Bathroom Suites

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Design-coordinated collections eliminate the time and guesswork required to perfect a bathroom’s overall design. Kohler Underscore Bubble Massage Bath with Chromatherapy Traverse Wall-Mount Vanity Traverse Lavatory. Photo courtesy of Kohler. Coordinate Design Many homeowners have looked at a bathroom’s basic fixtures—toilet, lavatory, basin or sink, shower or tub—as individual products. But the concept of a “suite” of similar designs has been around a long time. Design-coordinated collections eliminate the time and guesswork required to perfect a bathroom’s overall design. For many, it instills a sense of confidence that everything goes together. Interior designer Diana Schrage of the Kohler Design Center says “plumbing products had similarity of shapes all the way back to the beginning when fixtures first came into the home. Further refinements continued to emerge Kohler Iron Works® Tellieur® Suite. Photo courtesy of Kohler. and distinct styles began being offered.” Kohler Co. is a Wisconsin-based global leader in its four core business groups of kitchen and bath, interiors, global power, and hospitality and real estate. In its product groupings, a bathroom suite includes tub, shower, toilet and one or more lavatories. It also offers bath “ensembles”— design packages with fewer products and without a bath. Gray Uhl, director of design for American Standard, a leading North American plumbing goods manufacturer, says his company has been providing “complete ‘suite’ solutions for the bathroom for over 100 years. It is one of the few companies that has always provided the necessary faucets and fixtures needed in the bathroom. This allows American Standard to develop components that work well together.” American Standard’s suites and collections offer many options for a coordinated bath. At American Standard, a suite usually includes bathroom sinks, toilets, faucets, accessories and tubs. “It may also include furniture, shower base and enclosures, mirrors and medicine cabinets or lighting. It depends on the uniqueness of the style or design theme to determine if you need to use the total collection,” says Uhl. “The faucet and accessories serve as the ‘jewelry’ that provides the trim and finish accents that tie the whole collection together. This may even include a toilet trip lever in a matching style and finish.” Getting Started If you’ve decided to incorporate a bathroom suite, there are several steps to consider. Proper permits and meeting code are foundation basics. Next, determine whether it will be a DIY project or installed by a professional. Almost

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