Four Favorite Bath Products - Fixtures Living

Can a plumbing showroom be cool?  You bet!  Fixtures Living is one of my favorite design spots in San Diego.  They've got gorgeous displays, knowledgeable reps, great events and a free, fabulous chef-prepared lunch every Friday.  (They also have Rancho Mirage and Costa Mesa locations for my farther-flung friends.)  Maria Swanson, (@MariaSwanson on Twitter), Fixture's Marketing Director, responded to my call for Four Favorite Bath Products.  Here is her must-have list.  (It coincides with my own must-have list, too!)


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Let me start by saying, Happy Fourth Anniversary, Gold Notes! When Jamie asked if I’d write a guest post about my four favorite bath fixtures, I wasn’t sure how I was going to choose! So I went shopping! And as I did, I considered a variety of things - price, space, moxie, and of course, sheer indulgence! 


Aimes Ceiling-Mount Showerhead with LED lighting by Toto

Beautiful and sustainable. This hydro-powered shower head by Toto has an 11” spray face, rubber nozzles to prevent lime scale build-up and LED lighting that is powered by the sheer force of the water running through it! 

Eco-friendly Aimes shower head brings the rain forest home
(Photo Courtesy:  Toto)

Uplift Cabinet by Robern


This is not your grandma’s medicine cabinet! This unique vertically-opening no-swing door from Robern allows for use in spaces that… well, might not have a lot of clearance. The sliding door stays in position so it can be opened just a little or a lot. And it comes with all kinds of options including a TV mount that accommodates up to a 19” flat screen or LCD! 

Uplift brings innovation to your medicine cabinet
(Photo Courtesy:  Robern)

Washlet by Toto 


Not sure how ready you are to step into the world of personal cleansing? Is the price tag one of the reasons? Then you should definitely consider the Toto Washlet. A lot of the same fun functions as the expensive toilets (auto and remote control flushing, aerated warm water, front and  rear washing, massage feature, warm air dryer , auto air purifier, heated seat and more) at a fraction of the cost. 

The Washlet brings high-end hygiene to your home
(Photo Courtesy:  Toto)

Vedana by BainUltra 


This is indulgence with benefits! Vedana combines five proven therapies:  aromatherapy, light therapy, sound therapy, chromatherapy and thermo therapy into one integrated therapeutic care system. And not only does BainUltra strive to recreate harmony in your body, it makes every effort to progressively integrate eco-design principles in production to minimize their ecological footprint. 

Vedana brings smart and luxurious showering
(Photo Courtesy:  BainUltra)

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Fixtures Living has luxury plumbing, indoor and outdoor appliance showrooms in San Diego, Rancho Mirage and Costa Mesa.  

Guest post by Allan Dallatorre: Three favorite Dwell on Design products of LA Design editor

Last year, I had the pleasure of attending Dwell Magazine’s Dwell on Design designer and consumer expo in Los Angeles. Since I couldn’t make it there this year, I asked Allan Dallatorre, artist, industry insider and newly-named Editor in Chief of LA DESIGN, to share his three favorite items from the show in a Gold Notes’ third anniversary “threesome” guest post.

I knew his terrific eye for design and trend-setting mindset would bring my readers the best of the best! Here are Allan’s favorites.

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This year’s Dwell on Designn show at the Los Angeles Convention Center was bigger and better than ever. I left convinced that no home is complete without such luxury items as a dishwasher that has a 'beer glass chilling' cycle, a Neorest smart toilet in the bathroom and Miele’s digital kitchen appliances that are wi-fi connected to alert me of maintenance issues.

With so much sustainability, technology and innovation to choose from, it made it difficult to pick Dallatorre’s Dwell on Design’s Top Three in salute to Gold Notes’ third year anniversary.

Molo’s sustainable fan system uses a honeycomb structure to open into stools, benches, loungers, divider walls, lamps – you name it! Stephanie Forsythe and Todd MacAllen, founders of Vancouver-based Molo, created the multi-functional freestanding, expandable room dividers of fire-retardant paper and textiles in white or natural. Each piece of the soft seating has magnetic end panels, allowing an element to connect to itself, forming a cylindrical stool or low table, or to connect to other elements of the same size in series- check out their booth- creative sustainable genius!





TOTO’s Neorest II vessel lavatory was the most captivating digital sink in the building, people could not keep their hands off of it! The new translucent wash basin is the ultimate in intuitive hands-free control. Toto’s combination sensor faucet and lavatory features: Luminist semi-clear epoxy resin for exceptional strength and high scratch resistance, anti-scald thermostatic mixing valve and two flow rates for sustainable use. In the end, my favorite element was the multi-color LED lighting system that correlates to the water temperature, red for warm and blue for cold.




LG’s Tromm Styler/Steam Closet was the product that took the cake. LG’s attempt to make your home smarter included a "digital wardrobe" that steams your clothes clean while you wait. It’s a cross between a wardrobe and a dry cleaning machine. Designed to keep your power business suits wrinkle and dirt free, the Tromm Styler steams and sterilizes your clothing, so you don't have to walk around smelling of food or smoke. LG is pleased that it only produces a 40 decibel noise when in operation, and is bland and mysterious-looking enough to slot in anywhere within the modern house kitchen, laundry room or Closet. [JG's Note to readers: This product may not be available in the U.S. just yet; it's not on LG's US website at press time.]

Three favorite bathroom sinks

Gold Notes celebrates its third birthday this month – woo-hoo! In honor of that milestone, I’m featuring fabulous, fun, favorite “threesomes” throughout July. Here’s the latest, my favorite bathroom sinks.

