My Four Favorite New Bathroom Products

One of the perks of my job is being able to attend design shows and see the latest trends and products, often before they find their way to your local showroom.  Here are my four favorite new (and upcoming) products for Bath Week, part of my month-long Fourth Anniversary Celebration.


Smart and sexy faucet


I spotted Brizo's Charlotte electronic faucet at Dwell on Design and it is a true charmer. You’d expect style from this fashion faucet brand and the cocoa bronze cladding with metallic accents delivers that big time. But smart is sexy, too, and Charlotte’s hands-free control is super-smart (and water-saving). There are matching accessories but this faucet is the real star. 

Charlotte by Brizo

Elegant meets practical


Regular Gold Notes readers know I love ceramic and porcelain slab!  Until recently, however, all I saw was solid colors with a slight texture.  In the last few months, at a San Diego showroom, I spotted a stone look that knocked my socks off!  (I'd love this in my master bath!)  This stunning porcelain slab from Italian manufacturer, Iris, has all of the beauty of the marble it honors but none of its staining or chipping shortfalls. Iris can clad your vanity or your shower walls. It can go on your floors or surround your tub.  Like other ceramic and porcelain slab surfaces, Iris is heat, scratch and stain resistant. 

Iris Porcelain Slab

Playful sinks

I really liked the new  sinks Jonathan Adler designed for Kohler.  They were on my must-see list at the recent Dwell on Design show and they didn't disappoint.  The shapes show off the fun lines for which Adler is known and the colors are absolutely delicious!   This is my favorite.

Jonathan Adler Lav for Kohler

Sexy hexy

I love when retro traditional meets modern innovation and the new hexagonal tile I saw at Cevisama in Spain knocked me out.  There were the traditional black-white combos and newer combos.  The form is familiar and comforting.  The size and color tweaks freshen the look.  New manufacturing technologies make it low maintenance.

Genesis by Plaza

Four Favorite Products I Can't Specify Down South - Nick Lovelady of Cupboards

I first met Nick Lovelady, kitchen designer and blogger extraordinaire on Twitter through his hilarious, tongue-in-cheek @cupboards tweets.  We actually met in person for the first time at last year's Kitchen & Bath Industry Show and saw each other again a few weeks ago at a Bosch-Blanco blogger event.  Nick is another Blogger 19 buddy, one of the 2.0 folks, as I call them, who went to Brizo's Fashion Week program after we OGs (original gangsters!) attended in February 2010.  


I couldn't resist asking this adorable 'Bama boy to write about Four Favorite Products he can't specify in the South and was absolutely tickled when he said yes.  Nick gets it when I share that my Central Florida clientele considered Shaker modern.  I'm thrilled to have his wit and wisdom as my second Four Favorites guest poster this week.   Here you go, y'all!
 

*** 

Big thanks to Jamie for asking me to chime in on some design aspects that we just don’t see that much in the rather rural Southern United States. Historically, kitchen design in the South has been largely traditional. Designers who have a flare for the ultra-modern, (which we’ll talk about), and lots of color and funky elements may not find an eager group of potential clients down in our neck of the woods. BUT that doesn’t mean that we don’t like that stuff! Here are four kitchen elements I’d love to specify sometime soon in the South. 


Super Modern Cabinetry


In all of my years of kitchen design, I’ve completed ONE slab door kitchen and have one in the hopper right now. Both were still very traditional and matte. I want some gloss! 

Photo from Home Dsgn: Interior Design and Inspirational Homes 

Glass Counters


Glass counters completely mesmorize me. Maybe I’m distracted by shiny things. Glass counters have come a long way in recent years and have now become a viable option for both counter and backsplash material. My customers typically think it’s too modern and are apprehensive to take the plunge. 

Photo from ThinkGlass

Black Cabinets


This one is a bit perplexing. Black cabinets can fit in easily to the typical traditional styling of many Southern homes. Black has become a neutral and allows homeowners TONS of options when it comes to accessories and other kitchen elements. 

