Kitchen & Bath Design News is the industry's leading business, design and product resource for the kitchen and bath trade.
Issue link: http://kitchenbathdesign.epubxp.com/i/406129
November 2014 ForResidentialPros.com | 33 Designer: Vaidas Dlugaborskis, designer, VeDco Design Group, Naperville, IL Photos: Pixiecreek Productions Designer: Michelle Moore, Moore Design Group, Orinda, CA What's in? Universal Design: Curbless showers are popular for ev- eryone, regardless of age or ability. "You never know when you might need to gain access to a shower with a wheelchair or walker, so a lot of my clients are adding them whether they are disabled or not. A curbless shower with an infnity drain also ofers a clean look, which is trending, and it makes the room look bigger. Clients are also asking for grab bars, or at least the backing so they can easily add one later." Creative bath furniture: "Bath furniture is getting a lot more creative, and a lot more oriented to small and/or well-or- ganized spaces. It features drawers that accommodate plumbing so furniture is more functional. Modern vanities that hang of the wall also have drawers that are compartmentalized and efcient." Contemporary styling: Contemporary elements are show- ing up everywhere in the master bath. "There has been a huge shift from traditional to contemporary styles. The palette has also gone gray…various shades of gray. I love it! Contemporary 'demi' vessel sinks in rectangular and square shapes with rims that are 2" or even 4" high are also popular." Trending products: Wall-hung faucets/toilets: "The cleanability of a faucet on the wall versus on a deck, and a toilet on a wall versus a foor, is so much better. And I love the look!" Bidets and dual-fush toilets: "Everything in the bathroom is about water, and being in California, water savings is really important." Cold storage medicine cabinets: "These provide easy ac- cess for medicines and facial creams that need to be kept in cold storage…no more storing in the kitchen refrigerator. They can also be electrifed, and some cabinets have doors that lift up, which allows a designer to hang pendants in front of the mirror." Pendant lights: "The best way to light a face for putting on makeup or for shaving is from the side, rather than from above and down. Pendants can hang at face level while providing a more formal, elegant look." Porcelain tile: "Porcelain is a great choice because it's less expensive and more environmentally friendly…and you can mix it with natural stone, for example, porcelain tile that looks like Carrara marble on the walls in a shower with an inset basket weave of Carrara marble. It's very exciting, and it's very hard to tell the diference!" This Asian-infuenced master bath remodel provides a peaceful bathing sanctuary that includes several trends Michelle Moore sees happening in her area, such as an eye toward water conservation with low-fow bath faucets that light up, making the user more conscientious of water usage. Two side-by-side medicine cabinets with lift-up doors allow for pendant lights. "The best way to light your face is from the side," says Moore. Photo: Caroline Johnson What's in? Minimal details: "Extras such as crown mouldings are not as popular now. Designs do not have as much intricacy as far as architectural details. Finishes are calm and cool. Cabinetry is sleek and clean…in white, espresso or gray/of gray. Doors have a Shaker appearance but with widened rails and an accent moulding. Inset doors are also super popular and give my clients a way to combine traditional with modern. Tiles tend to be large format with linear designs, maybe ofset. Linear mosaic tile is extremely popular. "This minimalist approach gives designers the opportunity to steer a room a certain way. Back in the day, to make a shower more interesting you had to do borders or split panels and unique designs where you combined diferent shapes, sizes, dimen- sions and angles. Today, a clean, simple design lets tile, wood, countertops, etc. speak. Phenomenal chandeliers can be added as the icing on the cake." 'Wow' showers: "Our schedules don't allow us to enjoy baths, so my clients focus on 'wow' showers. Niches, shelves, hand-held showerheads and focal-point elements are all popular. In the shower, I like to design plumbing columns, rather than plumbing walls, that are accented with tile and fanked by glass that allow more natural light into the shower and make the space look bigger. These columns almost appear freestanding and they become a phenomenal design element." Focus on function/habits: "Some of my clients don't want any maintenance, and to- day there are an insane amount of choices…porcelain tile that looks like stone and quartz that doesn't need to be sealed. People are getting smarter about how they maintain their bathrooms and they realize what can happen with a glass of wine or cup of cofee set on a marble surface. "A signature move of mine is to include convenient outlets. I provide one in every drawer that a husband or wife would consider using for a hair dryer, fat iron, razor, etc. so all of the wires are inside the drawers." Media centers/wireless technology: "All my luxurious bathrooms have TVs or at least a docking station so people can charge phones, listen to music or stream the news. Bluetooth technology allows wireless connections." Trending products: Heated fooring: "I think heated fooring is a necessity. I heat up the shower bases as well as benches. I've even done shower walls." Touchless toilets: "You don't have to do anything but wave your hand." Medicine cabinets: "These are a great choice for clients looking for function in smaller spaces." The shower in this master bath combines traditional (travertine tiles) with modern (glass mosaic) styling. "Traditionally, designers will combine travertine with marble, but I wanted to combine two completely diferent worlds into one," says Vaidas Dlugaborskis in reference to the 'wow' shower he created for this client.