Kitchen & Bath

Staff -- Interior Design, 10/31/2005 12:00:00 AM

Agape

Forget Eve's shiny, seductive apple. Spanish-born design superstar Patricia Urquiola tempts us with her curvy, cantilevered Pear bathroom fixtures in matte gray or white. The dark exteriors contrast with white vitreous-china interiors; an all-white scheme is also available. 69 Via Po' Barma, 46031 Correggio Micheli, Bagnolo San Vito, Italy; 39-0376-250-311; agapedesign.it. circle 630

Duravit

You'll never soak alone in the new Paiova corner tub. The white triangular shape has ample width at the head for intimate bathing à deux and broad side ledges for wine goblets or candles. Exterior paneling options include Helsinki birch, light maple, white wood, wengé, and wild pear. 1750 Breckinridge Parkway, Suite 500, Duluth, GA 30096; 888-387-2848; duravit.com. circle 631

Villeroy & Boch

Brushing your teeth becomes an intimate affair with the Private Lounge dual-basin lavatory. A pair of faucets on a central porcelain island are situated perpendicularly to the wall. Optional champagne, rose, or aqua glaze for the island adds a fun splash of color. 3 South Middlesex Avenue, Monroe Township, NJ 08831; 877-505-5350; villeroy-boch.com. circle 634

Hastings Tile & Il Bagno

At nearly 11/4 inches in diameter, Bloom Allaround ceramic mosaic tiles are bigger than ordinary penny tiles. Pre-mounted in 8-by-16-inch modules, the four variegated mosaic assortments match square 8-inch floor tiles in chocolate brown, Ardoise black, indigo blue, or pearl gray. 30 Commercial Street, Freeport, NY 11520; 516-379-3500; hastingstilebath.com. circle 633

Molteni & C.

Designer Hannes Wettstein's Nomis modular kitchen for Dada consists of a central monoblock base that supports two bridge structures. One is stainless steel and the other is natural oak. The Corian storage component has built-in appliances and flush handles. 149 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010; 39-02-972-0791; dadaweb.it. circle 632

Interstyle

Random cabochons of lustrous agate simulate both the natural roundness of river stones and the luminescence of sea glass. The sheet-mounted tiles come in 20 translucent colors ranging from cactus green to blues and earthy browns. Each box of tiles contains easy instructions on how to prevent visible seams between sheets. 3625 Brighton Avenue, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A3H5, Canada; 604-421-7252; interstyle.ca. circle 635

Julien

The Aquacentre 1260 is an all-in-one food prep center that's just 54 inches long. Its doors customize to kitchen décor, the dishwasher has touch-pad controls, and the wash tub is stainless steel. A 4-inch stainless backsplash is available. Through Davis + Warshow, 150 East 58th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10155; 212-688-5990; daviswarshow.com. circle 636

Zephyr

Get into the swing with a satin-finish hood. Fu-Tung Cheng's first over-island design, the Trapeze, hangs from telescoping rods and sells in versions from 4 to 5 feet wide. The halogen lighting can be dimmed, and a remotely operated 1,000-cubic-feet-per-minute blower is available. 395 Mendell Street, San Francisco, CA 94124; 877-937-4975; zephyronline.com. circle 639

Kohler

The elegant, elongated proportions of the Symbol faucet satisfy both the aesthetic and functional requirements of vessel sinks. The seamless one-piece lever is available in brushed nickel or a choice of two polished finishes—nickel and chrome. 444 Highland Drive, Kohler, WI 53044; 800-456-4537; kohler.com. circle 638

Whirlpool

The Fabric Freshener is a collapsible unit that plugs into the wall and pops up 5 feet high. In about a half hour, it oxidizes odors in fabrics including wool, silk, polyester, rayon, and linen. It also minimizes the need for ironing and excess dry cleaning, which age clothes. 2000 M-63 North, Benton Harbor, MI 49022; 800-253-3977; insideadvantage.com. circle 637

Alessi

From legendary Italian kitchenware manufacturer Laufen comes the Living 01 bathroom suite, including a wall-mounted double basin. The collection, designed by Phoenix, is white Wondergliss ceramic. Through AF New York, 22 West 21st Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10010; 800-366-2284; afnewyork.com. circle 643

