Considered one of my greatest objectives round my first “new construct” was making certain that it didn’t look “builder grade,” particularly since my brother wished it to be visually easy and never “fancy.” If we didn’t customise the finishes to the precise correct amount, it might look primary, however an excessive amount of might look overly designed (for what they wished). They/we wished this home to be easy and streamlined (so not a ton of daring patterns, wild particulars, and many others) and but it needed to really feel high-end and designed (not simply “chosen”). She’s an enormous home with lots of plumbing alternatives – 4 1/2 loos, a mudroom, kitchen, and laundry room, and I wanted selection in model and end. 5 years in the past, I pitched Kohler my brother’s river home undertaking as a result of I knew that stylistically (and quality-wise) it was very aligned (that they had simply launched their Elements line, which I had and cherished at the mountain home). Their home is modern, heat, streamlined, with at instances a barely conventional bent, and but each room was going to be designed only for them. When you find yourself fortunate sufficient to have a companion doing the entire plumbing (which is clearly not typical), it offers you a chance and a problem to essentially stretch the design for every room. It was not one and carried out, of us. Right here’s what we selected and why.
In February of 2022, all of us met on the Kohler Expertise Middle in LA – Max Humphrey (who co-designed a few of the rooms early on) was there for a distinct job, and my brother, SIL, and my household have been escaping the rain for a Presidents Day weekend in Palm Springs. The showroom there may be unimaginable and a designer’s dream – you may contact, really feel, use, and have a look at all of the finishes in individual. We chosen most of them for every room that day. And we did…
We had an honest thought of what we wished earlier than happening (in any other case, selecting all of them in sooner or later would have been very overwhelming). There have been lots of opinions and kinds of sharing mentioned opinions. Two cooks deep into their crafts, making an attempt to prepare dinner the identical meal for 2 clients (however I’m associated to one in every of them). Right here’s the way it went down.
Me: I could make most kinds and finishes work, however I’ve favorites, preconceived desires per room, and I’ve a specific means of blending kinds that requires allllll the context and different finishes to be decided. You would say: “It’s me, Hello, I’m the issue, it’s me”. (I personally assume that my course of works for me, however admittedly, it may be annoying.)
Max: He is aware of what he desires, may be very opinionated, and as soon as he decides one thing is the appropriate selection, he doesn’t change his thoughts. Like ever. As you may think about, our processes are so totally different (one might say I’m annoying with how I can waiver, query myself, query the design, and many others) and this might have been a hilarious actuality present that day.
My little/large brother Ken: He doesn’t care till he does. He trusts me fully, and when he actually cares about one thing or has a robust choice, I actually pay attention and worth it. He desires issues to work, operate the way in which that is smart to him, and never be delicate/fragile.
Katie: Like Ken, Katie trusts me so much, largely agrees with my opinions, and doesn’t actually wish to have to say her opinions. However when she actually cherished or disliked one thing, I completely listened and infrequently wanted to push again (they didn’t desire a tub of their toilet, which I compelled them to have, as an illustration).
The Kitchen
The kitchen has two taps and sinks – the principle island and the bar. These have been the primary taps we selected and right here’s why:
- Stylistically, all of us agreed the Crue may be very lovely (that gooseneck arch is ideal).
- The one gap look is the popular model on this extra modern home.
- The one-handed lever is best for cooking (I’ve a cold and warm, and it’s wonderful, btw, however technically that is simply simpler).
- The pull-down faucet with the sprayer makes it simple to scrub issues with out coping with a separate fixture.
- The colourful brushed moderne brass was their favourite over polished (I might have made both work). I like each end, TBH, however Katie and Ken have been most interested in this end.
Operate and kind, of us. That is why I really like Kohler.
The Mudroom – My Brother’s Favourite Sink
The mudroom was the place my brother went rogue for a second (the sink just isn’t modern), and he was so enthusiastic that I fortunately didn’t rein him in. He wished this free-standing sink someplace in the home so badly. Max was on board, and Katie and I have been hesitant (it’s so conventional for the way fashionable the whole lot else was), however like I mentioned – I do know that I could make (virtually) something work, and I actually, actually cherished it by itself, so I welcomed the problem of constructing it work. Additionally, Ken is so amenable within the design course of, so when he actually linked to one thing design-wise, I actually wished him to have it.
