Elevate your bathroom’s appeal by including a touch of luxury.
Photo courtesy of Maison Valentina
Looking to remodel your dreary bathroom into a personal spa that you can escape to after a long day at work? From tiles painted with Italian designs to plush armchairs, today’s bathrooms are going all out with elegance and sophistication.
Functional Furniture
Between bulky towels, bottles of shampoo and conditioner, and cleaning supplies, there’s a lot that needs to be stored in a bathroom with no place to put it. For added elegance and storage, incorporate a large armoire or chest. Now that your clutter is out of the way, you have room to decorate your bathroom with luxury pieces, like an armchair or dressing table, that elevate that spa look and give you a place to unwind.
Photo courtesy of Tom Tailor
Bathroom Sink
Let’s face it — nothing makes a busy morning worse than bumping elbows with your partner in the bathroom. Say “goodbye” to that early-morning fuss by adding an elongated double sink with a marble countertop or blocking out a space on either side of the room for a separate sink for each person. To elevate your bathroom sink’s appeal, prop a large metal, marble or hand-blown glass bowl on top of your counter and decorate the surrounding space with a matching soap pump.
Photos courtesy of Maison Valentina
Luxurious Lighting
It’s a new year, which means you need to leave that ugly overhead lighting behind and invest in lights that warm up your bathroom and add a touch of class. Opt for soft lighting by hanging a luxurious chandelier over the bathtub and placing a lamp on your dressing table. To enhance your bathroom sink, place lighting fixtures on either side of your mirror. These changes will completely transform your cold bathroom into the oasis of your dreams.
Photo courtesy of Sweetpea & Willow
Framed Mirror
It’s time to swap that frameless wall-sized mirror for a framed mirror that hangs on your wall. From plain silver or gold to ornate designs, framed mirrors are an easy way to show off your unique style and enhance your bathroom. Need more storage? Purchase a mirror that doubles as a cabinet, where you can hide your toothbrush, mouthwash and skincare.
All in the Details
You’ve got the armchair, framed mirror and ornate chandelier — what’s next in your bathroom transformation? Amp up the details! Turn your bathroom from a basic spa to a high-end haven by decorating your space with Italian tiles that frame your mirrors or doorways. You can also add more sophistication by decorating with Persian or Turkish rugs, plants and artwork. By incorporating details in every corner of your bathroom, you’re able to highlight your own personal style while adding interest to your space.
Photo courtesy of Tom Tailor
Architects, designers, artists and more often pull inspiration from their surroundings to create unforgettable final products. Tectonic accessories, designed by Rogerseller, were created with the idea of earth’s most enigmatic natural processes — tectonic plate motion — in mind.
A series of floating plates make up the enchanting collection. They can be placed in various planes and axis’ to each other, representative of the plates that make up the Earth’s surface and their dynamic interaction with each other.
An intriguing addition to any bathroom, these elements are undeniably modern, yet pull from an ancient process that began over three billion years ago. The sleek finishes are appealing in both their function and style. These accessories are the perfect detail to finish your space.
The linear design provides a bold signature aesthetic that appears throughout the collection, which is available in a selection of the Rogerseller Natural Elements finishes.
The accessories feature multiple-length towel rails and shelves (with the option of custom tile inserts), a combination shelf and towel rail, angled and straight robe hooks, double or single paper holders with shelves and a vertical heated towel rail that provides greater heating efficiency.
Each rail, shelf and robe hook is of equal height, allowing installation as a continuous linear feature wrapping around the bathroom.
Photos courtesy of Rogerseller
One of the biggest debates in kitchen and home design is this: should granite be replaced by marble, or quartz? While more developers are looking toward quartz as an alternative to marble, neither one clearly outweighs the other. But there are four different categories that compare the two materials, and can help both developers and homeowners decide which one best suits them. Their appearance, durability, maintenance and overall cost can play a part in choosing which one is better to replace granite.
For appearance, it is largely a matter of preference. According to MSI Surfaces, while Quartz is more uniform in its design and color, it can also mimic the look of natural stone as well. Meanwhile, with marble, each slab is one-of-a-kind. If you have marble as your kitchen countertop, no other counter will be the same as that one. The uniqueness adds a classic beauty to any room.
Renderings courtesy of KAR Properties (Marble)
Marble
Quartz
Appearance
- One-of-a-kind
- Natural stone rather than man-made
- Uniform in design and color
- Man-made, but mimics natural stone
Durability
- Can get stained or discolored more easily
- Overall, durable and dependable
- Direct sunlight or UV rays can cause irreparable discoloring
- Overall, durable and dependable
Maintenance
- Sitting water can cause discoloration or stains
- Overall, more maintenance is required
- Hot pots or pans sitting on it can scorch the stone
- Overall, less maintenance is required
Price
- More expensive per square foot
- $50-150 per square foot
- Less expensive per square foot
- $40-100 per square foot
In terms of durability, both are great options. Quartz is man-made, but is increasing in popularity because of the material’s durability. Marble is from many different countries around the world, and is also a durable but natural material as well. With quartz, however, any direct sunlight or high UV rays can cause irreparable discoloring, according to Polycor. Although both can gain chips on their edges and other minor damages, neither are fragile or impractical for everyday use. For durability, both quartz and marble are great options.
Marble requires more maintenance since it is natural stone. Sitting water on a marble countertop can cause discoloration and stains. For individuals with a busy lifestyle, quartz would be much easier to manage. But with quartz, make sure not to place any hot pots or pans on the counter — doing so could scorch the material. In terms of overall maintenance, however, quartz is generally a better fit.
Rendering courtesy of RIVA Residences (Quartz)
Rendering courtesy of Akoya Boca West (Quartz)
Rendering courtesy of RIVA Residences (Quartz)
Lastly, marble is usually more expensive than quartz. MSI Surfaces explains that while each square foot of marble is only slightly more expensive than quartz, that price tag can quickly add up when designing a whole room. Despite the overall added price, however, marble can add to a home’s value, so it might be worth it in the long run for some homeowners and designers.
While quartz is more practical in terms of durability and maintenance, nothing is like the one-of-a-kind material found with marble. In the end, knowing both materials’ advantages and setbacks can help determine which one works best.
Rendering courtesy of RIVA Residences (Quartz) Rendering courtesy of Akoya Boca West (Quartz)
The new Ombré finish for kitchen and bath faucets from Kohler uses an innovative technique that melds two vibrant metal finishes together to render a subtle but striking transition from light to dark.
Kohler has taken a familiar product and, inspired by the worlds of fashion and modern design, created an uncommon showpiece that is unlike anything else on the market.
The Ombré Vibrant finish makes use of Kohler’s proprietary physical vapor deposition process, which bonds the finish and faucet together at the molecular level, to create an incredibly strong surface that is both scratch- and tarnish-resistant. The finish comes in two fabrications: Vibrant Rose Gold to Vibrant Polished Nickel, and Vibrant Titanium to Vibrant Rose Gold.
The Ombré Vibrant finish is available on a curated selection of Kohler plumbing products: Components and Sensate. Homeowners can express their personal taste by using faucets with this finish as an integral design component for their home décor.
The word ombré, French for shadow or shade, has been seen on everything from haute couture gowns to celebrity hairstyles, and its ingenious use on what could be seen as an everyday product further establishes Kohler as the industry leader in finish innovation.
Photos courtesy of Jillian Rosone.