Samuel Heath

For that pinch of extra space, the L5148 Xenon Storage 360 combines a rotating frameless mirror with partly hidden shelves. Roughly 2 feet tall, and projecting 8 inches from the wall, the chrome unit is machined in England from solid brass and is also offered with a satin-nickel finish. 111 East 39th Street, New York, NY 10016; 212-599-5177; samuel-heath.com. circle 640

Santambrogio Milano

Experience the incredible lightness of designer Ennio Arosio's Simplicity kitchen. It's made from the same crystal-clear glass as that of the Louvre pyramids. The cut-to-measure slabs are assembled with stainless-steel pins; additional glass forms the sink, the faucet, and the base for stove burners. 14 Via Francesco Sforza, 20122 Milan, Italy; 39-02-7602-0788; santambrogio.biz. circle 641

GE

This professionally installed walk-in wine vault converts 72 square feet of floor space into storage for more than a thousand bottles. The fragrant redwood racks inside can be configured exclusively for inventory (for a capacity of 1,100 bottles) or for both storage and tasting (for a capacity of 1,031 bottles). Wine stays at a consistent 55 degrees Fahrenheit thanks to a self-calibrating temperature probe. Appliance Park, Louisville, KY 40225; 502-452-7819; monogram.com. circle 642

e15 Design + Distribution

The BA10 Aomori oak bathtub is girded with brushed-stainless bands; hidden inside are stools with brushed-stainless hardware. The matching BA15 Mito towel rail can lean nearby or can be fixed in place with a concealed screw. Through Cornell & Munzer, 431 NE 94th Street, Miami Shores, FL 33138; 305-793-3342; e15.com. circle 644

Mamoli

The Ariette single-hole faucet is chrome or gold, with matching polished-metal handles. Its new sister model, Ariette Murano, adorns the same aerodynamic body with playful colored handles in your choice of white, aquamarine, pink, or blue glass. 1 Piazza Spartaco Mamoli, 20084 Lacchiarella (MI), Italy; 39-0290-0461; mamoli.it. circle 648

Plush Living

Taking a page from Kelly Wearstler's style book, fellow SoCal designer Kenneth Wong applies his talent for graphics to the Links shower curtain, one of six modern patterns offered. The curtain is vibrant, waterproof, machine-washable polyester; hooks are included. 1933 South Broadway, Suite 302, Los Angeles, CA 90007; 888-758-7458; plush-living.com. circle 645

Plain & Fancy Custom Cabinetry

This old-school mill is famous for mind-blowing flexibility. Here's just one color scenario for the maple components of the classic Blues Traveler kitchen: Vanilla Bean tricked out with Chocolate piping, with an island in Aerial Blue. Alternate finishes and hardware, as well as custom configurations, are no problem, of course. Route 501 and Oak Street, Schafferstown, PA 17088; 800-447-9006; plainfancycabinetry.com. circle 647

Neo-Metro

Three components work together to create the Ebb console solution. The 16-gauge-stainless-steel basin comes in a polished Mira finish—or in flawless satin. The wineberry-colored resin countertop sits on a stainless support structure. 15125 Proctor Avenue, City of Industry, CA 91746; 800-591-9050; neo-metro.com. circle 646

Viking

We're fans of these fans. The ventilators in the recently expanded Professional line—including wall-mounts as slim as 30 inches wide—are stainless inserts that can be hidden behind casework and that can move 300 to 1,500 cubic feet of air per minute. 111 Front Street, Greenwood, MS 38930; 888-845-4641; vikingrange.com. circle 649

Broan-Nutone

Design purist F.A. Porsche has streamlined the 3-foot-tall WM24 range hood as part of the Forward Vision collection. The hood comes with a racy blue LCD readout, matte aluminum finish, and a choice of internal or external blower and is available in 3- and 4-foot widths. 926 West State Street, Hartford, WI 53027; 800-558-1711; bestbybroan.com. circle 650

Emme Group

Perched atop four sturdy wheels, the Bongos professional mobile kitchen bundles a cooking unit, sink, refrigerator, and cook top. The stainless-steel unit, which weighs 170 pounds, accepts gas, electric, and water (inflow and outflow) connections for outdoor or indoor use. 16 Via S. Righetto, 36055 Nove (VI), Italy; 39-0424-592-352; emmegroupdesign.com. circle 653

Lasco Bathware

Los Angeles firm Blue Design took the BMW Z4 sports car as inspiration for its 6-foot-wide Bowed Bath, which features a bubbler and a whirlpool jet system. The rounded acrylic shapes are finished in alba luster, silver luster, or ocean blue metallic pearlescent, or six other classic finishes: white, biscuit, linen, bone/natural, almond, and black. 8101 East Kaiser Boulevard, Suite 200, Anaheim, CA 92808; 800-945-2726; lascobathware.com. circle 651

