Black is back in the bath deck

Black is back in the bath deck

Is black the new white?

It's a question designers and manufacturers of bathroom fixtures are asking themselves as black continues to make headway as the hue of choice for the bath. Popular paired with white in decades past, it went out of style, leaving white to stand alone as the preferred color for the powder room.

But, black is back and sleeker than ever in everything from dramatic tile to toilets and sinks, towels, shower curtains and bath mats.

Villeroy & Boch's Memento Collection features a water closet, bidet and several washbasin variations in glossy black. The Memento washbasin shown here features the company's New Glory decorative print finish; washbasins in black with New Glory from $1,200 to $2,685.

"It's dramatic; it makes the bathroom a special place, as opposed to a functional place," said interior designer Gail Green of Eastland Kitchen & Bath in Manhattan.

Ms. Green said that while her clients may not initially request black for the bathroom, they trust her expertise in making the right choice. She'll often pair it with white, which she believes is the best combination in order to create contrast.

Her own powder room features black marquina marble tiles, a white toilet and sink. It's also a combination she used in the "Day and Night" and "Night and Day" bathrooms she designed for the 2007 Kips Bay Decorator Show House.

Photo Courtesy of Kohler Co.White isn't the only pairing that works with black. Here the vivid pink of Kohler's Vapour Pink Dolce Vita Lavatory, around $410 in pink, becomes even more dramatic when played against a black tabletop.

For "Night and Day," a black Kohler Co. Purist Hatbox toilet (one of her favorite pieces) was played against black tile walls that shimmered with reflective sparkles. For contrast, she included one white tile wall and a white tile floor, both adorned with tumbling black Roman numerals to create a surreal effect.

In the opposite "Day and Night," three white tile walls were offset by a wall and floor constructed of black-and-white tile reminiscent of waves. Here, too, she used a Kohler hatbox toilet, this time in white partnered with a white sink.

"White opens up the space, but it also balances the black beautifully," Ms. Green noted. "Like all design, it's a balancing act."

CONSULT A DESIGNER

So, although black-and-white may sound like a simple pairing, the designer advises consulting a designer before undertaking any major room makeover in that palette. Too much black can create "a black hole," shrinking the size of the room, she said, while adding too many other colors -- small splashes can work -- may destroy the feeling you're going for. Ms. Green suggests starting with a piece you love, whether a toilet or a tile, and working from there.

Beyond being aesthetically pleasing, one of the reasons Ms. Green believes black is back in the bath is that there's a lot more of it available in the marketplace. Major manufacturers like Kohler Co., Grohe and Villeroy & Boch are offering fixtures and furnishings in ebony, while large retail stores like Bed Bath & Beyond, Target and Kohl's are carrying a variety of accessories in that hue.

Photo Courtesy of Richmond Tile & BathTextured Sant'Agostino N.O.W. collection zebra wood-inspired, monolithic porcelain tiles with rectified edges offer a dramatic contrast to a white shower floor; $6.35 per square foot for 6-inch by 24-inch tiles at Richmond Tile & Bath, Charleston.

Although white remains the color of choice for the bath, Constantin von Boch of Villeroy & Boch observed that black products have been catching on among those looking to make a bigger, bolder statement. He also mentioned that restaurants, hotels and nightclubs, are increasingly using black to create a more dramatic effect.

"When you have a white, very boring, standard bathroom at home, you see this and say, 'It's fantastic; how can I do it at home?'" said von Boch, director of marketing for the Americas for the company's Bath and Wellness U.S. Division.

NEW LINES

Villeroy & Boch recently launched its Memento collection, with a water closet, bidet and several washbasin variations available in a glossy black finish. The contemporary collection features angles and straight lines and includes the option of a decorative print finish over the black called New Glory that imparts a baroque look.

"It gives some individuality to your bathroom without being too loud," von Boch explained.

Photos Courtesy of Gail GreenIn the "Day and Night" bathroom, left, Gail Green designed for the 2007 Kips Bay Decorator Show House, three white tile walls were offset by a wall and floor constructed of black-and-white tile reminiscent of waves. In the photo, right, a niche was sculpted into a former coat closet in the designer's Upper East Side apartment to conform with the curves of the pedestal sink in a black-and-white powder room.

Grohe also recently released a high-end line of bathroom products called Ondus that includes faucets, shower heads and tub spouts, as well as towel rings and paper holders in "Velvet Black." Al DeGenova, Grohe's director of marketing and communications, described the style as "sensual minimalism," noting it features modern pieces with soft edges and nature-inspired design.

Ondus fuses style with digital technology. The shower and bath systems can be pre-set for preferred flow rate and temperature for two different users, while the digital basin faucets feature five pre-set programs, allowing users to create combinations of temperature, flow rate and duration for tasks like face rinsing, hand washing and teeth brushing.

DeGenova said he's also seen a trend toward pairing black products with white and a splash of another color, like bright green.

"It gives it more of an alive, very bright look with black and white," he said. "Because black is such a strong color against white, when in that environment, you get a very strong sense of the design."

TILE TREND

Richmond Tile & Bath in Charleston, carries black bathroom fixtures including the Grohe Ondus. But Richmond Tile president Tony Vanario said where his store really has seen an uptick in interest of darker colors for the bathroom is in tiling.

When it comes to working with black, Vanario suggests choosing tiles with texture. Included in this category are: textured slates with hints of lighter shades like blue and brown; porcelain tile with the look of leather; porcelain with a wood design, and glass tile that gives the effect of rippling water.

"There's a richness to the way they're manufacturing the colors," Vanario observed. "The way they mix the tones, it's not just monotone," he continued. "There are so many products to select from, you let your imagination run wild."

Andrea Boyarsky is a features reporter for the Advance. She may be reached at boyarsky@siadvance.com.

Original article and pictures take www.silive.com site