Photo from Apartment Therapy

Wild Ventilation  


Why not have the vent hood be the conversation piece in the kitchen… Better yet, it’s like art! I love the wild curves and colors available in ventilation right now, (especially those from Best, like shown).  In addition to being pretty awesome looking, they function exceptionally well. 

Photo from Best 

So there you have it, a quick round of products I’d love to see gain some momentum here in the heart of Dixie. 

Thanks again, Jamie, for letting me sit in! 

Preview Post: Jason Wu for Brizo

I pushed back the post I was going to run today in favor of this one. This post lets me show off one of my very few ties to the high fashion world. (OK, I have just two ties, which doesn’t technically add up to a few, unless you count my Project Runway TV habit.)

Anyway… At the very beginning of 2010, I was invited to attend a Fashion Week design blogger event hosted by Brizo. If you’re not familiar with that brand, they are Lexus to Delta Faucet’s Toyota. Their focus isn’t just well-engineered kitchen and bath taps and accessories, it’s well-engineered, high fashion taps and accessories. Hence, their invitation to Fashion Week, where the rag biz celebrates its superstars and rising stars*.

Jason Wu Runway Show at Fall 2011 Fashion Week

Brizo is a corporate sponsor of Jason Wu, one of the most successful young fashion designers in the world right now. Even if you don’t follow high fashion – and I admittedly don’t, for the most part – you might recall that he designed Michelle Obama’s 2008 Inaugural Gown. Our group of bloggers-in-attendance attended Wu’s Fashion Week show and met him at a cocktail party organized for our benefit afterward.

Jason Wu

We were allowed to take a group photo with Wu and pepper him gently with questions. I asked if he would consider designing a faucet line for Brizo, seeing that as an inevitable outcome of their synergistic tie. He demurred. The Brizo and PR agency guys demurred. Having been trained in one of the best J schools in the country, I followed up with a related question on the same topic. They demurred again. I knew the Blogger 19 wasn’t going to get an exclusive that night. No biggie. I wasn’t there as Lois Lane, but as blogger junket Jamie.

The announcement I anticipated in February 2010 came more than a year later. In April of this year, a new Jason Wu Collection for Brizo was announced. (Duh.) This morning,Brizo’s PR firm led a collection preview webinar for us B19ers. I wasn’t able to attend it “live,” but have it on my PC now.

The collection is just what I would have expected from these folks. It’s functional and fun, pretty and practical, whimsical and worldly, crisp and candied at the same time. OK, I’ll stop with the alliterative adjectives now. I like it!

Odin Faucet with hands-free technology and WaterSense




Making your towels look better!

Tux-worthy soap dish

One of my favorite pieces - a wastebasket evocative of a Wu skirt design

Pumping up the style

Shelving the ordinary

Makes even TP look good!

You’ll notice that there are no tub or shower faucets in this collection, which I've excerpted here. This is being billed as a Powder Room suite. If my prescience allows me yet another prediction, I anticipate that success with this line will usher in a Wu for Brizo Master Bath suite in Fall 2012 or Spring 2013!

Wu for Brizo collection pre-orders are available between now and February for the first one thousand faucet fashionistas. I’m tapped out – bad pun intended – when it comes to bathrooms at Chez J, or I’d probably sign up myself if just to get the cool Wu original signed and numbered lithograph and key chain!


*My second tie to the high fashion world is 2011 Rising Star award winner, Loris Diran, a close friend from our NYU days. I attended his Fashion Week show the week I was in New York for Brizo. I don’t know if Loris will ever design faucets, but he makes hot-hot-hot clothes for men and women!



PS: Today's post was going to be my fourth Food for Thought musing. It'll publish next Tuesday. Hope you'll stop back!

Three favorite bathroom faucets

Gold Notes celebrates its third birthday this month – woo-hoo! In honor of that milestone, I’m going to feature fabulous, fun, favorite “threesomes” throughout July. Here’s the first, my three favorite bathroom faucet suites.

