Pull Out Bathroom Faucets

While once reserved for only kitchen faucets, the Green Tea faucet from American Standard combines the beauty of a bathroom faucet with the functionality of a pull out spout. The pull out spout allows you to complete tasks such as washing a pet or even your feet with ease. These faucets are easy to install and the one of the most affordable items on the list.

IO Digital Shower System

IO Digital shower system from Moen allows the user to create a unique and innovative experience with either their shower or tub. The IO Digital can maintain temperature and flow rate with precise digital controls and even has presets so it can remember the flow and temperature everyone in the house likes. It also allows you to turn on the shower and your preset with the touch of a button. All of this leads to a showering experience that is truly innovative.

Kohler Sok Overflow Bath

The Kohler Sok bathtub creates the perfect bathing experience. The bathtub allows the user to fill the water all the way up to the rim, removing the overflow that stops the bathtub from filling completely. The Kohler Sok tub simply spills over the edge and is drained normally when the user enters, making a carefree bathing experience that allows the entire body to be completely encased in water. The tub also has whirlpool options that add increased comfort.

Robern Tv Mirror

In a place where you thought innovation had run its course, the bathroom mirror has been upgraded to fit the modern bathroom. The Robern bathroom mirror has an integrated TV that allows the user to never miss a second of their favorite game or TV show, even when prepping in the bathroom. It also has an integrated MP3 jack that allows the user to plug in an MP3 player and play their favorite music right from the mirror.

Towel Warmers

While not as innovative as other items on this list, many people are unaware of the fact that you can buy and install a towel warmer in your bathroom easily over the course of a weekend. These towel warmers come in many styles and finishes and can be directly plugged into an outlet in order to keep your towel perfectly warm no matter what the temperature is outside. For colder climates this is a must have.

Kohler Numi

Last but not least, the Kohler Numi is the ultimate toilet. Complete with every innovation available to the modern bathroom user, the toilet has integrated bidet functionality, MP3 input and radio tuner, soothing lighted bowl options and a toilet seat that opens when you walk in the room. This toilet truly does it all and more. It is the pinnacle of modern bathroom innovation at a price tag that will have only most elite bathrooms installing it. The toilet alone retails for around 6000 dollars.

These are just a few of the modern innovations available to anyone looking to upgrade or remodel their bathroom. I expect to see even more jumps in bathroom technology in the next few years and would love to hear your comments if there is something that you have seen that I left out.

Josh works for Plumber Surplus which sells many of the products above as well as faucets for your bathroom.

Color brings fun and drama to the bathroom. You can be as bold or as subtle as you wish. Painting one accent wall is a great way to bring add splash of color to the room without overwhelming the space. Highlighting the bathroom through cleverly chosen color schemes can make for a very aesthetically pleasing space, not just a plain, wall-papered nook.

Blue Themed Bathroom

Beach House Striped Theme

Hot Pink Design

(Photos via Better Homes and Gardens)

Freestanding Tubs

These tubs create a sense of freedom in the bathroom. They aren’t anchored to the wall, which has the effect of turning them into awe-inspiring centerpieces. Depending on your personal preference, you can choose a classic claw foot or take your bathroom in a more modern direction with an innovative glass design. Branching away from a molded, wall-hugging tub creates a welcoming environment in your home, akin to stand alone bathtubs in many high end spas. Clear space, clear mind.

Classic Clawfoot Model

Contemporary Glass Tub

(Top: Photo via vintagetub.com) (Bottom: Cristalli glass tub from Novellini)

Large/Rainwater Shower Heads

Rather than deciding on a small, standard issue shower head fixture, add a natural feel to your shower and go with an over-sized shower head. Creating a spa shower experience in your own bathroom improves appearance while keeping intact quality functionality from your shower head. These overhead, rainwater-replicating models dispense water over a larger area and can be situated to drop water vertically, rather than at an angle as with most older models. A recessed overhead shower adds a touch of contemporary style. Modern looking, over-sized shower heads create luxurious shower experiences no matter where they’re installed.

Over-sized, Rainwater Shower head

Recessed Rainwater Shower

( Photos via Trendir)

Brushed Nickel and Polished Copper

Two vastly different styles, each brings a very unique and stylized element to any bathroom. Polished copper fixtures, whether it’s a bathtub, sink, or towel rack, provide a decidedly rustic element to any bathroom. Copper provides a classic country feel without sacrificing modern refinement. Brushed nickel, on the other hand, adds a classy, ethereal feel in any bathroom in your house. The subtle, matted look of brushed nickel lends itself well to a wide variety of counter tops, wall colors, and flooring. It’s a versatile yet elegant way to upgrade your bathroom.

