17 January 2012

2012 Trends Post: Faucets and Fixtures (Guest Post by The Home Depot)

What new faucets and fixtures might your kitchen and bath be wearing this year? I asked my former colleagues at The Home Depot, one of the country's largest decorative plumbing retailers, for their insights.

Given their size and market share, what THD buys is a pretty good indicator of mass market trends. No, they're not trendsetters the way a luxury showroom could be -- the way their high-end Expo Design Center once was... sigh.

What they are about is what's here, what's now and what's likeliest to show up in a home near you. Sarah Fishburne, the company's Director of Trend & Design, shared these forecasts for 2012.

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STYLE TRENDS

Rustic and Country

The rustic look is anything but, and it doesn’t have to be limited to country houses. This farmhouse feel gives that nice “down home” look and warms up a kitchen or bathroom. Oil rubbed bronze, chrome and brushed nickel will continue to be popular in the new year.

Larger, bridge style faucets add an interesting, yet professional look to the room, and also look very proportional when put in kitchens with many appliances.




Clean-lined Bridgeford faucet by Grohe is on trend for 2012




Transitional Lines

While this style never really went away, it is finding its way into many more design trends lately. This look, like the rustic country, is all about subtlety. Streamlined and clean lines are the forefront of this trend, and unique shapes such as modified squares help add a soft touch to the room.




Pfister's Pasadena in new Midnight Chrome finish exemplifies affordable transitional style
(FYI, they dropped the Price from their name)


In addition to adding new looks to your house, consider function. A few simple changes can go a long way toward making your life easier.


FUNCTIONALITY TRENDS

Spot Resist Technology


Nothing worse than fingerprints all over your new faucets! Moen’s new Spot Resist technology makes it so that your faucets stay looking new by resisting water spots or fingerprints, and wipes down easy for simple maintenance.




Moen's pull-down Solidad faucet sports contemporary style and a new Spot Resist finish


One Touch Technology

For those with sanitation in mind, this trend is for you. The last thing you want your fixture to become is a breeding ground for bacteria and germs. Delta's Touch 2O technology only requires a quick tap of the wrist or forearm to activate.





Turn on Delta's sleek Pilar pull-down faucet with just a tap


WaterSense

WaterSense technology helps you save up to 32 percent water use without taking any hits to performance. All bathroom sink faucets carried at The Home Depot are now WaterSense certified.





Kohler's high performance Cimmaron now comes in a WaterSense-rated 1.28 GPF model



[JG Note: WaterSense is a government program much like EnergyStar. When a major retailer like THD embraces it, you know a trend has taken hold! WaterSense is also available in select showerheads and 1.28 gallons per flush (GPF) toilets that go even further than the current 1.6 GPF standard.]

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You might also enjoy the 2012 Trends Color guest post by Sherwin-Williams.

3 comments:

  1. When I remodeled my kitchen, I got a single-handled chrome faucet very similar to the Bridgeford shown above under Rustic and Country. I hope everyone going for the country kitchen look will replace their modern-looking faucet with something like this; it makes all the difference. My friend got a cheapy version of the Solidad (not sure what brand, but I'm sure not one YOU would ever use!), looked great, she enjoyed the features, UNTIL the handle fell off. Lesson: Don't cheap out on your faucet! Something you use many times every day should be the best quality you can afford, or it will be a constant annoyance.

    ReplyDelete
  2. When we are remodeling our kitchen most of the time we choose the latest trends. Because it is more stylish and some have unique style.

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  3. Jean makes an excellent point -- cheap faucets will cost you more in repairs and frustration than good ones.

    Plumbing, it's important to choose trends that fit your home's style for best results! Thanks for the feedback.

    ReplyDelete

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