07 March 2010

Scary bath tub!

THG gets a lot right. The sink I fell in love with yesterday is a case in point. But Lordie when they go off the tracks the go whole hog.


This is that same tub in white. It looks even worse, don't you think?

23 comments:

  1. Good lord: this would have scared Louis XVI half to death, and no one liked to pile on the frills better than he did!

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  2. Can you imagine the house where something like that would be? I shudder when I think about it. Oddly enough, that tub looks even worse in white.

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  3. In all of the design writing I've done, I've actually seen a few and it ain't pretty. I call it Kamakazi design--it's so bad, it will kill you if you stare at it long enough. Whenever I think I'm not diplomatic, I think about those articles in which I had to find something good to say!

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  4. yikes, i have brain damage from looking at that. fortunately i was enlightened by the grace of your Michelangelo piece yesterday so i forgive you for showing me this atrocity. :)

    Rules of Bathtub Design:
    1.) If your tub design looks like it could be hooked up to a team of Lipizzan horses and paraded around Versaille, and no one would blink and eye, then you have failed.

    2.) CLEAR BATHTUBS SHOULD BE BANNED - sorry personal opinion on this one, those crafty Europeans sure seem to love the voyeuristic thing :)

    3.) IF, to match the design of your bathtub, you have to put a coordinating gold metallic vinyl spa pillow to compensate for lack of ergonomic design.. well my friends.. no, just say no..

    Saxon - hahaha "so bad it will kill you" i have seen some things oh man oh man.. and it's like a train-wreck, you just can't look away!! Perhaps the good parts of the brain are just busy cataloging it all away as 'what not to do..' :)

    Paul - are you familiar with the designer Marcel Wanders? If you want to recover from this tub, check out some of his stuff if you haven't see it already.. i <3 Marcel.. his room installations in Milan at Salone a couple years ago were crazy inspiring.. his designs are always so dreamy and fun and wild crazy, but in a soft delicate kind of way you might not always pick up on at first - he does a lot of 'hidden art' which i am a fan of ANY design that has hidden meaning & a pop of the unexpected (trust me..... most of mine do..) ..well sometimes his stuff gets too 'out there' but he did a line for Boffi that is just fun and simple.. (BTW do you ever go to Salone del Mobile in Milan?? it's the EuroCucina show there this year too.. i'm pretty bummed i'm not going b/c KBIS is smack in the middle of it this year - what terrible planning by KBIS for designers!!)

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  5. I don't get the clear panels... all I can think of is how hard they'd be to keep clean... and how I'd have to make sure I locked the bathroom door when I was taking a bath.

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  6. I saw these on Trendir an thought to my self hmmmm perhaps their ID team did way too many drugs in the 60's. As hideous as these are (and they are pretty hideous) in contrast to their Art Deco series tub it does show a vast range of design from the manufacturer. Besides there are are Sultans that need bath tubs too!

    Oh and Emilie maybe we should lobby for the banning of the clear bathtubs-- yuck! While we are at it maybe we can get some legislation in there banning mirrors in the shower or tub area. One of the times I stayed at Kohler there was a mirror on the whole back wall of my tub and shower-- I never wanted to get out of the shower quicker in my life... no thank you.

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  7. HAHAHA Michelle! OK lets write up a bill and petition Congress about the clear bathtub business... we'll spawn a whole underground black market for imported euro clear panel tubs.. (right, because people really want to buy those haha)

    AND your comment about mirrors and their precarious & often unpleasant location in particular areas of the bathroom reminds me of our Masco friends over at Hansgrohe & the Axor brand... i don't know how much you know about Axor & their product lines, but i'm not kidding you the Patricia Urquiola collection that just launched last year (one of my favorites of ALL TIME too, notice how the widespread handles look like beautiful bangle bracelets? sigh, love it.. and i'm a tough critic.. i just love all of Patricia's work in general too..)

    but what i'm getting at is Philippe Grohe was talking about the Axor brand a few weeks ago, about his experience working on that particular line, and he said one of the first things he asked Patricia when they were starting the project was 'tell me what the bathroom means to you..' (and remember Patricia is the first female designer to be invited to create an Axor line, so for me, as a young female industrial designer, all this was very meaningful..) and he said that she said '..well it's the one place where every morning, i have have to get up, and look at myself in the mirror..'

