Some notes and observations about LED lighting in bath design

Check out these LED-equipped shower heads.

They seem to be all the rage and the design press dutifully repeats what they're fed by the manufacturers. "Chomatherapy is good!" "Light is therapeutic!" "Colored lights will heal the sick, make the blind see and the lame walk again!"

Hogwash, all of it.

What no one seems to be willing to say is that these showers are tacky. Multi-colored LEDs are tacky. There I said it.

Multicolored LEDs belong in theme parks, not in homes. The surest way to ruin a perfectly lovely modern bath design is to install one of these things.

Thirty pieces of silver

Rembrandt: Judas Returns the 30 Pieces of Silver

OK, I received two, count 'em, two offers for paid links and or posts today. By that I mean someone would pay me somewhere between $50 and $100 in exchange for a positive review in a post or even a link in my "Links I like Section."

I have never engaged in this behavior and I get approached at least once a day by someone dangling an offer. I think it's sleazy so I don't do it. I don't think I'm some kind of a moral guardian about it, but I like the idea of having my readers be able to tell what's my real opinion and what's a sponsored opinion.

Now, it's true that I accept products and I've been on more than my share of trips I didn't pay for. But I never accept anything as a quid pro quo. I have a cushy relationship with Brizo but I liked their faucets long before I met anyone associated with the brand. If they came up with a real dog I would say so. I don't feel compromised by my association with them, mostly because they don't expect me to treat them with kid gloves.

Accepting money to endorse a product I don't believe in seems different to me, less forthright. When someone sends me a book or a faucet and I review it, I say "Taunton Press sent me a review copy of [fill in the blank]." Accepting something and disclosing it to my readers keeps me on the stright and narrow so far as I'm concerned.

But the point of these paid posts is for me not to disclose that money changed hands. The expectation is that I'll write an endorsement that comes across as legitimate and honest.

That's the difference in my book. I'm writing this because I'm curious to hear how other people handle it. I'm turning down a not-insignificant amount of money these days but I worry that once I say yes the first time it'll just get easier to keep saying yes. Once I'm on that slide downhill I'll never regain something resembling integrity.

Of course, there are people who say I lost my integrity the first time I got on an airplane and flew somewhere to meet a vendor. For the record, that was Google in February '09.

I don't think I've lost anything, but it is a balancing act.

What do you guys think? How do other bloggers balance whoredom with integrity?

What happens when the lights go out in Spain?

Check this out. The Tau Advanced Group rolled out the ultimate showstopper at Cevisama last February. Cevisama is the annual showcase for the Spanish tile, surfaces and bath industries. 79,000 people were in Valencia two months ago and all 79,000 of them stopped in their tracks when Tau asked and then answered the question, "What happens when the lights go out in Spain?' Watch this.

This is an ordinary looking floor, right?

Well, watch what happens after dark.

The process Tau pioneered is called Afterdark and it's a resilient surface treatment that absorbs light in direct proportion to a light source's intensity. After it's exposed to intense light, it glows brightly. After exposure to less intense light, it glows less intensely.

Afterdark isn't a gimmick but a genuine break through in the way cities can think about light. Afterdark is intended for use in public spaces and as sheathing for buildings. In a subway station, emergency lighting that requires no power to operate could be a life saver. Where I think it will prove its worth is when it's used on the exterior of a building. Imagine the energy savings if a building's exterior architecture or its signs required no electricity to light up a skyline.

In a situation like a nightclub, Afterdark's responsive luminescence could make for interactive lighting installations. Check this out.

Here's an example of Afterdark in mid glow. If you take a penlight, you can write on the tile with the beam and the tile will absorb the light energy from the penlight and glow back more brightly.

Somebody wrote "Tau" with a penlight here and the name will glow like this for hours. I can see a wall covered in Tau's Afterdark in a restaurant or a club and every night it could feature a drawing. Or patrons armed with penlights could cover the wall with what ever moved them. What a great idea!

Glow in the dark stuff has been around for ages, but I don't think anyone's ever thought of a real, practical application for it. At least not one like this. So what happens after the lights go out in Spain? Coolness happens, that's what.

Check out the rest of Tau Cerámica's offerings on their website.

Thank you Houzz

When ever I'm in need of inspiration for work, I can think of one place that never disappoints. Go to Houzz.

traditional kitchen design by seattle architect Bosworth Hoedemaker

kitchen design

I'm in love with this kitchen.

eclectic kitchen design by new york architect Ken Levenson Architect P.C.

This is the same kitchen and the reading nook makes me love it all the more.

eclectic kitchen design by new york architect Ken Levenson Architect P.C.

traditional kitchen design by chicago architect Becker Architects Limited

eclectic kitchen design by other metros interior designer Tracery Interiors

traditional kitchen design

This white paint kick I've been on is starting to make me not recognize myself.

Yes, We Choose Spanish Ceramic

Design wild man Karim Rashid leads a press conference in the Tile of Spain pavilion at Coverings 2010. Photo courtesy of Tile of Spain.

Tile of Spain was another impressive entry at Coverings 2010 in Orlando last month. 30 Spanish manufacturers joined forces in the 18,000 square foot Tile of Spain pavilion. Their offerings proved that there's ample evidence that people everywhere will be repeating the catchphrase of Tile of Spain's new global marketing campaign, Yes, We Choose Spanish Ceramic.

Here are some highlights from the manufacturers present.

Adex

Photo courtesy of Tile of Spain

Azulejera Alcorense

Photo courtesy of Tile of Spain

Pamesa Ceramica

Photo courtesy of Tile of Spain.

Photo courtesy of Tile of Spain.

Navarti Ceramica

Photo courtesy of Tile of Spain.

Photo courtesy of Tile of Spain.

Ceramica Fanal

Photo courtesy of Tile of Spain.

Azulev

Photo courtesy of Tile of Spain.

Inalco

Photo courtesy of Tile of Spain.

Photo courtesy of Tile of Spain.

Photo courtesy of Tile of Spain.

Tau Ceramica --Two selections from Karim Rashid's No-Stalgia series

Photo courtesy of Tile of Spain.

Photo courtesy of Tile of Spain.

Rosa Gres

Photo courtesy of Tile of Spain.

Pretty cool stuff, thanks Tile of Spain!