I feel the mixture of the normal, forged iron sink with the trendy cupboards seems fairly dang cool. He additionally actually cherished this extra industrial pull-down faucet, which I assumed felt extra utility room than kitchen.
The sink additionally has an enormous basin, the power to place a chopping board on it, and just a few enjoyable bells and whistles. May I’ve made it work within the kitchen? Possibly. However at this level, Anne had already laid out the kitchen with the sink on the island, which might work in a unusual cottage means, however felt like a stretch for this home. We find it irresistible in right here.
The Downstairs Visitor Rest room
Mirror | Sconce | Vainness | Toliet Paper Holder | Faucet | Sink Handles
Bear in mind the Elements line I utilized in the mountain home powder bathtub? Nicely, there are much more “Elements” to select from. You’ll be able to combine and match totally different faucet shapes (I like this arched gooseneck) and deal with kinds (I really like these massive spherical knobs). We put it on the blue-ish black small vainness, and it helped the quieter impartial room give it some depth.
Showerhead | Showerhead Arm and Flange | Thermotoer Valve Deal with | Quantity Valve Deal with | Handshower | Bathroom
I really like how we put the bathe parts simply reachable from exterior the bathe. And whereas a downstairs visitor bathtub technically doesn’t want a hand bathe, this could be a straightforward place for them to scrub their canine, so we included one right here.
Showerhead | Showerhead Arm and Flange | Thermotoer Valve Deal with | Quantity Valve Deal with | Handshower
Quantity Valve Deal with | Handshower
The Powder Rest room
This toilet was the most important U-turn, TBH. My brother actually wished to make use of this double-wall-mounted utility sink, however Katie and I, on the final minute, agreed that it belonged in a distinct home. We’re going to use it downstairs of their basement health club in some unspecified time in the future, however as a result of it was plumbed for the opposite sink, we couldn’t select a wall-mount faucet (which is okay, I like each, however this saved us restricted).
Faucet | Mirror | Hand Towel Holder
I really like how the arch of this one echoed the mirror (additionally Kohler), and the sq. base added a pleasant geometric distinction.
The Upstairs Visitor Rest room
In the visitor and children’ bathtub, we went with the Purist line (which is a traditional at this level) in vibrant brushed moderne brass. I really like how easy and graphic this line is. It’s very simple on your eye to learn it; the traces are simply very satisfying to the attention.
Bathe Trim Equipment | Switch Valve | Handshower | Handshower Hose | Handshower Wall Mount
Whereas there are different choices to select from, I actually love the cross handles – they’re a fantastic combine between fashionable and conventional (thus transitional) and will truthfully work in most houses
Vainness | Bathroom Paper Holder | Faucet
I actually love the hefty weight of the underside of the tap and that swoop on the backside – such a fairly form.
The Laundry Room
In this room, we added a 3rd end to the home (which, sure, is a good suggestion), with Kohler’s vibrant polished nickel. Now, polished nickel is actually timeless, having an enormous resurgence proper now. I choose it over polished chrome (which has a blue undertone), with nickel being hotter. I additionally choose polished nickel over brushed nickel (if you would like my opinion). It’s simply such a impartial (give it some thought – it’s only a shiny heat grey and grey works with virtually something).
We might have carried out a gold tone in right here, however there was one thing calming and extra “recent” about utilizing this tone in a laundry room, particularly with that blue. And don’t get me began on that utility sink – I simply actually find it irresistible. It has such a fairly form, to not point out operate (deep), and I really like the way it sits inside and on prime of a cupboard – including peak and a pleasant form.
The Youngsters’ Rest room
Mirror | Faucet | Sink | Vainness
Not all rooms need or want wall-mounted taps, however in case you are opening up the partitions and doing or redoing plumbing, it’s undoubtedly a method to make issues look extra high-end (and unlock counter area). Within the youngsters’ bathtub, we used the Purist line once more – fashionable with out being hyper modern.