I love the island flavor of the South Sea collection from Danze. It’s one I’d happily incorporate into my own bathroom, as well as in a transitional client project.

This Virage series by Brizo is one of the most graceful faucet and accessory suites I’ve ever seen. I would happily specify it in a traditional or transitional project. If I were going dressy in my own home, it would find a place there, too. This faucet is the ballerina of fixtures, don’t you think? (And I'm not just saying that as a member of Brizo's Blogger 19 squad. I loved and spec'ed their products long before!)

This Luna faucet by Graff stopped me in my tracks when I first saw it at KBIS a few years back. It still looks great and I’d happily spec it into a contemporary powder room. There are additional components available to use for a tub and shower, but the drama of this on its own still knocks my socks off.

KBIS 2011 - Top Trends

I just came back from the latest Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, held in Las Vegas last week. It was the smallest I've seen it since I started attending, both in terms of attendees and exhibitors. More significantly, fewer brands brought game changers to the show.

Nonetheless, there were some interesting trends to share, and that's what this first of multiple KBIS posts will cover.

My dear friend, colleague and Gold Notes architectural contributor Dean Larkin, AIA, accompanied me to the show again this year. As an LA-based architect of luxury residences and commercial projects, Dean is a great trend setter/taste maker to have along. Some of the elements shared in this post and upcoming KBIS entries were pointed out by his expert eyes.


Sliders

I spotted some really nifty sliding mechanisms throughout the show, many contributing to the un-kitchen look that's growing in popularity. Hafele was showing mechanisms to slide countertops open on islands, as they did at LivingKitchen in Germany a few months back. This makes it possible to hide a sink, storage or TV out of sight when they're not in use.

NanaWall, famous for its accordion-style patio sliders, introduced a window-door combination that slides open to remove all barriers between indoor kitchen and outdoor living spaces.

Innovative Products showed off the S-Box system they're distributing in the US. It slides up from below a countertop, bringing a knife holder, iPod dock, electrical charging station, mini TV screen, key or spice holder into use when needed, and out of sight when not. Right now, they're showing it only in stainless steel, but it will be available as an integrated product later this year.




Hardware manufacturer Salice had several terrific sliders to share. One automated doors to slide open like the passenger doors on a mini van. A light touch opens a pantry, entertainment cabinet or other large storage space, and closes it again. The system is available with automation or manual opening mechanisms. Both include soft close operation.

The final element that illustrated the slider trend was Brizo's new Solna faucet. Its pull-down nozzle slides completely out of view, into its gracefully-curved neck, when not in use. Sleek!






iStyle

Another trend that's not new, but showing up in more places, is tech-oriented personalization. You can now get a shower system that lets users pre-set features before they step in at a cost in the $1K range. Kohler introduced this capability in their affordable DTV Prompt system.

They also debuted a high-tech, high-line toilet called the Numi that does everything short of zipping your fly. You can choose your personal wash settings, accompanying music from your iPod, and about a dozen other features.

Another iStylish entry from Kohler brand Robern was the customizable medicine cabinet. Need refrigeration for your medicines or water? Build it in. Need a charger? Build it in, too? Need to watch TV while you brush and floss? You can build that in, too.

Technology for personalization was widespread at the show, and not just for the kitchen and bath. Lutron's technology now lets you automate most of your home from your iPad.




My favorite techno entry was by Hettich, which was previewing the kitchen of tomorrow at their booth. More on this in a KBIS post to come.


Warm and lustrous

On the decorative end, I saw a trend toward more decorative styles than I've seen at recent shows. Finishes got warmer and darker. Hardware and even faucets showed jewelry-caliber style. Cabinetry warmed up a bit - walnut has especially grown in popularity.

