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Posts tagged faucet design
Favorites: Fashions and Faucets from Brizo and Jason Wu
Feb 17th
There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless.
~~~~Simone De Beauvoir
Isn’t this the absolute truth!! I just arrived home late last night from the whirlwind adventure that Brizo Faucets put together (and sponsored) for the 20 designers/writers/bloggers last week. What a mix of company, conversation and excitement. Not to mention the Jason Wu Fall Collection show! I am engergized in a way that may mean I will still not get any sleep …even at home!
The last two days were spent with my little sister exploring NY for the first time….together. Seeing the old familiar places and shops and such through her eyes was so much fun. We ate pizza, saw a bad play, ate more pizza, shopped at the flea market, shopped at street stands and shopped at Bloomies. (By the way, really wanted to see Eddie Ross‘ winning window at Bloomingdales but was gone. Boo.)
This is us!
The jason Wu fashion show lasted all of 15 minutes but was glorious. Once in a lifetime. I can see why Brizo has forged such a strong relationship with Jason. His designs have a similiar essence as many of the fabulous designs Brizo has to offer….ah, you say! Crazy kitchen lady, this cannot be. A dress and a faucet??? Ok, let me explain. (And by the way, if you met Seth and Judd from Brizo’s design team, it would not suprise you how much design and inspiration that really does go into faucet design.)
Virage wall mount. 5 finishes. I love chrome. Of course.
I think that many of Jason Wu’s designs are actually wearable…for the average gal…. someone like me. The regular folks as well as the fashionable and hip. Surely not all of the designs but I assure you most were fluid, flirty and feminine as well as approachable.
Love this ensemble. Would wear to work every day. In fact, for the price I am sure I would have too! Note fellow bloggers famous shoes: Paul from Kitchen and Residential Design and Kelly from Kitchen Sync
Love this ensemble. Would wear to work every day. In fact, for the price I am sure I would have too! Note fellow bloggers famous shoes: Paul from Kitchen and Residential Design and Kelly from Kitchen Sync
I think Brizo’s designs are similiar in many ways. This decorative faucetry like my beloved Virage or RSVP bath faucets are classically elegant yet attainable for lots of people.
I like the crystal but it is the lines that make this faucet a statement piece.
I truly love this about the line. It is about time we can design a bath and have beautiful fixtures that offer good design within a reasonable budget…and not blow it. Brizo is one of the lines that has figured out how to pair good design with a good price point.
If we can just get Jason Wu to follow suit with the pricing of his RTW line…..hmmmmm
All I want for my birthday……
I adore the long jackets. But these pieces would work from day to night as well.
To see the entire Jason Wu 2010 Fall collection click here.
My favorite kitchen faucet. Venuto with smart touch technology and the magnedock for the sprayer head
Let me note here about the smart touch technology. I was skeptical. Ok, I admit it. But we just installed one in a client’s home and I could not stop playing with it. I have one coming to my house hopefully soon,so I have my very own! I was fascinated by how much “smarts” this faucet showed me.And what a lifesaver when you are not only the main cook but the sous chef as well!!
Speaking of Sous Chefs....Here is a great gift for the one in your life! And not hard to plumb...just a cold water line!
Trends in Faucet Design
Jan 11th
Recently I have received several phone calls for design interviews on trends going into 2010. The topics have ranged from general trends in kitchen and bath design, to an article focused only on bath faucets and even one on shower curtains! I thought it would be fun to present some of this information here as well. I love faucets..yes, really! So. let’s start with this often overlooked important design feature in bathrooms.
Many designers tend to have tried and true favorite faucet lines and styles and sometimes a preferred finish as well. And many designers stick to those same ones…year after year and project after project. Not so with us. While we may have our favorite manufacturers, we feel the faucet selection is as important as any other design element in the bath and are always on the look out for new designs and innovative function. This goes for the shower faucetry as well as the lav faucets but I am focusing on lavatory faucets now.
Here my impressions of the last year as well as looking forward into 2010.
**I think brushed nickel has become the “default” selection without giving much thought to other options. Ditto for oil rubbed bronze. If you like different finishes than classic chrome, get outside your comfort zone and investigate different options that might really add “wow” to your bath. Check out the pix below of my current flavor of the month: Brizo’s RSVP in chrome
**There are fantastic alternate choices to the two mentioned above. Altmans makes a wonderful distressed hammertone finish. Sigma makes a gorgeous black oil rubbed bronze that does not look cheap like so many basic ORB finishes do.
Designed by In Detail
**But, just remember chrome is classic. Need I say more? It is my all time favorite because it can go from traditional to modern and all places in between. Chrome is one of my top choices in many projects just because of it’s versatility and “staying power” over the long run.
My fave faucet of the month: Brizo Faucet RSVP in chrome Designed by In Detail
Sigma’s Nuance faucet in black ORB Designed by In Detail
**There is definitely a trend towards simpler design in some ways yet more than ever faucets are getting some attention..homeowners are more carefully considering funtion as well as style when making selections
**One hole faucets are becoming more popular, even in traditional settings. This is different than in past when typically one hole faucets were used exclusively in modern design
Santec’s one hole faucet in chrome Designed by In Detail
Another trend in lavatory faucets include touchless faucets. They are moving out of the exclusive use of commercial settings and being specified for residential use. Toto is a leader in this arena. We have used these faucets and they really are cool!
Engineered to require no electricity or routine disposable battery replacement, EcoPower products are the perfect marriage of hands-free operation, low maintenance and sophisticated design.
EcoPower’s turbine, powered by water, creates an electrical current that is stored in rechargeable cells that power the Smart Sensor System of either the faucet or valve. TOTO is the only manufacturer with this proprietary sensor technology. EcoPower replenishes its charge with as few as five uses a day and is optimized at a mere 10 uses per day.
Toto eco power touchless faucet
European lines and higher end manufacturers have long known that people will pay for style as long as the functional uses are present as well. Manufacturers like Hansgrohe and Brizo are two of the leaders in innovative design.
Wall mounted faucets will remain popular but look for people to be using them as a standard faucet..and not always with a vessel. They can be used with undermount sinks as well but pay particular attention to where the valve that goes into the wall is placed. The height is critical and you need to factor in the height of the vanity as well as the drop of the faucet spout. Too high and lots of splashing…but too low and you cannot get your hands underneath!
Also look for a high arcing spout if you are using a traditional deck or sink mounted faucet. I predict that many of the lower “tea pot” spouts will go out of production in favor of higher spouts that are more functional and easier to use.
Some of my favorites:
Hansgrohe
Hansgrohe's Montreux Bridge Faucet
Hansgrohe's Axor Starck one hole faucet
Brizo
Brizo's Virage Second fave of month
Santec
Santec Edo in chrome, naturally!
