KBB - April 2009 - (Page 20)

T rends Piece Out Today’s vanities are going the way of furniture There was a time when bath vanities were mostly built-in kitchen cabinets dressed up (or down) for the bathroom. But no more. Vanities have come into their own, spawning a wealth of designs, functionalities, materials and ﬁnishes that address the speciﬁc demands of the bathroom environment. Although the descriptor “spa-like” is still very much in demand when it comes to bathroom design, hard economic times and technological developments are transforming the look of these personal retreats and, of course, their vanities. So if not built-ins, what then? Well, by all accounts, furniture pieces in pared-down looks are the new darlings of the bathroom. Even in traditional-style settings, raised-panel doors may still be in, said designer Lori Carroll, of the eponymous ﬁrm, but excessive ornamentation is deﬁnitely not. Offering a cleaner, less weighty alternative to built-in units that can sometimes resemble a wall of cabinets, today’s vanity furniture also provides much needed storage, which “everyone wants,” said Hal Weinstein, president of Xylem, but pedestal sinks lack. In smaller bathrooms or those with a contemporary bent, wall-mounted versions are increasingly popular, as they help promote a feeling of openness. and even teak, said Jeff Burton, owner of The Bath & Beyond. Much ado has been made of the bright, splashy hues emigrating from Europe, but both Burton and Weinstein are doubtful they will take hold here. By contrast, just as the push toward earth-friendly materials seems to be having a lasting effect on kitchen cabinetry, vanities are also going greener, said Weinstein. In California, where the California Air Resources Board has implemented the ﬁrst phase of its Air Toxic Control Measure (ATCM), low-VOC and low-formaldehyde are de rigueur for any company wishing to sell vanity cabinets in the state, while externally, designs that feature renewable or eco-sensitive materials, such as bamboo and FSCcertiﬁed wood, are becoming more readily available. As Brigham noted, “The earth is really in now.” OTHER FEATURES So are convenience and durability, thanks to advances in finishes and hardware. Soft- and self-close functionality is nearly ubiquitous in today’s vanities, as are central drawers that actually pull out and storage accessories for organizing everything from hair dryers to q-tips to bottles of shampoo, noted Burton. And as bathrooms can be “hostile environments” with much heat and moisture, companies are turning to marine-grade ﬁnishes and even antimicrobial agents “to make sure that the furniture holds up and looks as great as the pieces in the bedroom,” said Gray Uhl, director of design for American Standard Brands. And who wouldn’t want that? As the “vanities” of others continue to breed uncertainty in our world, it’s comforting to know that our own vanities—those in our bathrooms—will always be there to serve us. s —Alice Liao COLORS AND GREEN As to materials and ﬁnishes, European companies have introduced vanities in various synthetics and glass, but wood is still the material of choice on these shores. The palette, however, is more subdued, trending toward paler or medium-toned ﬁnishes, like natural cherry, oak, maple and walnut, or white, black and gray. With dark wenge on the wane, some companies are venturing into other exotics, noted Brian Brigham, director of marketing for Decolav. These include zebrawood, ebony, koa 20 + K BB April 2009 July 2004 / www.kbbonline.com / The Ofﬁcial Sponsor of K/BIS www.kbis.com http://www.kbis.com http://www.kbbonline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of KBB - April 2009

KBB - April 2009
Contents
Online Contents
Online News
Editorial
Focus
Trends
Products
Options
Profile
Abroad
Design
On the Hill
Mixed Message
Green
Tech
Additions
Education
Editorial Index
Ad Index
Favorites

KBB - April 2009