Kitchen & Bath Design News is the industry's leading business, design and product resource for the kitchen and bath trade.
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Product Trend Report By Elizabeth Richards Bathroom hardware and accessories balance the need for aesthetic appeal with functionality to create a polished, clean, cohesive style in the bath. This freestanding towel holder by Jean-Marie Massaud for Hansgrohe���s Axor brand is composed of solid brass and pnished in Chrome. The holder���s tree-like branches hold about pve towels. Circle 155 on Product Card The Wicker Park bathroom suite from Gerber Plumbing Fixtures includes a range of accessories for the bath with a contemporary feel. The accessories line includes a towel bar, towel ring, paper holder and robe hook, all in a brushed nickel pnish. Circle 156 on Product Card F rom meeting practical needs to catering to the personal taste and style of the homeowner, bath hardware and accessories can be the key to creating fully coordinated, highly functional bathroom spaces. While these add-ons don���t necessarily take center stage, they are crucial to pulling together the look, feel and utility of the room. That���s according to manufacturers recently surveyed by KBDN. One key trend impacting the bath accessories market is that designers and consumers are looking toward smarter use of limited space ��� which often takes the form of multifunctional accessories. According to James Hamilton, product manager at Brasstech, Inc. in Santa Ana, CA, ���Adding functionality in any space of the bathroom will add value for the homeowner. For example, adding a glass shelf to a toilet tissue holder adds utility to what has traditionally been a very basic item in a bathroom. Now the homeowners have a place to set their cell phone or keys in a space that previously did not provide any storage space.��� Doug Mockett, CEO of Manhattan Beach, CA-based Doug Mockett & Co. adds that bathrooms are increasingly expanding into personal living spaces, creating a need for innovative hardware. ���With convenience and style leading the way, bath design is taking a whole new approach,��� he says. ���One new aspect in particular is the idea of pnding clever ways of integrating additional power options throughout and streamlining them into the overall design.��� A consistent design that takes the overall bath into account is also crucial, manufacturers agree. Kevin McJoynt, v.p./marketing for Danze in Woodbridge, IL, notes, ���Carrying the styling/d��cor through the entire bath is still an important factor when designing a room. Accessories should always get their cue from the faucets, shower components and other elements dictating the room���s d��cor. Matching the pnish and detailing through to the accessories makes a room look pnished and professional.��� StyleDrain Tile from California Faucets is a decorative shower drain that allows for the inlay of any tile or stone to match the surrounding qooring. The all-brass tile frame is available in multiple decorator pnishes. It drains up to 10 gpm. Circle 158 on Product Card The SH42 shelf support from Doug Mockett & Co. provides a pnishing touch for vanity shelving for the bath. The arcing support bracket provides a distinctive look and supports a 60-lb. load. Available in Matte Black, Glossy White, Metallic Silver and Polished Chrome, the support bracket can be used with wood or glass. Circle 157 on Product Card 30 | Kitchen & Bath Design News February 2013 CLEAN LINES In recent years, there���s been a big turn from the ornate, traditional style toward a more contemporary style with clean lines, a trend that continues, manufacturers say. Larry Jacobs, president of Ashley Harris Marketing, marketing agency for Strom Plumbing by Sign of the Crab in Rancho Cordova, CA, says, ���I don���t know if it���s the desire for the clean lines or just the e���ciency of the cost of the clean lines. They don���t want a lot of the gingerbread kind of stu���. We���re just seeing [design get] as simple as possible.��� Noah Taft, senior v.p., marketing & sales for California Faucets in Huntington Beach, CA, agrees that there is movement toward understated design. ���There seems to be less of the qaunting ���look at me��� design that characterized some design prior to the recession. I think people are yearning for much-needed stability right now, and high-quality materials like solid brass, and clean lines, speak to this,��� he says. Hamilton says that contemporary styles have been the most popular for accessories over the last few years. This includes clean lines, round or square in shape, but also a balance so the design isn���t too minimalist, he notes. ���To some degree, the bath hardware and accessories have to complement the style of the bath in which they are being utilized,��� he states. ���Crystal handles are starting to return to bath faucets. Black and/or white pnishes mixed with chrome are being used more and more in bath and shower hardware. These design and styling cues require organizations to be qexible to provide products that can easily pt the d��cor of that bathroom.��� Fancier traditional styles aren���t completely gone, however. McJoynt says that while minimalism leads the way, more ornate, traditional styling is still desired by some homeowners. FINISH TRENDS Though some new pnishes are easing their way into the market, there hasn���t been signipcant change overall, manufacturers The new Penthouse Collection from Cool Lines USA includes a full range of accessories for the bath. The collection is available in Polished Stainless Steel and will be available in Satin Stainless. Circle 160 on Product Card The Hot Hoop Towel Radiator from Runtal North America is part of the Bisque Collection, a series of distinctive products developed by European designers and artisans. The Hot Hoop encircles empty space in a series of sinuous coils and allows for the stacking of towels within to keep them warm and dry. Circle 159 on Product Card This 6' Oval Shower Enclosure from Strom Plumbing by Sign of the Crab is designed to be used with a tub that is equipped with an end-mounted or sidemounted riser. It includes two 36" ceiling supports and a 12" wall support, and measures 72"x36". Circle 161 on Product Card The LumaWarm heated nightlight toilet seat from Brondell o���ers an adjustable heated seat with four settings. It also includes an illuminating LED nightlight and slow-close seat and lid. The LumaWarm will pt any standard toilet. Circle 162 on Product Card