I was recently interviewed for a section on Bathroom Trends in the Boston Sunday Globe Magazine, called “Modern Times: Bathrooms Become Hi-Tech Oasis,” which appeared in the 3/9/8 edition. You can click on any of the images, including the article for a larger view.
If you are an out-of-towner or missed the paper, here’s a recap of the article, plus some additional information that did not appear including images, and links to read and see more.
Happy reading, and thanks to Charlene Arsenault for a great piece.
What’s Popular with Vanities?
Vanities on legs with an unfitted look are still popular. Vessel sinks and modern looking wall mounts have been popular for a while, but current trends involve natural luxurious materials such as limestone and onyx and exotic woods like wenge for bases.
Metals are moving in a warmer direction: How about a copper tub or vessel sink? I don’t think it can get any more fabulous than that.
Green Design
Green continues to be a strong trend in all areas of interior design and powder rooms are no exception.
One company with a green commitment is Waterfall.
Their products are not only green but beautiful, too. What makes them green is that they are made of formaldehyde-free MDF and painted with an ultralow-VOC water-based formulation. Check out the Louis. (It’s the blue-ish grey-ish one above.) for a decidingly updated French spin. I love it!
Items that Glow
Another really exciting area in bath design is high-tech applications — items that glow
These are fairly new to the market and all the rage. Robern has really neat new medicine cabinet with a night light built into the door and I am quite fond of these. They come in a few depths, you can recess them if your application allows, and they can even be fitted with electrical outlets on the inside so electric toothbrushes and razors can pack neatly out of sight.
Here’s a vanity that you can literally turn on by Neo-metro. Check this out: they come in a host of colors, from white, to red to plum and you can turn on the vanity and it glows from underneath. it also has a concealed drain. This is not your grandmother’s console vanity. (My grandma actually has a console vanity from the 60’s.)
The Un-mentionable: the Toilet
It wouldn’t be a bathroom with out at toilet, so let’s put that as part of the discussion. I like anything by Toto as they flush so well — good flushing technology that avoids clogs.
Tips for looking for toilet include consideration of “Comfort height.” This means that the toilet seat is higher up so they are easier to sit on for many.
Many of my clients like the traditional look of the Promenade by Toto.
Also look for dual flush toilets that allow you to select water flow depending what’s being flushed. These decrease water usage. Some clients are also including spa-like bidet features such as water jets and heated seats. These can now come as add-on components to the seat.
