Top 10 Bath Products 2016

by Rachel Lyon, Editorial Director for The House Designers

Bathrooms have come a long way over the decades, and 2016 introduced us to even more ways to enhance design, improve efficiency, and upgrade the convenience and comfort factor in this tricky space. The materials you choose must be resistant to moisture to prevent damage from daily use, and you’ll want to invest in water-saving fixtures to help reduce your environmental impact and your utility bill. Luckily, the bath industry continues to respond to our heightened demands, so here are some of the best new products on the market that will make you want to dream big for your own bathrooms!

1. Exquisite Water-Resistant Flooring

Flooring is a major design element throughout the whole house, so carry your favorite style through the bathroom as well. With Porcelain Wood-Look Tile from Lumber Liquidators, you can create a coherent foundation for your entire interior, or mix it up in a way that still provides the visual appeal of hardwood where you wouldn’t dare install it. This flooring applies like any other tile and offers the same waterproof benefits, but it flaunts the colors and textures of natural wood to add a look of warmth and elegance. Whether you want to go light or dark, chic or rustic, or even if a high-contrast floor is your goal, you’ll find a beautiful solution in wood-look tile!

Model: Lumber Liquidators Avella 36" x 6" Brazilian Ebony Porcelain | $3.59/sq. ft.

2. Architectural Accents That Won’t Warp or Rot

Some homeowners give a lot of thought to the finer points of their interior designs and want to install accents that complement the architecture of the house. Door trim, surrounds, and baseboard and crown moulding can change the atmosphere of a room, but you’ll probably encounter problems if you choose wooden millwork for a humid environment like the bathroom. Luckily, Fypon® offers polyurethane moulded millwork in all sorts of shapes and styles, suitable for any kind of design goal. This millwork installs easily and can be painted or stained just like wood, but it stands up to moisture and won’t be damaged by it, so feel free to embellish the bathroom!

Model: Fypon® Moulded Millwork Door and Window Trim and Crown and Baseboard Moulding | Contact for a Quote

3. An Easy-Dock Combination Showerhead

Handheld showers add extra convenience and accessibility to the bath, but they aren’t always easy to take from and return to their docked showerhead locations. Moen® introduced Magnetix™ magnetic docking last year, making it possible to quickly maneuver the shower into your hand or its docked position, even with your eyes closed. The Engage™ and Attract™ collections offer this technology, and the latter introduced the first combination rainshower and handshower in June. Use them together or individually as needed—there are three showering options! With six spray settings, a kink-free hose, and full coverage, this fixture gives you plenty to appreciate.

Model: Moen Attract magnetix chrome rainshower combo | $159.00 MSRP

4. Unique Tiles for a Distinctive Wall Design

Rethink what you know about bathroom tile—its draw goes well beyond utilitarian waterproofing. You can transform your space with an inimitable pattern, and Oceanside Glasstile® has set out to help you achieve that. This summer, they expanded their Antique Mirror colors, which offer random swirls and blotches of lustrous sheen to result in one-of-a-kind tiles that make for truly unique designs. Naturally inspired colors range from light and bright like the sun to deep and dark like a rural night sky, and they give you the chance to really personalize Devotion Collection tiles and create a bathroom like no other. Paired with the new Scallop pattern, it’s like decorating with mother of pearl!

Model: Oceanside Glasstile® Devotion Collection, Scallop Pattern Tiles in Astral Antique Mirror Color | Contact for a Quote

5. A Powerful Water-Conserving Toilet

About a quarter of indoor residential water usage is flushed down the toilet, and choosing a high-efficiency model can drastically improve water conservation efforts without affecting performance. Just announced in October, the new Highline® 1.0 gpf toilets from Kohler® are intelligently designed to do more with less. A strong siphon is created by precisely channeling just one gallon per flush through the perfectly shaped bowl and trapway, and it is able to remove four times as much solid waste as the average person requires. This is a significant improvement over older traditional and low-flow models, and that’s good news for the environment and your water bill!

