Bathroom Scene

Drove down to Birdsall Bath Design on Route 22 West in North Plainfield tonight for a reception hosted by Birdsall and Asp1re Magazine. [Not a typo. They use a "1" for the i.]

What stunning tubs, sinks, tiles and faucets. Freestanding oval bathtubs in pale butter yellow or stark white, American-made or from Europe. Bowl sinks in every imaginable material, from hammered copper to porcelain. Beautiful jeweled knobs and drawer pulls with colored stones and other glittering details. I couldn't take my eyes off that sparkly section in particular; it called to me like a display of dancing chandelier earrings.

"Women love the bling," said Vicki Sarracino, Birdsall Design Consultant. She said the jewel-like hardware is usually incorporated into "hers" bathrooms.

Another trend, according to Patti Whelan, Director of Showrooms: wall-mounted vanities and toilets. I had to see it to believe it, but there they were, not touching the floor. Pretty futuristic. But as Patti said to Selma [another guest there], bathroom design trends are continually changing. Old is new, new is old. Subway tile. Penny tile, made to look contemporary with a border of red. A little orange vanity to house your sink--talk about how to elevate brushing and flossing to a whole new level of style. You sure wouldn't want to miss your date with the toothbrush.

Eco-Friendly
Birdsall [birdsallbath.com; about a 37-minute drive from Montclair] was showcasing its new LEED-certified showroom--LEED being Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design. It offers both contemporary and green choices, including one that pulled me in right away--"The Louis," a seafoam-shade bathroom vanity with a stone or 100% recycled countertop to fit porcelain sink and faucet. So simple and so lovely; check waterfallbath.com. The company uses environmentally preferred materials, such as ultra-low VOC paints, and extras like "soft-close" hardware that "renders slamming impossible." The sound of silence. Love that. Especially with sometimes excitable teen girls around, who love doing spa treatments in bathroom.

Fresh-Dipped Colors
Meryl, Selma and I were oohing and aahing over a gorgeous painted blue and white bowl sink with gold trim. We also saw a toile one. So incredible, so far beyond the aquas, yellows and pinks of the 60s and 70s, which seem garish now.

The appletinis served were also vividly colored. And I think I drank my half of the tini too fast, because I felt it a bit. Had to switch to ice water, and quickly.

Sweet Dreams
Going to sleep with dreams of a new bathroom, which we might actually be able to realize in our house--because the tree that fell shook the structure of the house enough to seriously fracture our old yellow tile bathroom floor, which now must be replaced.