual punch
to what tends to be a much smaller space.
In all cases, designers are noticing a shift toward a higher
countertop height.
STONEHENGE
When it comes to countertops,
natural stone and stone-look materials seem to be among the most
popular choices right now, followed by requests for solid
surfacing, according to designers interviewed.
“The countertops we’re doing are mostly stone, engineered stone
or solid surfacing no tile, or laminate,” says Asarnow. “In powder
rooms, we’re doing a lot of glass tops with vessel sinks and
wall-mounted faucets.”
“We’re still doing a lot of granite and marble tops, with some
solid surfacing,” notes Braun.
“We’re also doing onyx on counters, as well as Eurostone, which
is a man-made stone that comes in some neat colors, such as blue or
red,” adds Beall.
Despite the trend toward stone, Trewhitt Kays has a partiality
to tile, installing tile from Walker Zanger in last year’s
Assistance League of Southern California’s (ALSC) Design House.
Trewhitt Kays, who designed the show house’s feminine boudoir and
bath called Chloe’s Suite, felt it was her duty as a designer “to
make what is old new again.”
Trewhitt Kays feels that “stone’s a leader, but I love to work
with tiles. I like to mix in tile accents.” It’s almost
“uninteresting” now because clients in her market are so
“programmed” to travertine, she says, adding that, “There’s nothing
wrong with stone, but when working with mosaics, it’s more
interesting to work with tile.”
In this year’s ALSC Design House, in which Trewhitt Kays created
the foyer powder room in conjunction with Jill Kollmar of Jill
Kollmar Design in Beverly Hills, CA, she opted for a more opulent,
elegant, feminine look that featured onyx countertops and floors,
accented with mother of pearl.
As for surfacing materials in other areas of the bath, natural
stone tile and stone looks also reign supreme with designers also
citing the growing popularity of engineered stone and composite
materials, solid surfacing; cultured marble; and concrete,
depending on the market and the designer.
“I’m seeing a lot of money being poured into natural stone, such
as limestone, granite and marble,” says Crosby, who notes that
natural stone is popping up on countertops, flooring, shower
insets, thresholds, sidesplashes and backsplashes.
FINISH LINE
As for finishes, the consensus
among designers seems to be that brushed or polished nickel is now
the most popular. Consumers want nickel on faucets, fittings and
accessories in order to create a uniform look throughout the
bath.
“Nickel has jumped back into the market,” says Crosby. “Ten
years ago, we did a lot of it, and now we’re back to it. It’s a
good material, and it holds its color most times. One thing that’s
interesting about it is the way it absorbs the colors around it, so
it’s constantly changing. I like that.”
“The vast majority of my clients are attracted to the
nickel-plated look whether it’s brushed or polished, people like
it,” notes Asarnow. “They tend to move away from brass, and on the
odd occasion they request gold. Some also request chrome.”
Cheng’s clients, meanwhile, mostly want matte finishes.
“We don’t do gold or brass much,” he says.
Eisenberg sees bronzes, black and polished nickel finishes
gaining ground among her clients. “You are seeing them a lot more
on faucets and accessories. [Plus], the finishes are getting more
decorative and beautiful, whereas the styles are becoming simpler.
There are also more choices to choose from,” she states.
Farrell concurs, noting a rise in pewter and brushed stainless,
while Braun also sees dark, antique bronze receiving some play.
Trewhitt Kays sees the same, but believes that the market will
turn back to polished brass, “but not for a while.” KBDN