I particularly enjoyed seeing Native Trail's entry into the cabinetry sector. I've always loved their copper sinks. This year, they were showing off vanities and mirrors made from wine barrels... Not for everyone, but nifty for someone wanting a warm, casual old world look.




Rohl and Brizo showed off beautiful new faucet styles. Rohl's featured crystal-inspired knobs. Brizo's brought a matte, cocoa finish to the show, pairing it with polished nickel for a super-rich stylish look.

Everywhere I turned, decorative faucets and hardware were showing off more detailed, decorative, bejeweled embellishments - like the Top Knobs Passport Collection shown below - a noted, welcome departure from the more modern looks that have dominated recent shows.





Check back next week for more KBIS 2011 coverage.

Welcome to Chez J - Update #1

As many of my readers know, I moved back to Southern California last year after a decade away. (Oh, how I missed you, Golden State!) I had long wanted to live in San Diego and finally made that dream come true. I'm so glad I did, as living here has been even more wonderful than I imagined it could be.

I found my new home last summer, and after a protracted buying process, moved into "Chez J," a three-story South Bay town house, the day before Thanksgiving. (I had so much to be thankful for. Still do!)

The place was built in 2006 and in mostly move-in condition. This enables me to take my time in making it mine. I have a long wish list, but find myself short on time to coordinate it all. I also have to be careful not to over-improve the place, as I always advise my clients against doing!

I've already made some small updates, like getting my beautiful Brizo Talo faucet installed in the kitchen and a new light fixture, shower rod, rings, curtain, cabinet hardware, a small wall storage cabinet and accessories for my own en suite bath. (I just couldn't stand looking at the ugly stuff any longer!)

My main focus has been the powder room, since it's the smallest room in the house, thus the quickest to update. Here's what I've achieved there so far, working part-time around projects and deadlines.

You'll note that my taste is simple, not exotic. I'm not looking to make a statement, just to create a comfortable, functional, appealing (to me, at least!) space.

I changed out the builder basic faucet, towel bar, mirror, light bar and TP holder. I added an accent rug to coordinate with the paint I'm planning for it and a bath cart to hold tissues, guest towels and the soap dispenser that won't fit on the too-small pedestal sink.

That sink is due for a future change, too! Maybe to this Bancroft pedestal from Kohler, maybe to something similar. I like its simple lines and the wide top that gives plenty of room for faucet and soap dispenser!




This is my new faucet from Huntington Brass, suggested to me by plumbing guru Dennis Hargraves at Fixtures. I really like its clean, retro lines!




My new light fixture looks like this Restoration Hardware Dillon Double Sconce, but cost less than $100 at Home Depot! I like how its square lines echo the faucet's.




My new mirror, also a home center steal, pivots like this one, but has sleeker posts to better coordinate with the sleek faucet and light fixture.




This Burnished Brandy by Sherwin-Williams will probably be the powder room paint color. (Of course, your monitor settings might not display its warm, chocolatey tones.)


Eventually, the powder room flooring and that of the adjacent hall, living room, kitchen and dining room will all be wood. While I love dark floors, I think this engineered Amber Valley Oak from Lumber Liquidators -- or something like it from one of my trade sources -- will work better in my space. (A very similar wood floor looked great with my furniture in Florida, and was very easy to live with!)




In the meantime, a brown/blue edged area rug (in the back of the image below) from Bed, Bath & Beyond covers much of the boring 12-inch, tan ceramic tile.



When the new paint goes on, I'll share some powder room pics. I won't make you wait for the wood floors or new pedestal sink... Promise!

Go-to Gold: Fixtures and Faucets - Part I

All designers have their core brands - their go-to-first sources for consistently great products that fit their style and needs. That's where a product search typically starts for most of us. I like XYZ Company, so let me see if they have a blankety-blank that fits this project.

This new Go-to Gold series will bring you some of my top go-to brands on a periodic basis. They all embody my Sensible Style approach, which means they make practical sense while looking really pretty!

