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say. Polished pnishes still lead the way, with some demand for stainless and brushed pnishes as well. ���Polished pnishes are making a big push in the way of bath hardware,��� says Mockett. These polished chrome or stainless pxtures can enhance the overall design, he notes, especially in modern settings. Additionally, a polished pnish can complement a vibrant color scheme, he states. Fred Salati, director of Amba Products in Atlanta, GA, adds, ���We pnd the most common are brushed and polished stainless steel. Often, brushed stainless steel matches with brushed chrome and polished stainless steel with polished chrome.��� Jacobs says, ���Chrome is still the number one pnish, and I think that will continue for some time just because of the ease of care.��� At the same time, he adds that a weathered brass look is also big. As for materials, he says people still want solid brass, regardless of the coating. McJoynt agrees. ���Solid brass is still the best material, which represents quality and durability.��� He adds that while chrome and brushed nickel are still the most popular pnishes, distressed darker pnishes have also gained ground. Hamilton sees polished chrome and satin nickel as the most popular pnish choices, followed by polished nickel and oilrubbed bronze. He also agrees that solid brass is a popular material for bath hardware and accessories. Taft notes that while satin nickel remains popular, polished nickel also has a rising appeal. ���The warmth of the nickel tones adds an understated elegance to the pttings, contributing but not overwhelming the pttings��� style and shape,��� he says. ���As for materials, solid brass remains by far the gold standard. Extremely durable, yet soft to the touch when properly produced, true brass is also the easiest to pnish in just about any decorative pnish. Stainless steel is also increasing in popularity, but remains more limited than brass in terms of qexibility to plate in myriad pnishes.��� Moen Home Care has added products and pnishes to its Designer Grab Bars with Integrated Accessories. The Grab Bar with Corner Shelf (shown) adds extra stability and storage in the bath or shower and features a 250-lb. weight capacity. The products are now available in the company���s three most popular pnishes ��� Chrome, Brushed Nickel and Old World Bronze. Circle 163 on Product Card Amba Products introduces custom-size towel warmers available for the Antus, Elory, Sirio, Onda, Quadro and Vega collections in a range of di���erent heights and widths. These can be ordered in electric or hydronic applications and are available in brushed and polished pnishes. Circle 165 on Product Card ESSENTIAL ACCESSORIES Accessories are all about adding utility and aesthetic appeal, and there is something to match every need, regardless of the style of the bath. With such an array of options, it���s hard to point to any particular ���must have��� accessory. However, certain ���tried and true��� products continue to be standard in the bath. According to Hamilton, ���Towel bars, robe hooks [and] toilet tissue holders are the must-have accessories in any bathroom.��� McJoynt adds that while he���s not sure there���s a ���must have��� in accessories, there has been a focus on robe hooks of late. ���Some are using several robe hooks instead of towel bars for a more casual look,��� he says. And for those who prefer towel bars, he continues, double towel bars are a nice addition, particularly with limited space. For Amba, accessories on the rise include sliding door hardware, as well as towel warmers and space heaters. ���The trend has shown many [consumers plan to] remain in their current homes and intend to make improvements to their existing homes,��� Salati says. One of the biggest trends, he adds, is to replace the common towel bars with heated ones. These keep humidity, mold and mildew o��� of the towels and the bathroom, and can reduce laundry loads, allowing the homeowner to reuse large towels more often. From Taft���s point of view, luxury drains are having the most impact on trends in bathroom accessories today. ���People spend thousands of dollars on gorgeous bathroom shower installations, yet sadly pnish them with a cheap, qimsy drain with visible screws. It���s like putting cloth seats in a Mercedes.��� He notes that the company���s recently introduced StyleDrain Tile allows the incorporation of tile into the top of the drain to match the shower. ���It creates the illusion of the drain disappearing,��� he says. Mr. Steam���s F328 Free Standing Towel Warmer is made of high quality stainless steel. O���ering controlled, quiet heat, the unit is available in a brushed or polished pnish. Circle 166 on Product Card Kohler���s C3 toilet seat with bidet functionality uses water as an alternative to toilet tissue. A remote control adjusts the water spray for position, temperature and oscillating or pulsating motion, and preferred settings can be stored for two users. Other amenities include a heated seat, adjustable warm-air qow for drying and built-in odor control. Circle 164 on Product Card The Kiara bath and shower collection from Newport Brass includes a range of accessories constructed of solid brass. Available in 27 pnishes, the bath accessories include a towel bar, grab bar, tissue holder, robe hooks and lights, as well as a distinctive towel ring with an equestrian appearance. Circle 167 on Product Card February 2013 Hopewell is a contemporary bath accessories collection from Top Knobs that displays clean lines and rounded features for a spa-like feel. The number of pnishes for the collection has been expanded to 10 in total, including black. Circle 168 on Product Card THG���s Mandarine Collection of bath accessories was created in collaboration with Jean-Claude Delepine. The collection includes hardware that features crystals in six di���erent hues. Shown is the soap holder, which contrasts tones of chrome and gold. Circle 169 on Product Card Gra��� has added a multi-use accessory to its Sento Collection of bath accessories. The all-inone accessory combines a tissue holder, toilet brush and towel bar into one unit. Circle 170 on Product Card ForResidentialPros.com | 31