    WOW.

    that resonates so much with me and it is something that most men (and most male designers..) would never never understand when talking about the psychology of the bathroom.... SO if you study the product photography for Axor & the room layouts they produce for shows and what not, you'll notice there is never a mirror in front of the sink basin, it is actually off to the side or around the corner b/c even when you're getting ready in the morning the 'leaning over the counter' aspect of most mirror placement is so bad & seriously.. i can't think of many people who really want to stare at themselves in the mirror ever morning :) i'm sure those people are out there but i think they all live in LA... well just kind of interesting when thinking about bathroom design... :)

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  8. Emilie... thanks for the great story. I love stuff like that. In my sales/design role the stories give me a real connection to the product and in turn gives my customers that same connection. We are one of the largest HGR distributors in the Chicago market, but I was unaware of this really cool product (not all manufacturer's are as forthcoming as my Delta/Brizo friends)-- it must have rolled out internationally first and I really hope it is available to me after KBIS this year! :-)

    Working in plumbing which really is a mans world I can appreciate what you are saying-- Girl power!

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  9. Hey gang, sorry I've been such a stranger today. What a great conversation you guys had without me though. Thanks!

    For anybody reading this who doesn't know, Emilie Williams is a frighteningly talented industrial designer and she's the woman behind such notable products as Brizo's Virage collection of faucets. Brava Emilie!

    Michelle is the reigning queen of faucet sales in Chicago.

    What we're witnessing here is a chat between two titans of industry and frankly it's an honor.

    Emilie: That's a great story about Axor and kudos to you and Michelle on the role you play in that man's business.

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  10. Paul you are making me blush! :)

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  11. Aw thanks Paul :) ...but Michelle we must have lunch or something, our Masco Design offices are here in the West Loop Chicago, like basically Greek Town! are you around in the city?? Send me an email or note & i'd love to tour your showroom sometime and geek out about faucets he he he.. :)

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  12. You two have never met?! Oh man, you need to go to lunch at the very least. Michelle owns Banner Plumbing. Here's their Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=56928994447&ref=search&sid=698716092.1821112372..1

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  13. gosh, wish I had gotten in on this convo earlier! I just found out Emilie is the designer of my truly beloved Virage! And Michelle, I am a designer but we have a small boutique showroom on the gulf coast so when at KBIS, would love to visit your showroom and see how the big boys play ball! We do have that woman owner thingy in common!! ~~Cheryl

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  14. Jai and I were talking about running to Banner Plumbing together during KBIS, come with us and grab anybody else who's standing around. Michelle's going to be at the convention center all four days, and it would be good for you guys to meet up. Check out her fan page in the meantime.

    Excuse me for playing cruise director again, but I can't help myself.

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  15. Hahahaha.. well well this is going to be the most fun Kbis of all time me thinks :) Wow and just saw the pics of the Banner showroom on the website! WHOA how have i never been here before!?! 15,000 square feet really!??! Now i can't wait to check it out! THAT'S MY KINDA PLACE!!@! :) sorry i have a touch of faucet fever hahah

    Ok and Paul & Michelle & Details Design & friends -- you all must keep me in the loop as to where all the good KBIS parties are this year!!! i really gotta crash a couple ;) i always miss out on the fun stuff and i live right here in the city darnit! heck maybe i should just host a party at my little Lincoln Park condo ha ha ha.. the hubby would kill me :)

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  16. This will be a KBIS to remember, that's for sure. My dance card has never been so full in my life. That's OK, I'll sleep when I get home.

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  17. sleep!? oh like, what i should be doing right now right.. thhat thing? :) not at this kbis no way!!!!

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  18. Two peas in a pod. I feel like this is going to be a real breakthrough convention. You have to come to my "American Gothic" presentation.

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  19. no doubt! i'll be there absorbing it all in :) <---sponge

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  20. i bet mariah carey asked mario buatta for this tub when he did her apartment.

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  21. Oh my God that's perfect. Mimi would be so at home in that tub!

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  22. Well I will for sure have the welcome mat rolled out for anyone who wants to tour my showroom during KBIS... like you said Paul I will be working deals at the show for 4 days, but our hours on on the website and it's a fun place to play with water! Very much looking forward to meeting you all! Paul email me about your American Gothic presentation-- I'm booking all my mfg appts now so I can work it in.

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