It's not that I shun the original or unique. If you're a Molten Gold reader, you know that I enjoy discovering innovations and original styles. It's just that there are brands that I go to first, and I thought I'd share 'em with you...

Let's start with some of the bigger plumbing companies, just because I feel like it. (Don't worry, I'll be covering the smaller guys, too!)


Blanco

I love the Performa series with its Silgranit II material. It's an incredibly tough, durable sink that can take on whatever pots, pans and knives you can throw at it - literally! - and its ultra-practical accessories make clean-up so much easier.

Blanco Silgranit II Performa - From the school of hard knocks

Disclaimer: Knowing that I like the brand and write about it in this blog, Blanco asked me to join their Design Council. There's no payment involved; I just give my professional opinion on product development ideas and am available for press comment when requested.



Brizo

Brizo is Lexus to Delta Faucet's Toyota, with a great fashion forward kitchen and bath faucet collection. I like the practicality of their hands-free technology and love many of their styles, which you've seen in this blog before and, I'm sure, will see again!

Virage series by Brizo - fashionista faucetry

Disclaimer: Brizo paid all of my travel expenses to see their newest product offerings and attend their Fashion Week festivities in New York in February 2010. They are also giving all of the participants a Talo Faucet, valued at more than $700. I had already specified Brizo in projects previously, and will continue to do so in the future, I'm sure.


Kohler

I think Kohler is one of the most innovative fixture firms in the industry. They are continually developing game changers that look great and work well, and they do it across the full kitchen and bath plumbing spectrum, an impressive feat. Even though the industry has been economically challenged for the past few years, Kohler has continued to bring new products to the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show while other brands have stayed home. Kudos!

Expanse Curved Apron Bath by Kohler - More Style and Space in a Standard Size

Rohl

Rohl combines classic styling with great technology. I'm particularly partial to its integrated faucet series, especially the lav tap that gives you filtered water to brush your teeth and wash your face with. I keep hoping they'll expand the series to the shower!

Sleek new Vincent Series by Rohl brought Italian inspiration to KBIS

Details #2 - The Faucet Edition

This is the second of a five-part, first week of the month series with The Decorating Diva. Each of the five Details editions will focus on a single room detail that can make a huge difference in the success of that space's style.

Last month we looked at lighting. This segment focuses on faucets. Never underestimate the power of a terrific tap to up the style quotient in your kitchen or bath. To see what I mean, try to imagine this bathroom with a plastic-handled, builder basic faucet.

Bathroom designed by Jamie Goldberg, AKBD, CAPS

Such a tacky, outdated fixture would totally downgrade the elegance of this traditional, remodeled bathroom. I visited the remodeled master bath of an acquaintance who had spent her whole budget on custom cabinets, stone tops and new floors, but opted not to replace her builder grade faucets. What do you think got noticed first? Yep, the out-of-place plastic knobs stuck out like a sore thumb.

Here are some great faucets to consider for your kitchen and bath, even if you're not planning a remodel.

This Traditional Triflow Faucet from Rohl features integrated water filtration. There's also a bathroom version available so you can brush your teeth with filtered water, too.

This is Brizo's Talo faucet with SmartTouch Technology. One lucky Gold Notes and Decorating Diva reader will win one of these on Friday!

Kohler's Karbon Faucet offers flexibility and funky style

This strikingly-unique Italian-designed Wolo faucet has American (Elkay) and European (Webert) lineage

The handsome Virage faucet, also by Brizo, can work in contemporary or traditional bathrooms.

This graceful modern Stance Faucet by Kohler showed up at this year's Kitchen & Bath Industry Show



I've long delighted in the breezy style of Danze's South Sea series, which may show up in one of my own bathrooms one day.




I like wall-mount, rather than countertop-mounted, faucets with raised sinks, especially this contemporary Sirius, also from Danze.

