Personal preferences shine in bathroom design

by Laura Scott

SBJ Contributing Writer

sbj@sbj.net

Bathroom designs are a form of personal preference and self-expression that reflect a person's personality and attitude, according to those in the business.

"I've seen some real knock-down, drag outs here between couples," said Mary Messier, who wholesales tubs, sinks, showers, toilets and accessories for Queen City Winnelson Co. "I just leave them alone and tell them to come and get me when they're ready to make a decision."

Those decisions aren't easy. Fixtures and accessories come in all colors and styles. "It's a personal preference thing," said Darrellene Sosebee, showroom manager at Southern Materials Company. She added that stainless steel is becoming more popular, as well as contemporary touches like natural stone and vessel bowls made with a large piece of marble. "It comes with a price," she said. The vessel bowls range as high as $2,600.

When choosing a color, Messier offers a warning to her customers. "I suggest they go either white or almond with their fixtures," she said. "You can change color with wallpaper and flooring and it's less expensive. Also, when you're ready to sell your home, you have to find a buyer who wants a bathroom in that color."

For those who desire color, Southern Materials' showroom is full of a wide choice of colors. Kohler offers unique colors, like cast-iron lavatories in blue, indigo, pink, green and orange.

Hit the shower

When remodeling, many people are replacing the standard tub with a whirlpool or a larger shower, said Tony Cobb with Harry Cooper Supply.

"The steam cabinets, body sprays and hand-held showers are getting very popular. The oversize showers like the walk-in, custom-built showers are selling well. Some have the steam bath, hydro aromatherapy and chromatherapy (light therapy) with them. Rain shower heads are also popular." In addition, they offer shower units for remodeling that come in sections that can be assembled on-site.

The ultimate showers are the shower panels. Jason offers the SP100, with a height-angle adjustable hand-held shower, which includes a thermo-balanced mixing valve, volume control and directionally adjustable body sprays. Kohler has the Water Haven Custom Tower System with seven adjustable water ports, dual-direction telescopic shower arms, four height-adjustable body sprays and a personal hand shower. Expect to spend at least $5,000 on either of these shower panels, according to Messier and Sosebee. Messier added that customers can put as many jets in the body spray units as desired.

Another much-less-expensive option for the shower is Grohe's Freehand, which combines a showerhead and body spray in one unit. It tilts to your preference of an overhead shower or body spray. It retails for $395 at Queen City Winnelson.

There's even the option of combining whirlpool tubs and showers. Jacuzzi makes an angled surround shower, and Calvari offers a freestanding bath shower. Old-style bathtubs on legs are popular, and this one has that style along with a surrounding glass shower enclosure with a rain showerhead. "It's more nostalgic than practical," said Cobb.

Whirlpools come in many shapes and sizes. "The wider tubs for two are popular, and we've also sold several soaking tubs with no whirlpools," Cobb said. Jason offers the Air-Whirlpool hydrotherapy tub with mood-enhancing chromatherapy lights as well as the AirMasseur hydrotherapy with jets of warm air massaging bubbles. The units start at $500.

Sinking in

Pedestal-style lavatories are more in demand, Cobb said. "Lavatories are available in a lot of different materials. China, glass, copper, brass, stone, marble and granite in all shapes and sizes are popular," he said. Winnelson's has a Vitra pedestal model imported from Turkey that retails for $1,200. "I highly recommend the pedestal to make a nice guest bath," said Messier.

The under-counter lavatory is still popular while the vessel and wall-mountedlavatories are the latest things. Kohler offers "The Twirl," an under-counter lavatory that resembles handcrafted pottery.

Faucets are available in any finish or design desired. "The more popular styles are the lever handles and the Old World flair traditional design faucets," said Cobb. "Single handle lavatory faucets are also selling well. It's personal preference."

The same is true for faucets. "The really in thing is the brushed nickel," Messier said. "Then there's the wrought iron and darker finishes. Moen has the oil rub bronze and Grohe has the crystal handle faucets. The platinum and antique nickel finishes are really nice. We're finding all those finishes to be popular."

At Southern Materials, Sosebee sees customers go for the traditional single faucet that resembles the flow of a water pump. "They're called trough faucets," she said. "Water flows like nature would flow." With a white sink, the total cost is from $160 to $200. Sosebee also recommends the Kohler finishes like brazen bronze, which has Vibrant Physical Vapor Deposition, a bonding finish guaranteeing a lifetime of reliable use. These finishes also are available in matching towel bars, toilet-tissue holders and other accessories.

Accessories

In toilets, the comfort height is a popular choice that Messier recommends for everyone. Toilets like the Kohler Class Five with bulk-flushing performance use as little as 1.4 gallons of water per flush. Cooper Supply has the Toto Neorest, complete with a remote control seat, timer, warmer, deodorizer, water pressure and sensor setting.

"You can spend $100 to several hundred on a toilet," said Messier. As for bidets, she said she hasn't found them to be very popular. "I've sold only a couple in 12 years."

Cobb says the most popular bathroom design styles are Old World and Tuscan designs with older flair. "The contemporary lines with European looks and designs are something we're seeing more than in the past," he added.

Accessorizing means choosing bath storage, medicine cabinets, water softeners, heated towel bars, mirrors and exhaust fans. "We have a large capacity wall-mounted cabinet with mirrored interior and exterior with some heated anti-fog door mirrors," said Cobb. "There's quiet running exhaust fans and there's bath accessories available to match the style and finish of faucets."

The bottom line is that anything goes, said Sosebee. "It's personality. People are deciding to express themselves with their bathrooms. There's nothing right or wrong. It's according to your taste."