I’ve been a fan of Native Trails for many years and first discovered them through their bathroom sinks. These sinks are classic and unique. I have two favorites, the Calypso and the Tatra. Here’s the Tatra, which lends itself beautifully to a contemporary or traditional spa bath.




One of the most beautiful aspects of this Waza Noir Cast Iron Vessel Lavatory from Toto really can’t be appreciated online. It has a sensuous velvety texture that has to be touched to believe. Its rustic contemporary style is evident, though. I wish they had a toilet to match for a killer powder room application. I would probably pair it with a stainless wall-mount commode with a black wood seat.



Here’s a new favorite! Kohler introduced its Tresham Suite at KBIS this year and I loved its transitional styling. I could definitely see incorporating this into my powder room redo, or in any traditional or transitional client project. I’ve always liked their Memoirs and Devonshire traditional suites, and the Archer transitional. This is a great addition to the Kohler fixture family!

12 Easy ways to save water at home

Yesterday, March 22nd, was World Water Day, an international initiative created by the United Nations to spur awareness of the 2.6 billion people who lack basic sanitation. Most of us take for granted that when we turn on a tap, clean water instantly emerges. It has for as long as most of us have been alive. We clean ourselves, our homes, our laundry and our cars with it. We cook with it. We water our lawns with it. And, most important of all, we drink it. I'm not sure we know how very lucky we are.

That doesn't mean our luck will last forever. The purpose of this post isn't to make you feel guilty. It's to help you save water for your future and ours. A happy short-term outcome is lower water bills, which isn't a bad thing at all. In the long run, conservation will help ensure that the next generation can enjoy clean water, too.

Some of these12 steps are free and easy, though they may require some of you to change long-held habits. Others involve an investment in your home. This can potentially increase its value to future owners, also not a bad thing.

In order of ease and cost...

Freebies

• Don't run the tap while you're brushing your teeth or shaving.
  
• Lather and rinse, but don't repeat when you shampoo. (Your hair will thank you, too.)
• Don't run the water while you condition your hair.
• Take showers, not baths.
• Water your lawn one day less per week, and not at all in the rainy season.
• Don't rinse your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher. Switch to a detergent like Cascade Complete that works better on dirtier contents.

When I started using this product a few years ago, it saved me time, aggravation and the expense of replacing my dishwasher... It's the detergent, stupid!

• Pay close attention to the water settings on your clothes washer; small loads need less water, but some machines require you to adjust the water level manually.

Low cost, high returns

• Repair or replace any leaking or dripping faucets.
• Replace your existing faucets with hands-free models. These are available now for both kitchen and bath.

Ryohan EcoPower Bathroom Sink Faucet by Toto offers sleek style and water savings, too



Brizo's Pascal offers hands-free functionality and hot looks for your kitchen

You'll also benefit from hands-free AKA sensor faucets with less germ transfer between family members.

Larger investment, greater returns

• Consider replacing your existing toilets with dual flush models.

Kohler's Reve stints on water use with its Dual Flush technology, but definitely not on aesthetics

• Consider replacing your existing top-load washing machine with a front load model. Most use less water.

This WM2010C Washer by LG is one of the most water-efficient models on the market

• Consider adding a tankless water heater for bathrooms far from your main water heater. You'll run less water waiting for it to get hot.

Rinnai makes some of the industry's best-selling tankless water heaters.

If you have additional ideas to share, please post them in the comments section. When each of us saves water, everyone wins!

KBIS 2009 - Style Spotlight

The 2009 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show is behind us now, and in my last two posts I focused on great new products for the kitchen and bath.

This final posting accompanies my new Style/File photo feature: KBIS 2009 - Designed to Thrill on the right column of this blog until the end of September. (Starting in October 2009, you can view it here.)

This posting's emphasis isn't on innovation or excellence. It's all about looking great!

These were my favorite style stars from this year's show. Some I'd definitely consider using in projects for my clients. In fact, I've already specified Kohler's velvety new Honed White lavs and toilet for a new client. They're shown in this photo album on the contemporary Reve series.

A few other products in the slide show are more pretty than performance-oriented. But, again, this is about the style stars, not the star performers!

A brand that I discovered at this year's show is actually 100 years old. It's Cifial, a Portuguese manufacturer of faucets and hardware. I was especially drawn to their Rough Bronze finish, (shown above right on the Brookhaven L Spout Faucet), which ages along with its homeowners, mellowing over the years to a soft, pale sheen. The Porto door hardware is also wonderfully handsome. Having a pair of these on double doors to your master suite would be like retreating into another world, not just another room in your home.

Kohler and Toto stole the show, in my opinion. They each brought beautiful new textures, colors, styles and, yes, innovation to KBIS 2009. In fact, Toto's Waza Noir Rectangular Lav had the finest finish I've ever seen or felt on a fixture. It was a soft, lustrous black with a velvet surface that can only be described as sensual. No kidding; it ought to have an NC-17 rating!

LaCava and MTI Whirlpool also brought impressive offerings to the show, and I look forward to seeing more from both brands in the future.

LaCava brings Italian style (and American woodworking skill) to the bath with its vanities and sinks. Two of them are featured in this photo feature.

MTI Whirlpool brings American ingenuity and good looks to its line. I've written before about its innovative products, including a jetted laundry tub that showed up in my last Style/File: That Sinking Feeling.

I look forward to experiencing KBIS 2010 next year in Chicago. If you need an added fix until then, HGTV will be airing its annual show broadcast Sunday night, May 24 at 8/7c.

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You might also enjoy these related posts:

KBIS 2009 - Bathroom Spotlight
KBIS 2009 - Kitchen Spotlight
Style/File: That Sinking Feeling
Style/File: Counter Intelligence