Industry leader, David Belman, attended the International Builders Show and Kitchen & Bath Show and is excited to share his observations on what is up and coming for new home building in Wisconsin:

Finishes:

Plumbing fixtures are always at the forefront of product innovations with a host of new fixture styles and finishes in 2017. There are many varieties of finishes to choose from and this year debuted many new colors to decorate your kitchen and bath with.  

New this year is a champagne polished nickel finishes and a new titanium finish on faucets that were very eye catching at the show. Both finishes add a rich look to a bathroom. Kohler featured the titanium finish and Moen offered the champagne finish. It will be interesting to see if either of these takes hold in a market with so many color options already available. 

  

Styles:

One of the new developments in lavatory faucets is to utilize an open handle design instead of the solid cast design. Most handles of past were solid and linear but these new open or basket style handles add more detail to your faucets. The other new offerings at the show by multiple manufacturers is a cross turn handle design. This vintage style is a big deviation from long levers we have seen for years and is a classic throwback to early fixtures.

Toilets:

More powerful flushes are becoming more and more import as water conservation becomes a larger concern. Toto has brought a new “tornado” flush technology to the market that creates more spinning action to powerfully pull the water through the trap. Cleanliness while reducing chemical usage for cleaning has becoming more important for many families. Toto’s new toilets will electrolyze the water, disinfecting it to naturally clean it without chemicals. Although their toilets are expensive, they do offer very advanced toilets with many electronic bidet and cleansing options. This will make your throne worthy of the word throne!

Kohler offers up a new toilet with a concealed tank for a minimalist look in your bathroom.

  

Sinks:

Vessel sinks have not really taken over the market as they originally hoped but they continue to add unique designs to make a stylish statement in your bath. This sculpted sink fits with many styles and was impressive. If you are more into round sinks this oval sink is attractive and has a deep basin for washing.

Kitchen Faucets:

This industrial pull out spray faucet was seen in various places throughout the show. It is easy to maneuver around to clean all the corners of your sink and has a commercial feel. It’s tall and impressive and sure to catch people’s eye.

  

Showering:

Kohler offers a new natural rain shower head and the trend continues with big developments in digital showering. More and more integrations with your smart phones are becoming available for your showing controls. Although digital showering is not new, the technology and control mechanisms continue to develop in terms of appearance and ease of use and are becoming more “app like” in their functions.