Kitchen/Bath Products: Master Pieces

Mark McMenamin -- Interior Design, 9/1/2009

 

Pleasing all the people all the time can be a tricky proposition. But for his first plumbing line, the Jeton series for Kohler Co. 's Kallista division, William Sofield strikes an effortless compromise between traditional and updated tastes—it's sleek without sneering. "I married hard with soft, straightforward with complex," the Interior Design Hall of Fame member says. "Strong, timeless geometry works in both modern and historic environments."

The vanity's solid maple cabinet goes cool in creamy lacquer or lavishly classical in highly figured Macassar ebony veneer. With either choice, the counter and side panels come in two types of softly honed marble: gray-veined white and white-veined black. The octagonal sink's faceted bowl gleams in light-colored vitreous china or dark marble. Solid brass faucets and handles are cut like precious gems for maximum reflectivity, then finished in chrome, nickel silver, brushed nickel, black nickel, or matte gold—like the elegantly elongated showerhead, the towel bar and ring, the sconce, and the toilet-paper holder with an arm that pivots straight up, safeguarding countless manicures. On the utilitarian side, the shower bodies are thermostatic and pressure-balancing, and an easy-clean hand shower resists mineral buildup. 888-452-5547; kallista.com. circle 450