Simple bathroom Design

If you’re contemplating a new bathroom or a project to remodel your existing one, you have a wealth of choices when it comes to selecting fixtures, faucets and accessories. The vast number of available options can also be a mixed blessing, though, leaving you overwhelmed and wondering where to start.

One option is to choose each product individually. Combining colors, styles and the influences of different eras can be fun, and could result in a bathroom that’s uniquely yours.

But mixing and matching different styles of products, or even models from different manufacturers, isn’t as easy as it looks. You might fall in love with a sink or faucet, install it, and then be dismayed when it looks out of place. Worse still, fixtures that weren't designed to work together might not function as well as they should.

Total harmony

That’s why it makes sense to consider choosing products from a collection in which each component, like the sink, toilet, bathtub and accessories, reflects a single, distinctive style. The similarities within the different elements of the collection are subtle, but crucial for cohesiveness.

“It’s the small details that express the style within a collection, ” says interior designer Travis Rotelli at the Kohler Design Center. “Our Purist® line, for example, has a very minimal look and clean lines. The escutcheon plate on the robe hook is the same as on the base stem of the faucet. With all of our collections, the central design aesthetic is artfully filtered throughout the entire suite.”

Considering all the material and style variables, choosing from a collection can provide easy, one-stop shopping. “Collections are a great starting point for consumers, ” Rotelli says.

The finish line

“Not all metal finishes are created equal, ” Rotelli says, “A stainless steel finish, for instance, can vary greatly from one manufacturer to another due to the difference in nickel content. Compare [a KOHLER] faucet side by side with one of inferior quality, and you really can see the difference.”

Adds Rotelli, “Kohler’s stainless steel products always hold up nicely because we use steel with a higher nickel content. Some companies use the higher-quality steel, some don’t. That high quality allows us to offer a lifetime warranty on those finishes.”

Seamless functionality

Sinks, faucets, toilets, vanities and accessories need to not only function well, but also work well together. It’s important to match components for size and scale as well as looks. A large-scale faucet can overwhelm a petite sink—and it could cause water to splash out of the basin. A strikingly contemporary vanity might be beautiful in its own right, but when paired with an antique sink and faucet, the visual disconnect can be jarring.

Collection as canvas

Remember that unity doesn’t have to mean uniformity. Choosing products and fixtures is only one way to personalize a room. Adding paint, a distinctive wallpaper, photographs, framed art, décor—even your favorite music and fragrances—will help your bathroom reflect your personality. You can easily update these elements as your taste evolves down the road.