2019 Product Guide: Kitchens and Baths

People spend a lot of time in kitchens and bathrooms, so it’s important that residential architects and home builders design them to be highly customizable as well as functional. The expanse of finish, fitting, and fixture options continues to grow with myriad metals, stones, and tile making open spaces look more elegant, while creative cabinetry hides appliances and makes storage seem like furniture.

Here, BUILDER selected products that create a homeowner’s ideal kitchen or bath space that offers both convenience and style.

BainUltra

The VIBE bathtub takes inspiration from city skylines and architecture with gently sloped walls and a clean, minimalist design aesthetic. The freestanding tub measures 58-by-28-by-21 inches, and is available in glossy white, UltraVelour matte, or black and white finishes. Drop-in options include an undermount or alcove model, which measure 60-by-30-by-19 inches and come in a glossy white finish. All are crafted from acrylic. The tub comes equipped with BainUltra’s Hydro-Thermo Massage air jets, and other therapy features are available as options. bainultra.com

Crossville

Crossville porcelain countertops mark the domestic tile manufacturer’s first foray into surfacing slabs. The 12-millimeter, 100% porcelain surface is fired with added fiberglass reinforcement on its back, which prevents cracking or splintering during fabrication and provides added strength. According to the manufacturer, the surface’s composition allows it to resist cracking, staining, and scratches, in addition to damaging effects from heat, high temperatures, chemicals, acids, or solvents. The countertop, which is suitable for both interior and exterior use, is available in 10 style options designed to coordinate with popular Crossville tile collections, with a choice of either an unpolished or polished finish. crossvilleinc.com

DXV

The Aqua Moment Drop-In Airbath with Waterfall hydrotherapy incorporates 360-degree air jets, a chromatherapy cycle, and a warm, waterfall-style shoulder bath and headrest. The jets can be set to classic, high-pressure, or deep massage settings, and the EverClean Airbath 360° system works to prevent the formation of mold and mildew, says the company. The tub itself offers a clean, minimalist design aesthetic with molded lumbar support for the bather. dxv.com

Graff

The Vintage collection bath suite pairs a modern-style spout with handles inspired by the designs of classic fire hose nozzles. The suite includes a two-hole and single-lever faucet, wall-mounted and freestanding bathtub fillers, bath accessories, and shower sets compatible with Graff’s modular M-series. The faucets feature an internal progressive cartridge to regulate hot water waste. The collection’s components are available in 14 finishes, including new gunmetal and distressed gunmetal options. The faucet handles are also available in a two-tone finish with chrome, polished nickel, or brushed gold with black. graff-faucets.com

Island Stone

The Spindrift Marble interlocking tile set offers authentic Italian Carrara marble as a mosaic of individually crafted pebble-style shapes. The tiles measure 11¾ inches square by ¼-inch thick, and feature uniform edges, clean grout lines, and a smooth, flat surface. They are suitable for use on walls, in showers and freeze/thaw areas, or as residential or high-traffic flooring. islandstone.com

Jacuzzi

Four new vanities are available for Jacuzzi’s Premium collection of faucets and bath accessories. The traditional-style Barrea features a Carrara marble surface and fully enclosed cabinetry. The transitional Mincio offers semi-enclosed cabinets and an open shelf under the vanity surface. The Razzo has an integrated sink and vitreous china top over an open wooden base. The Salone also incorporates a Carrara surface with a number of configuration options and sizes available. The vanities arrive fully assembled and pre-drilled for faucets. The hinges and drawers are designed to slow close, preventing slamming and increasing the vanity’s durability. jacuzzi.com

KitchenAid

The Smart Oven+ is KitchenAid’s first connected oven, available in single, double, or combination models. Homeowners can use the KitchenAid app to view the oven’s status, control some operations remotely—including those available on the oven’s LCD touch display—or control the appliance with voice commands through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. The product line includes three interchangeable oven-powered attachments: a powered grill, which ships with the oven, and a powered steamer and baking stone, sold separately. All three are dishwasher safe, and connect to a hub at the back of the oven. kitchenaid.com

Kohler

The Ombré Vibrant faucet finish combines two PVD coating processes with masking techniques to create a gradient that transitions from light to dark across the length of the spout. The finish is currently available in two fabrications, vibrant rose gold to vibrant polished nickel and vibrant titanium to vibrant rose gold. Two Kohler faucets currently offer the finish: the Components collection’s bathroom sink spout with tube design and handleset, and the Sensate touchless pull-down kitchen faucet. kohler.com