Model: Kohler® Highline® 1.0 gpf Comfort Height® two-piece elongated toilet with Class Five® flush technology in white| $348.65 MSRP

6. A Contemporary Waterfall Faucet

Faucets with modern flair fit into décor ranging from industrial and stark to natural and sleek, but most tend to use the same clean lines and shapes. For an extra touch of interest and style influenced by nature, consider a waterfall faucet, which allows you to see water as it flows across an open spout before freely cascading down into the sink. The Single Control Trough Bath Faucet from Pfister’s® minimalistic and streamlined Kelen Collection is perfect for enjoying the beauty of flowing water right in your own home; you’ll love that it comes with a lifetime warranty and is WaterSense certified, so you really can appreciate organic modern design!

Model: Pfister® Kelen Single Control Trough Bath Faucet in Polished Chrome | $299.00 MSRP

7. An Accessible Tub with Luxurious Extras

Taking a bath is a rejuvenating experience that many can’t enjoy with a regular tub due to safety concerns, so when Mansfield Plumbing announced the new ADA-compliant Restore™ ACR Walk-In Tub in May, it opened the door to relaxing bathing possibilities for everybody. With a low threshold, a high seat, and a drain you can operate without reaching down, Restore™ addresses most bathtime dangers, but it goes a step beyond and comes in models with whirlpool jets, air injectors, and chromatherapy, and that even produce microbubbles to exfoliate your skin. Going beyond necessity to offer luxury, these baths are simply a great addition to any home, and they're even made in America!

Model: Mansfield Plumbing Restore™ ACR Walk-In Tub Model 8190 | $7,450.00 MSRP

8. A Warm Reason to Get Out of the Shower

If the thought of facing cold bathroom air after you’ve enjoyed bathing in warm water makes you pause—and run the tap longer than you really want to—ask yourself if the promise of a toasty towel could change your habits. Signature Hardware offers a wide range of hardwired and plug-in towel warming racks that will make it a lot easier to move on. Available in all sorts of colors and styles and in wall-mounted and freestanding models, there’s sure to be at least one that is a good fit for your bathroom, too. Something as simple as a warm place to hang your towel could even affect how much free time you have and help you use less water, so it’s definitely worth a look.

Model: Signature Hardware 33" Bremen Curved Hardwired Towel Warmer | $359.00 MSRP

9. A Subtle yet Stunning Patterned Sink

If you’ve ever thought that your sink itself is a bit plain and wanted something a little more special, you’ll be happy to know that the Artist Editions line of bathroom products from Kohler® expanded to include the new Sartorial Collection early this year. With chic paisley and geometric herringbone patterns available on under-mount and vessel sinks, you can choose to add a delicate motif to the basin. The white-on-white design doesn’t jump out from afar, but look closer and dimensionality is immediately apparent. These artistic sinks are great for making a statement, but not making it so loudly as to overwhelm the whole bathroom.

Model: Kohler® Sartorial™ Paisley on Carillon™ Wading Pool® rectangular vessel bathroom sink | $625.00 MSRP

10. Beautiful Natural Storage Solutions

Wood isn’t usually a good decision for a humid interior environment, but there is of course an exception: teak. This richly colored, durable tropical hardwood has a high natural oil content, so it repels water and is favored for exterior use thanks to its inherent weather resistance. For your bathroom, AquaTeak® offers beautiful shelves, caddies, and hampers made from eco-friendly, plantation grown lumber. They are so moisture resistant that you can even put a wooden shelf directly in your shower! So look beyond stainless steel and plastic when you need to organize your bathroom—you’ll find teak storage options that are gorgeous on their own and will only add to your design.

Model: AquaTeak® The Original Nila Double Size Teak Laundry or Storage Hamper | $399.95 MSRP

Top 10 Bath Products 2016

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