Bath Time
Bath Sculpture
In conjunction with Sieger Design, Dornbracht has developed a faucet line that resembles angular modern sculpture. The Supernova tub set is part of a luxury collection that includes a cascade bath spout, floor-mounted basin mixer and more. Available in polished chrome (pictured), platinum and champagne.www.dornbracht.com.
From Afar
After half a century of steam-bath innovation, ThermaSol has added a high-tech twist to the at-home spa experience. Easy Start Control lets users program the steam bath outside of the shower and up to 50 feet away from the steam generator, ushering in a new age of bathing empowerment. These barely visible digital dials are available in 14 finishes. www.thermasol.com.
Graphic Art
A modern sensibility and bold design combine with lustrous traditional Japanese glazes to create Ann Sacks’s line of Koi graphic ceramic tile. Its tone-on-tone surface has random striations; glazes are available in sharkskin (pictured), iron rod and brick.www.annsacks.com.
Fun Finishes
SONIA’s inventive Play Collection line of bath furnishings comes in a variety of creative finishes. For a palette of woods, choose Play Wood; for a color palette, opt for the satin-lacquered Play Color finishes. Or combine the two palettes with Play Concept (shown above in Sunny). The Touch option will give pieces a matte surface that’s water repellant and smudge free. www.sonia-sa.com.
All Aglow
Ideal for flanking either side of a vanity or bath area, Kallista’s sleek, lustrous Jeton Wall Sconce recalls early 20th-century Modernism. Its thermo-formed Optix shade resists impact and evenly defracts light to create a soft glow. Available in chrome, nickel silver (shown), brushed nickel, black nickel and matte gold. www.kallista.com.
Under Control
With GROHE’s new Essence High-Profile Lavatory Faucet, each cylindrical component calls to mind the graceful shape and flow of streaming water. A Teflon-covered cartridge inside the faucet controls flow level and noise, creating a soothing sound; the cartridge is fitted with ceramic alloy discs and constructed of heavy cast-brass. www.grohe.com.
In Hot Water
Customized water temperature is a handy new feature of JACLO’s Cylindrico 5 Shower Set with Lever Handles. In-wall limit stops, set during installation, protect children from skin-scalding water. A Thermostatic valve, which can be set once and left unchanged, controls the mix of hot and cold water, while a separate valve controls volume. www.jaclo.com.
First Choice
KOHLER’s Flipside Handshower turns traditional showering on its head. Its dial allows bathers to choose among four types of water flow: Kotton’s soft and misty spray, Koverage’s conventional stream, Komotion’s stronger, rainier flow and Kurrent’s concentrated deluge. www.kohler.com.
Cachet: Designers' Choice
First Lady Michelle Obama brought the 10th Annual National Design Awards to DC with a White House ceremony honoring the recipients on July 24, 2009. Issued by the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York, the awards recognize excellence and innovation in design; this year’s winners included SHoP Architects for architecture, Hood Design for landscape design and TsAO McKOWN Architects for interior design.
The event featured public education programs, panel discussions and workshops. It also publicized National Design Week, which will take place in New York’s Cooper-Hewitt Museum from October 18 to 24, when the museum will launch an exhibit featuring National Design Award winners from the past 10 years. Titled “Design USA: Contemporary Innovation,” it will be on view through April 4, 2010.
For information about National Design Week and a full list of 2009 award recipients, visit www.cooperhewitt.org.
