Looking for unique ways to spice up your kitchen or bathroom? Here’s a collection of products that will take your remodel to a new level. From the dazzling crystal-studded Satis toilet to futuristic kitchen furniture rivalling the Jetsons’ and pop art wash basins worthy of Claes Oldenburg, these furnishings, fixtures and materials are guaranteed to be the star attraction of the house!
Covered with 72,000 Swarovski crystals, this sparkler took Japanese designer Ginza Tanaka over a month to make. The $105,000 creation rounds out our offerings on glitzy plumbing fixtures of Swarovski encrusted dog baths (which looked positively paltry at $6,995.00!) and semiprecious stone-studded oversized bathtubs.
Fl’eau is the brainchild of Joel Roberts who also brought us the Eaux Eaux sink. Joel exploited the post-forming ability of sheet Corian to create a soaker that looks like frozen water but is also structurally sound. He certainly has a wicked sense of humor – the bathtub looks like it’s in a constant state of overflowing when viewed from the sides!
Tired of all the recycled glass that looks ever so similar with color speckles in an opaque substrate? Bio-Glass by COVERINGS ETC is made from 100% recycled glass that is devoid of colorants or additives and have no cement content. The textured slabs give off a soft, translucent sheen that adds an extra dimension to any counter or backsplash. Available in a variety of colors, the material can be used for interior and exterior purposes: it is stain resistant, frost resistant, chemical resistant and fire resistant.
Nuage by Elica is a unique hood that is designed to meet all your aesthetic requirements. The highly customizable hood comes in 2 models: paintable steel or 6 mm plasterboard panels, allowing the product to be finished in paint, tiles, or plasterboard. This is a continuation of the trend to integrate appliances and cabinetry into interior environments as seen in this ghost of a sink.
In the closed position, this kitchen island looks like a jelly bean shaped bar counter.
Opened by remote control, this Swiss Army knife of a cooking island touts an extraction hood with task lighting tucked into the operable cover. Yes but wait there’s more! The base unit houses an induction cooktop, telescoping faucet, two sinks and four drawers. Check out this BBC video to see for yourself:
The wall cabinet accommodates a fridge, dishwasher, steam oven, coffee machine and general storage. The sculptural doors cleverly create stylized silhouettes of a champagne flute and bottle when folded back.
Through ingenious use of stainless steel and jesmonite, Splinterworks is able to turn kitchen furniture into a veritable piece of art while providing full functionality for the cook. The sculptural island packs in a gas range, oven, extractor and storage drawers on one side, with ample work surface to prepare food & libations on the other.
I like the slight tilt of the arch to allow the lighting and exhaust system to be deployed most effectively for cooking tasks.
As a testament of the Italians’ devotion to their daily grind, Artceram is offering a line of sinks that allows anyone to commune with their mojo in the bathroom, if only by association… At least the design of this pedestal sink has a practical side!
The countertop version offers a rectangular base with a built in towel – or cup? – holder option, if you still have your cup o’ Joe in hand!
Inspired by Audi, designer Fraser Leid’s automated mixer does a whole lot more than wetting your hands! Encased in the circular tempered glass faucet are 2 aluminum rings which dispense water, hand soap and black light as needed. Water temperature controls are in the front of the base.
Activated by a motion sensor when hands are in the circle, the mixer springs to life and goes through a 3-sec rinse, 3-sec dispense and 3-sec rinse cycle, or till the hands are withdrawn from the faucet. The black light supposedly disinfects your hands in the 9 second process, but effectiveness probably depends on how long germs are exposed to the UV radiation. Regardless, Audi will certainly be pleased by Hudōr’s efficiency!