GETTING A FIX ON FIXTURES
Faucets, taps and showerheads are an important part of any kitchen or bathroom decor
With kitchens and bathrooms being two of the most integral rooms in a home, and often the most expensive rooms to renovate, it goes without saying — even though I’m saying it — that choosing the right fixtures is of utmost importance.
“It’s important to choose the plumbing accessories that will fit with your lifestyle. If you’re a person who enjoys cooking, for example, you need to have a durable faucet and a large sink,” said Stéphanie Bénard, a marketing and social media adviser for Ciot, a third-generation, family-owned company that specializes in natural stone and ceramic products, as well as fixtures. “Weight is a good indicator of the quality of materials, so the heavier a faucet is, the better it is. As for sinks, you can choose a style and model based on personal preference, and then customize the bowl size, overall dimensions, depth and more.
“This is how you make plumbing accessories fit your lifestyle.”
Penélope Castro de Emergui, an interior design consultant, echoed the importance of kitchen and bathroom fixtures. “If your faucet is too high or too low, you could easily get a sore back,” she said. “It seems like a simple task, but if you have to hunch over even just a little, it’s not ergonomic.
“It’s important to choose the right faucet for a specific kind of sink as well. Or else, every time you turn the water on it will splash all over you.”
According to Bénard, some of the common mistakes people make when choosing a fixture is failing to consider the water flow that a faucet requires, not investing in the right materials, not thinking about proper spacing and disposition (especially when it comes to shower heads), and not investing in proper installation.
“We always recommend working with professionals when it comes to installing plumbing,” she said. “Some people want to reduce their costs by doing the job themselves, but when it comes to plumbing, it’s really important to work with a professional.”
As for style, what’s trending these days are gold and bronze fixtures rather than traditional chrome ones.
“What they’re doing is trying to achieve a glamorous look that’s more approachable, so the style is more heritage-based,” Castro de Emergui said. “What that means is that it looks like you got the vanity from your mother, but you upgraded the fixtures, with gold handles or faucets, so it looks clean and polished even though it still has an inherited feel.”
Considering the popularity of the heritage trend, farmhouse sinks are also very fashionable now, mostly because of their vintage and rustic appearance.
“People seem to be cooking more these days, too, which might be another reason why people are choosing larger kitchen sinks,” Bénard said.
Because so many people are thinking green, touch fixtures with timers are popular right now.
“A touch fixture works by touch,” Penélope Castro de Emergui explained, “so you don’t have to turn it on manually — even though it usually comes with both options. This way, you can use the handle if you really want to, but if you’re in the kitchen or the bathroom and your hands are dirty, you can just open the water with the back of your hand without having to worry about shutting it off.”
Linear forms are more popular than curvy ones, said Stéphanie Bénard, as are fixtures with a combination of materials and finishes.
“What we’re seeing is the democratization of different finishes; customers have a lot more options such as gold, black and rose finishes,” she said. “Plumbing fixtures have also drawn inspiration from the pastel colour trend, and the new range of Marmo products by Aquabrass is a noteworthy example, as it combines marble with rose gold.”
Finally, due to the growing importance of technology, homes are more connected than ever — and fixtures are no exception.
“Kohler currently offers a collection of showerheads with a speaker option, thanks to Bluetooth technology. This way, you can listen to music from your mobile phone’s playlist while in the shower,” Bénard said.
Castro de Emergui added: “There are a lot of tubs that come with jets, music and lighting, so you can have your own spa, and do your own luminotherapy at home. You can also have a dual-purpose shower, that you use as both a shower and an in-home sauna.”
Now that’s what I call a necessary fixture.