Kitchen & Bath
Rock Hard.
Swanstone is expanding
its line of single- and double-bowl quartz-composite kitchen
sinks. Thanks to their standard-size proportions (25 by 22
inches and 33 by 22 inches), the fixtures suit both replacement
jobs and new construction. Also, they can be used as either
undermounts or drop-ins. Quartz composites — a growing
product category for kitchen countertops — are extremely
hard but don't stain like natural stone and tend to cost less.
Swanstone's sinks list at $170 for the single bowl and $225 for
the double bowl. Swanstone Corp., 800/325-7008,
www.swanstone.com
Euro-Beat.
Streamline your customers' kitchens by
installing an Oliveri single-bowl sink with a Euro-style
drainboard. The stainless steel unit comes in both self-rimming
and undermount designs with the 16 3/8-inch-wide drainboard on
either the right or the left. Overall, the sink and drainboard
measure 38 5/8 inches wide and 18 7/8 inches front-to-back; the
bowl is 7 3/4 inches deep. The fixture retails for $675. An
extra-deep model, the 882, has a 10-inch-deep bowl with a
12-gallon capacity. It measures 383/8 inches by 211/4 inches
and costs $750. Tasman Sinkware, 800/449-4401,
www.oliverisinks.com
Short Division.
One bowl or two?
Homeowners can puzzle endlessly over this decision when the
time comes to order a kitchen sink. Kohler's Smart Divide
fixtures may speed things along. With their half-height
dividers, the enameled cast-iron sinks offer most of the
advantages of a two-basin design while still making it easy to
scrub big pots with long handles. Available in 22 colors in
both self-rimming and undermount designs, the units measure 33
inches by 22 inches, with 9-inch-deep basins and 4
1/2-inch-high dividers. A white undermount model is $580; the
self-rimming version is $383. Kohler Co., 800/456-4537,
www.kohler.com
High-Performance Showers
Go Digital.
Do your customers
complain they can't keep track of which valve operates which
showerhead in their oversized showers? Consider installing
Kohler's new DTV digital shower control panel, a programmable
replacement for conventional valves that simplifies the use of
multihead showers. It supplies as many as eight showerheads,
hand showers, and body sprays with a total flow rate of up to
21 gallons per minute; homeowners can program individual shower
preferences and activate them at the touch of a button. The
device can be installed inside or outside the shower enclosure,
either horizontally or vertically. It costs $940. Kohler Co.,
800/456-4537, www.kohler.com
Handle the Flow.
Add up the body
sprays and showerheads in an upscale shower and it's clear just
how much water all that fun requires. With high demand in mind,
Moen has introduced the 3/4-inch ExactTemp thermostatic valve,
which delivers up to 16 gallons per minute without missing a
beat. According to Moen, that's enough to handle a showerhead,
a hand-held shower, and body sprays at the same time. The
company also says the valve delivers predictable and consistent
water temperatures: The user simply twists the dial to a
temperature setting marked on the trim and turns on the shower.
The valve lists for $325. Moen, 800/289-6636,
www.moen.com
Easy Upgrade.
With big bathrooms
and spa-like amenities more popular than ever, it's no surprise
that high-performance showers are topping many wish lists. Too
bad the plumbing for these units can get so complicated.
Happily, there are exceptions: Hansgrohe promises a no-hassle
shower upgrade with the BodyShower, a low-profile panel that
uses the same water supply as the existing shower arm. The
product's adjustable-height showerhead combines air and water
in three separate settings and four adjustable body sprays.
Water volume and temperature are controlled by existing valves.
The BodyShower lists for $565. Hansgrohe, 800/488-8119,
www.hansgrohe-usa.com