Experts share what’s popular in the plumbing space. By Loren Kessell
Behind every good kitchen and bath design are beautiful, functional plumbing fixtures. To get a handle on what’s trending now and what’s likely to happen in the future, the NKBA spoke with Danielle DeBoe Harper, Senior Creative Style Manager for Moen, and Alex Yacavone, Manager for Trends and CMF (Color Material Finish) for Kohler. Here are the takeaways:
Health and Wellness
Homeowners want serene and functional spaces that are both aesthetically pleasing and safe.
“The focus on physical and mental health has become more important than ever,” said Harper. “People are looking to integrate innovative, high-design products that promote a healthy well-being.”
Smart home technology helps by creating opportunities for automation, ease of use and increased hygiene all while being customizable. Elements like touchless faucets
“Technology plays a strong role in the ease of day-to-day living and is now emerging in the bathroom and kitchen space through smart toilets, mirrors and faucets,” said Yacavone.
Customization and Automation in the Bathroom
“The types of plumbing fixtures trending in the bathroom are touchless bathroom faucets and customizable showerheads and tub fillers,” said Harper. “Users are appreciating being given choices to accommodate each person’s individual needs at the sink and in the shower or bathtub.”
Bringing a spa-like atmosphere into the home is a theme appearing in current designs. Homeowners want to cultivate a space where they can be worry-free, relaxed and to have customized, rejuvenating experiences. Moen offers the new Verso™ Showers with Infiniti™ Dial from Moen featuring convenient docking and the ability to seamlessly switch between spray modes.
Wide Range of Finishes
Matte black is still a popular choice in the bathroom, but colorful options are also on the rise. Incorporating varying textures and mixing of metals are other design choices these experts are noticing.
“This comes from the trend of bringing joy into the home, and consumers are putting striking color on more permanent fixtures,” said Yacavone. “We are also seeing more specialty and dynamic finishes on hardware including more aged finishes.”
Sustainable Choices
Lessening environmental impact is important to many homeowners. This includes adding water-saving plumbing fixtures to their homes and incorporating elements that utilize recycled materials.
Whole-Home Ecosystem
With smart home technology remaining prevalent, there is a shift toward even more tailored control of plumbing occurring.
“Moen believes more than ever that new plumbing fixtures will leverage smart technology, allowing various fixtures throughout the home to interact with each other,” said Harper. “By providing a way to connect this system, users can control their home’s network of pipes from anywhere.”