Vintage

Two fans maintain even temperatures in this line of radiant-convection warming ovens, The 1.3- to 1.7-cubic-foot capacity can accommodate four dinner plates or a large pizza, and the interior quickly reaches a temperature of 190 degrees. Ideal for outdoor installation, the ovens can also be easily customized to match any kitchen. P.O. Box 3031, Indio, CA 92202; 800-998-8966; vintage-grills.com. circle 652

Dornbracht USA

The ceiling-mounted JustRain water sculpture simulates a soaking tropical shower. The water temperature and intensity can be controlled by an optional xTool thermostat. All metal components sell in either a brushed or polished stainless steel. 1700 Executive Drive South, Suite 600, Duluth, GA 30096; 800-774-1181; dornbracht.com. circle 654

Sirius

Designed and manufactured in Fabriano, Italy, the SUF 5 hood fits into 30- and 36-inch gaps in upper cabinets. Front-mounted push buttons control the 3-speed fan and 20-watt halogen lamps. The aluminum grease filter is dishwasher safe; the optional duct is 6 inches in diameter. 1051 Clinton Street, Buffalo, NY 14206; 866-528-4987; siriushoods.com. circle 658

Toscoquattro

The Opera Series teams white Corian with a counter in wengé veneer. The soaking tub mixes more wengé with cameo white and brown Corian. Faucets and the tub filler are polished stainless steel. Through AF New York, 22 West 21st Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10010; 800-366-2284; afnewyork.com. circle 657

Ginger

Victor Hoernig's Surface shower column and hand shower feature small jets that can be easily cleared of the mineral deposits that clog regular showerheads. The solid-forged-brass units are in polished chrome or PVD satin nickel. Coordinating faucets, accessories, lighting, and mirrors are available. 460-N Greenway Industrial Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29708; 866-423-0955; gingerco.com. circle 656

Colombo Design

Direct yet diffused, the line-voltage 100 watt halogen bulb of this B1392-CR sconce sends illumination up and down through 2 pieces of sandblasted 1/8-inch-thick glass. The thickly chromed fixture also looks great mounted on corridor walls. Through Orion Hardware, 80 Marycroft Avenue, Unit 2, Woodbridge, Ontario L4L5Y5, Canada; 800-226-6627; colombodesign.it. circle 655

Habersham

More than 30 finishes have become available for this company's wall-mounted hood since the firm's kitchen and bath launch in 2002; a variety of Habersham furniture art styles are also offered. The Tuscan Art motif shown here continues the mood of the manufacturer's hand-painted hutches, cupboards, and commodes. P.O. Box 1209, Toccoa, GA 30577; 800-586-9245, habershamdesigns.com. circle 659

Vitraform

From the Glass Furniture collection, clear Coppa pedestals are a perennial favorite. Now, traditional glassblowing techniques have yielded a jazzy multihued, hand-blown pedestal to match the company's Peach freestanding basin and countertop. Other newly available glass colors include black, white, and cobalt. 3500 Blake Street, Denver, CO 80205; 800-338-5725; vitraform.com. circle 663

Diamond Spas

Supple stainless-steel sheeting is hand-fabricated to create the silky curves of the deep and inviting Japanese Soaking Bath. The tub, which includes a comfortable bench, is also available in copper, and in 35- or 48-inch-diameter versions. Custom sizes are also an option. Through Davis + Warshow, 150 East 58th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10155; 212-688-5990; daviswarshow.com. circle 660

Myson

The Melody collection's Rhapsody towel warmer combines gracefully arched rails with new self-regulating thermal controls. The units, which are 200 or 250 watts, can be hard-wired or plugged in. Finishes of chrome, regal brass, or gold plate are offered. 948 Hercules Drive, Colchester, VT 05446; 800-698-9690; mysoninc.com. circle 662

Elmira Stove Works

Behind its nostalgic facade, the 1898 French Door refrigerator hides 25 interior square feet cooled with the latest technology. In just six weeks, units with scrollwork, nickel trims, and cast panels in a choice of five colors can be delivered fully assembled. 232 Arthur Street South, Elmira, Ontario N3B2P2, Canada; 800-295-8498; elmirastoveworks.com. circle 661