Brushed Copper Bathroom Sink

Brushed Nickel Faucet

Brushed Nickel Bathroom Sink

(Top: Photo via Tubz) (Middle: Photo via Faucet Depot) (Bottom: Photo via Tubz)

Spa Elements

Many people might see their bathrooms as just that: a place to take a bath or shower and nothing more. Lately, however, people have been treating their bathrooms as a place of sanctuary and have been incorporating spa-like accents in their home’s bathrooms. Cleverly placed plants and flowers mixed with soft color tones on the walls can create an exceptionally relaxing experience in the comfort of your own home. Making sure that you’ve installed the best shower and sink fixtures to fit the spa motif goes a long way. Relaxation shouldn’t be foreign to your bathroom so design it with welcoming spa accents in mind.

Multi-nozzle Spa Shower

Earth-Toned, Plant-Happy Bathroom

Modern Glass Appointed Bathroom

(Top: Photo via SpaFinder) (Middle: Photo via Talk Spas) (Bottom: Photo via househunting.ca)

]]> http://www.granitetransformations.com/blog/523/5-bathroom-trends-for-2010/feed/ 2 http://www.granitetransformations.com/blog/138/9-awesome-designer-faucets/ http://www.granitetransformations.com/blog/138/9-awesome-designer-faucets/#comments Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:31:08 +0000 admin http://www.granitetransformations.com/blog/?p=138 We see a lot of kitchen counters, which means we see a lot of kitchen faucets. Here are some of our favorites. Some are on this list because they are innovative and functional, some because they just look cool.

Spot Illuminated Kitchen Faucet (by Ndwelt)

With simple design and illuminated underside, this faucet features head that can be pulled out, and has touch-sensitive controls that turns water ON/OFF and controls temperature. The product has simple upside-down-L-shape, and looks like something from year 2050.

Ring Faucet (design by Sun Liang)

The design is simple, yet interesting. And the faucet come in two forms – for wall mount and for deck mount. The coolest part of the faucet is how the water flows (and appears): With a circular hole carved into the rectangular head, and water flowing from the edges of circle, you can get bird’s eye view of the water falling.

Karbon Faucet (by Kohler)

This faucet comes in both wall-mount and deck-mount forms, and features touch-button to switch between spraying and regular-/solid-flowing of water. The part that makes this the visually-coolest-faucet is its unique design: it contains 5 pivoting joints allowing for total range of motion while staying steadily in a set-position, and also offers very long reach.

Eve Faucet (by KWC)

This faucet does not offer any complicated feature – in fact its a very close-to-normal faucet, with simple/modern design, that allows for pull-down of the aerator which is common feature in modern products. But one thing that makes this an awesome faucet is LED light that’s shot down from opening of aerator, which illuminates falling water so that water fall seems more like a laser-sword: this only is enough to make this product COOL.

Murano Faucet (by KWC)

Another sleek faucet product by the Swiss manufacturer, thanks to its design/creative team, this product is a true innovation. Instead of water falling down the ordinary-looking-head, water glides across an elegant glass dish before falling down to form a wide, sheet-like water fall.

Ondus Digitecture Faucet (by Grohe)

Ondus faucet from German maker successfully combined sleek design with cutting-edge digital technology. With simple head for water flow, and two digital button-pads for temperature monitoring and water-flow controlling, it offers a truly futuristic feeling to its users.

(+)Shifter Faucet (design by Shen Di)

This faucet has what appears to be a car-gearbox in the place where water-controlling valve should be. But don’t be fooled by its first-look: its (+)shifter-looking valves lets you adjust the strength/amount of water fall in four levels. In addition to this innovative idea, design resembles a look of gearbox inside some of the most luxurious cars.

Blancoeloscope-F (by Blanco)

Made in Germany, this faucet, at its first glance, may seem much-too-ordinary. But hidden behind its simple design, is its functionality. The faucet swivels 360 degrees, and also allows for easy adjustment of height of the spout: simple, yet functional features allowing for maximum utility while taking up minimal space.

Fountain Tab (design by Jin-sun Park & Byungmin Woo)

The idea behind is simple: easier teeth-brushing routine. With just a push of a button, the water starts running; but not downward, rather it runs upward. Upward-running water (like water fountains, but in more calm/steady way) not only makes this product look cool, but also allows for no-cup gargling when brushing teeth; just lap up the water directly from the faucet.