Mansfield Plumbing

The Vanquish toilet is designed to solve some of the issues associated with cleaning standard toilets—namely keeping the bowl clean and scrubbing around seat hinges— without requiring users to change their habits. Vanquish’s side-mounted seat hinges offer an unobstructed, easy-to-clean deck, and the PuraClean glazed surface resists bacteria and repels stains and debris, according to the manufacturer. The product recently received a Good Design award from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum. mansfieldplumbing.com

Moen

The EXL100c garbage disposal is equipped with six motion-activated LED lights, which illuminate the space under a kitchen sink with up to 75 lumens of output when the cabinet door is opened. The motion sensor is freely positionable, with a front-facing battery compartment for easy replacement. The disposal runs on a 1-horsepower engine and attaches with Moen’s Universal Xpress Mount, which fits all Moen assemblies and most existing three-bolt garbage disposal mounts, along with an open dishwasher inlet that installs without tools. moen.com

Newport Brass

The Heaney, Zemora, and Seager kitchen suites offer three new solid brass pull-down faucets designed to meet the performance and style needs of professional-grade residential kitchens. All three faucets feature a magnetic docking system for their pull-down components, which secures the spray nozzle to the spout when not in use. A two-function toggle control spray engine enhances directional control in the sink. The Heaney faucet features squared, faceted details on both the base and the spout, offering cohesion with modern aesthetics. The Zemora has a solid, squared base and flared spout, while the Seager facet has a rounded base and spout. newportbrass.com

Samsung

Loaded with smart features and Wi-Fi connectivity, the new Samsung WF6300R front load washer takes the guesswork out of doing laundry, and delivers a more powerful and quicker wash than its predecessors. A taller drum with a shorter depth makes it easier to reach clothes in the washer without sacrificing capacity. Plus, it’s possible to control the washer remotely from the SmartThings app, and use new smart features like “Laundry Recipe,” which provides a recommended washing cycle depending on the specific items, item colors, and level of dirt. Paired with the company’s new front load dryer, the system eliminates 99.9% of germs and bacteria, and uses multi-steam technology to smooth away wrinkles. samsung.com

Schluter

The 5/32-inch, brushed stainless steel Schluter shower shelves are made to fit neatly between rows of shower tile, and do not require any additional materials or tools for installation. The rectangular Shelf-N is designed to fit inside Schluter’s Kerdi-Board-SN shower niche, and the Shelf-E’s three configurations are made for use in corners. The Shelf-W stands alone between tile rows in the shower wall. The shelves complement Schluter’s Style shower grates, and the curve and floral patterns match the point and linear drains with the same designs. schluter.com

Signature Kitchen Suite

Signature Kitchen Suite has announced a number of new cooktop arrangements for its 36- and 48-inch ranges, including a 36-inch dual-fuel pro range with sous vide, which expands the availability of the sous vide module across both range sizes. The module operates with 800 watts of power, and provides precise temperature control during the cooking process. The range includes four standard gas burners with LED time and temperature indicators over each dial, and features Wi-Fi connectivity for SmartThinQ app control. signaturekitchensuite.com

Sterling

The Brella is the first toilet under the Sterling brand to offer a skirted trapway. The smooth design covers areas where dust and dirt can collect, providing consumers with an easier cleaning process. The Brella is ADA complaint, and meets EPA WaterSense and CALGreen guidelines for conservation at 1.28 gallons per flush. For installers, the ReadyLock installation system does not require any additional drilling, caulking, or special tools for 12-inch rough-ins. sterlingplumbing.com

True Residential

The Build Your True custom finish and hardware collection is now available on True’s full line of undercounter appliances, including freezers, refrigerators, refrigerator drawers, wine cabinets, beverage centers, and beverage dispensers. Each unit comes in a choice of seven finishes—stainless steel, gloss black, matte black, cobalt, antique white, matte white, and emerald—and six hardware finishes—stainless steel, pewter, gold, copper, brass, and chrome—for a total of 42 color combinations. All are made from 300-series stainless steel and are rated for indoor and outdoor use. true-residential.com

VT Industries

VT CenterPoint butcher block countertops and backsplashes are made from two sustainably harvested natural wood species, acacia and hevea. Each block is sold unfinished,
letting buyers apply their own choice of stains or finishes, and either side may be installed facing upward. Countertop blocks are available in 50-, 74-, and 98-inch lengths, and measure 11/2 inches thick. The backsplash measures 98 inches long, 11/2 inches thick, and 4 inches wide. vtindustries.com