Tub | Ceremony-Temp® Tub and Bathe Trim Equipment | MasterShower® Switch Valve Trim | Wall-Mount Handshower Holder | Spherical Two-Operate Handshower | Steel Bathe Hose
We continued the identical line within the bathe as a result of it’s all of our favorites (particularly Ken and Katie’s). Whilst you can combine and match traces in the identical end in the identical room (and I did within the major bathtub), I often solely do it if the parts don’t are available all of the plumbing fixtures I would like. I like mixing finishes between lighting and plumbing fixtures, however if you would like the most secure guess, I’d go identical line + identical end within the toilet like we did right here.
The Main Rest room
Wall Gentle | Tub | Rain Showerhead + Bathe Arm | Showerheads + Bathe Arm | Handshower | Wall-Mount Handshower Holder | Steel Bathe Hose | Thermostatic Valve Controls
Saving the very best for final (IMHO), the first bathtub. This line within the bathe, Assertion, had simply launched after we have been on the retailer, and we have been all fairly blown away by it. It felt modern in a very easy and streamlined means (not making an attempt too laborious to do one thing new, however felt so recent and nonetheless does).
Rain Showerhead + Bathe Arm | Showerheads + Bathe Arm | Handshower | Wall-Mount Handshower Holder | Steel Bathe Hose | Thermostatic Valve Controls
The racetrack form is so fairly and has lots of totally different spray capabilities (as seen in this reel that went viral). The rain bathe is an choice (enjoyable truth – males love rain showers, girls have a tendency to not as a result of we don’t wish to water in our face as a lot since we are likely to have extra steps within the bathe). This toilet is a superb instance of all the tap configurations you may have in a single moist room – rain bathe, showerheads, handshower, tub filler, and tub hand bathe.
Showerheads + Bathe Arm | Handshower | Wall-Mount Handshower Holder | Steel Bathe Hose | Thermostatic Valve Controls
I completely LOVE the knobs and push parts on this one. It seems prefer it’s “sensible” as in electrified, nevertheless it’s simply managed in a push-and-turn mechanism that’s tremendous intuitive.
Tub | Tub Spout | Handshower | Wall-Mount Handshower Holder | Steel Bathe Hose | Thermostatic Valve Management
Tub Spout | Handshower | Wall-Mount Handshower Holder | Steel Bathe Hose | Thermostatic Valve Management
The tap line, Assertion, additionally is available in 12 totally different finishes – the classics, in addition to fairly alternate options like French gold (champagne-y). I’m a large fan of this line, and it reveals that Kohler continues to innovate even after 150 years.
Mirrors | Ceiling Lights | Taps | Handles | Sink | Towel Bar
For the sink, we selected the Elements line (the Assertion line didn’t have sink taps then) and went with a extra squared off model to showcase a distinct profile. It’s easy and straight and felt that it contrasted properly with the bathe (and also you don’t actually clock that they’re totally different, to be trustworthy).
Mirrors | Ceiling Lights | Taps | Handles | Sink | Towel Bar
The Elements line additionally is available in 12 finishes, along with so many alternative spout and deal with shapes. You’ll be able to see the complete line right here.
We actually tried to take a holistic view of the home, with every room being cousins, however not twins. Mixing finishes and kinds with out going hyper conventional or too fashionable. We caught to 3 finishes (largely 2 – Black and Vibrant Brushed Brass), and they’re all simply so top quality and really feel like one large, holistic assortment as you weave via the home.
After all, we selected all of the Kohler vanities, towel rods, rest room paper holders, mirrors, and lots of lighting fixtures as properly. It was an unimaginable partnership that was such a win/win/win. Now, in the event you didn’t catch a few of the reveals, they’re all beneath. Be at liberty to deep dive on all of them (see the vanities, bathrooms, and all of the beautiful tile), and I’m certain it helps you make some selections in case you are pre or mid-renovation. It will possibly really feel overwhelming, for certain, however I really like the power to customise and blend and match inside Kohler’s traces that I’ve grown to like a lot.
Kitchen
Mudroom
Main Rest room
Powder Rest room
Upstairs Visitor Rest room
Downstairs Visitor Rest room
Youngsters’ Rest room
Laundry Room
*Architect: Anne Usher
**Normal Contractor: JP Macy of Sierra Customized Development
***Inside Designers: Emily Henderson (me!) and Max Humphrey
****Styling: Emily Henderson (me!)
*****Photographs by Kaitlin Inexperienced
