Sometimes when designing a bathroom it can seem that there just isn’t anything new to do with the four walls. Sure, niches and art installations can be added but if your tastes are more minimalistic and modern, how do you think outside the box?
According to a report conducted by Redfin, a popular nationwide real estate firm, the sale of luxury homes has been increasing at a steady pace since last year. In fact, homes priced over a million dollars outpaced the rest of the housing market.
Sometimes people ask me what I read when I’m surfing the web. Here’s a collection of posts that I found worthwhile.
Over on Hadley Court, Leslie Carothers put together a great post discussing the true remodeling costs and important remodeling considerations for kitchens based on data from industry professionals, Houzz, and Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs Value Report.
The Founder of KBCULTURE.com, Leslie Clagett always covers what’s new in appliances and innovative technology. I liked her post showing GE’s new combination of their Café Refrigerator with hot water dispenser technology with a Keurig K-Cup Brewing System. I think we all like the idea of being able to remove one more appliance from the countertop area. Sadly, it won’t be available until later this year.
“As an innovator in the personal beverage system industry, Keurig is excited to partner with GE and to be the first to offer hot single-cup technology right from a refrigerator.”
In addition to Blogs written by designers, I also read Blog posts from manufacturers. I recently discovered that Systempool, part of the Porcelanosa Family, offers the new Attica shower enclosure collection.
A large part of the value of an Attica enclosure is the availability of customization. Systempool realized that not all bathrooms are shaped the same – some have sloped ceilings, steps or structural columns that have to be addressed.
Jeanne Chung is a gifted Interior Designer whose blog is titled Cozy•Stylish•Chic. Her posts are fabulous and I hope one day soon we will meet. (We’ve both been on Modenus BlogTour trips but not together.) I am sharing her post on 3 Must-Have Luxury Kitchen Appliances from Thermador.
My favorite of the three is the Freedom Induction Cooktop which is the first full-surface induction appliance with the flexibility of a natural-mapping user interface. This technology recognizes cookware size, shape and position, and delivers heat to these targeted areas (up to 13″ x 21″),while all other areas not in contact with a pot remain cool.
The new trimless model with first full-color touch-screen interface can heat up to four pots at a time. The 36″ cooktop is built with 48 individual 3-in. heating elements below the surface of the appliance, which translates to a 63 percent more effective cooking area on the surface.
European minimalist shower trays that mimic stone are now available in the US.
The pans are manufactured by Fiora Bath Collections, located in La Rioja, Spain, renowned for the design and manufacture of furniture, mirrors and accessories for the bathroom. Coastal Shower Doors will be introducing the pans at KBIS Jan. 20-22 in Las Vegas.
Flora has patented a new concept in shower flooring based on the use of an artificial stone called SILEXPOL. This new material has anti-slip and bacteriostatic properties, qualities that have proven to be highly desirable to the European audience.
“We expect Americans to not only love the design, but also appreciate the nanotechnology that goes into making the trays water repellent and the maintenance easy and safe,” Patrick Cobb, national accounts for Coastal Shower Doors
While I’m not sure if the full line up will be available, the pans are offered in two patterns (regular and brick) with fourteen colors in each.
One of the new features of the Fiora SILEX shower tray is its adaptability and flexibility to fit into any decor theme, whether in residential or commercial applications. Moreover, two of the trays within the SILEX collection, Extra Flat made-to-measure and Framed made-to-measure, can be adapted to spaces that are not rectilinear or have obstructions such as columns.
If you are not building a new home, careful planning will be required to lower the floor in the shower area if you desire the flush fit. If you are currently living in a condo, you may need to become besties with the neighbors below you to rework the drain and the trap.
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