Here are three essential points about kitchen faucets that you should consider:

* If the faucet is the only kitchen component being replaced, consider how many holes you have in your sink or countertop and don't exceed that number.
* If you're planning on upgrading your countertops later on, look for a faucet that can be mounted without a deck plate, and find out whether an extension will be needed to accommodate thicker tops. Buy it now while the part is available and keep it in storage for your eventual remodel.
* If your sink is tucked behind a raised bar, consider the height difference if you don't want your faucet to be seen from the next room.

And a couple for the bath:
* If you're considering replacing shower or tub faucets, you will most likely have to replace the valve behind the wall and below the deck, too, which means a larger project. If you stay within the same brand family, you may not have to. Check with a plumbing sales specialist for assistance.
* Bathroom sink faucets come in various configurations. Four-inch spreads are probably the most common. Be sure you know what you need before you order if you're not replacing your sink or countertops.

If you're limited by a four-inch spread configuration, consider this transitional Kohler Archer style for your bathroom.

Enjoy the entire Details series!

Details #1 - The Lighting Edition
Details #2 - The Faucet Edition
Details #3 - Fabrics and Fibers
Details #4 - The Hardware Edition
Details #5 - Finishing Touches

Sensible Style - Easy ways to go green in your kitchen

Earth Day is fast approaching, so Sensible Style is observing this important April 22nd date with some easy tips on making your kitchen more eco-friendly.


Dishwasher smarts

When it's time to replace your current dishwasher, look for one that's Energy Star rated, which can reduce the amount of electricity you use. Also look for a model that conserves water for additional eco power and utility savings. You can save even more water by not rinsing your dishes before you load them. Most of the newer detergents actually work better with food particles to fight. Try it - you'll be surprised!

Asko's XXL 5000 Series Dishwashers offer Energy Star and water savings with oversized capacity

Micro management

One of my go-to experts on appliances, Debbie Schaeffer, owner of Mrs. G's TV and Appliances in Lawrenceville, NJ, shares this eco-friendly tip: Use your microwave's speed cook feature instead of running your range for greater energy efficiency. Keeping your kitchen cooler in the summer and getting dinner on the table are two more benefits of speed cooking.

A microwave with speed cook, like this GE Profile Advantium, saves energy and time.

Faucet smarts

How often do you find yourself running your kitchen tap longer than you need to, just because you're across the room when the pot is filled, or you don't have a third hand to turn it off in time? Another culprit is the active child, who turns on the faucet on to wash her hands and forgets to turn it off. A faucet that turns on without a handle and turns off when you step away can be a big water saver. Being able to turn it on when your hands are full or sticky is a Sensible Style solution, too!

Brizo's Talo pours on the style and water savings

Put a cork in it

Cork is a great, green flooring option. It's a renewable resource that doesn't sacrifice trees. Some of it is also reycled. One of my favorite cork attributes is its softness underfoot. It looks like wood, but is much easier to stand on for long periods of time.

Eco-friendly cork floors can be formal, as shown in this offering from Globus Cork, or casual.

Lighten up

The recessed lights in your ceiling are probably halogen-based. These hog energy in two ways: one, they use a lot of it to light your room and two, their heat makes your air conditioner work harder in the summer. Consider replacing these outdated fixtures with low-energy LED lights. The added benefit is that you'll only have to replace them every 15 or 20 years. There are also LED-powered pendants and chandeliers you can install in place of your current light fixtures.

Tungsten pendant series by Access Lighting is LED-powered

Magnetic attraction

Ranges and cooktops aren't Energy Star-rated like other appliances, but can add a lot to your utility costs. A magnetic-powered induction cooktop, available on its own, or as the cooking surface of a freestanding or slide-in range, can cut your energy bills and speed your cooking time. I've done the side-by-side test of high BTU gas vs. induction. Induction is faster. It also won't heat up your kitchen in the summer, since only the area under your pot or pan gets hot. It's safer for families with active children or memory- and balance-challenged seniors who are less likely to get burned by grabbing it.

Kenmore Elite's new slide-in range features an induction cooktop