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34 | Kitchen & Bath Design News | March 2015 Spring Bath Remodeling Report FROSTED GLASS Keeping the bathroom bright can be challenging, especially with limited windows that allow natural light to f low into the space. Perrin often includes frosted glass in the door lead- ing to the bedroom. "It ofers privacy but also allows light to shine through," he says. "We had one client use it in their master bath and now they've changed all of their bathrooms." Shields often adds frosted glass to toilet rooms, which are a common inclusion for her clients. "Oftentimes it doesn't have a window, so I'll use privacy glass in the door," she says. "It's much more inviting and open. I'll also put the lights on a dimmer switch to serve as a night light, giving a soft glow. It can be a room that's easily forgotten…but you do spend a lot of time there." SHADES OF GRAY It's all about various shades of gray for an overall neutral, calm tone. "I'm doing lots of painted cabinets in ei- ther gray or white," says Wilson. "The only contrast might be a dark gray stain on a vanity. With these colors, my clients are interested in natural stone, such as Calcutta and Carrara marble, which carry the gray theme throughout the space. Looking into the future, I've been hearing from cabinet manufacturers that there is a rise in bright greens and blues, which would be a huge change from what I'm doing now. But I also think the gray color and materials we're using now – such as the Carrara and Calcutta marbles – are classic. They've always been around, and they always will be." Firebaugh also sees a lot of gray and white. "If there is any other color it will be pale green or pale blue… very Zen and soft," she says. "Cabi- nets will be painted or glazed with light colored countertops. It's calm and feels fresh." Gray and white are also indicative of the clean design aesthetic that is still popular as well. "My clients want a clean, crisp look in general, which ofers longevity," notes Weiss. "A lot of times cabinetry is white or gray… maybe blue. White feels light and airy and can be either traditional or contemporary." EXPANDED LIGHTING OPTIONS Chandeliers, sconces, drum shades and LED lights are all common re- quests, according to many designers. "LEDs ofer bright lighting and mini- mize heat," says Eversoll. "Gone are the Hollywood lights of the past!" Firebaugh is also including more chandeliers, as well as drum shades, instead of recessed can lights. "They add to the ambiance, and you can put them on dimmers for night lighting," she adds, noting that their inclusion is in addition to task lighting at the mirror and sink. Perrin pays more attention to lighting as well, especially in the ar- eas of chandeliers and LEDs. "A lot of homes only have one light over the vanity, but we'll add recessed, dimma- ble LED lights in the ceiling as well as underneath foating vanities, serving as a nightlight," he says. "Chandeliers give the room a little jewelry, a little accent." Perrin is also fielding more re- quests for lights that can be controlled wirelessly. Technology in general is another trend he's seeing. "People spend a lot of time in the bathroom," he says. "We're doing a lot more in the way of adding TVs, computer acces- sibility and charging stations." RECYCLED MATERIALS Finding ways to make a space unique is important to designers, including Perrin, whose clients are doing much more in the way of recycling materi- als from demolition projects. "We've taken a lot of items – including school bleachers and bowling lanes – and re- cycled them into furniture, table tops, countertops, etc.," he says. He's also done projects where traditional doors are replaced by barn doors. "People like to recycle, and to know something isn't going into a landfll. It's great to have a piece of history and to connect with it. A trend we're defnitely seeing is to be unique…our clients want to put their own stamp on their space." Perrin also had one client use the leftover granite from his project to create a sculpture in the shape of a mountain range. "We can really do some neat features with products that are typically countertops," he says. "For this client, it's like a piece of art in his bathroom." Zero threshold showers are popular with Ken Perrin's clients, regardless of age since even younger homeowners are showing interest in them. He also often includes benches, which many times are heated, as are the foors. Porcelain tile is growing in popularity as well. Recycling is on-trend for Ken Perrin's clients, who have been known to make the old new again, such as this repurposed sewing machine vanity topped with a recycled glass countertop. Other clients have saved barn doors, school bleachers and bowling lanes from going into landflls. Many of the master baths Meredith Weiss has designed include a classic color palette that includes dark gray and white…maybe blue. "Back in the day, people would do a specifc color. Now, it's more of a classic color palette." Other top trends include vessel sinks, radiant heat and porcelain tile, which is also showing up on shower walls for a fun and unexpected surprise. Photo: Tony Griffie/ACG Services, Ltd.