Kitchen & Bath

Sugar Hill, Ga.—MTI Baths celebrates its 30th anniversary this month, a milestone that highlights the transformation of a small family business into one of today’s leading bath manufacturers. It all started with one man’s dream to create a better bathtub and today the company celebrates their founder who’s spirit of risk-taking was inspirational and integral to MTI’s culture. From its humble beginnings to its current position as a leading bath manufacturer, MTI Baths has had an unerring focus on excellence that has influenced everything they do – from design innovation to craftsmanship to customer service.

MTI offers an extensive product line with hundreds of tubs in every shape and style as well as shower bases, sinks, counter-sinks, vanity sinks and genuine teak accessories. The company has earned well over 100 awards for new products, design excellence and product innovations, in addition to being featured countless times on popular TV programs like HGTV, Property Brothers and DiY.

“We are fortunate to have a dedicated staff who make it possible for MTI to provide our clients with excellent craftsmanship and service,” said CEO Kathy Adams. The company has been recognized as a Top Workplace by the Atlanta Constitution-Journal for creating a work environment that encourages employee feedback and fosters growth by taking ideas from every department, not just upper management.

As they embark on this milestone anniversary, the brand continues its dedication to “the 3 R’s of MTI” – respect, responsibility and resourcefulness and a corporate culture that rewards creativity, flexibility and passion. Company CEO Kathy Adams explains the company strategy this way “We don’t want to be just best in the world at one thing – we want to try to be best in the world at every single thing we do. When you make that your goal, continual improvement happens.”

“We thank our customers, showrooms and dealers, vendors, partners and especially our nearly 115 employee owners for 30 amazing years!” says Russell Adams, President and Chief Design Officer.

Each year, 27 million people from around the world visit the state of Oregon. Many of them come not to experience American culture, but rather for a taste of far-off Japan in the Portland Japanese Garden, considered one of the most authentic places outside the home islands.

The horticultural complex includes eight unique settings — from gardens with a rustic path of stepping stones leading to a traditional Japanese tea house, to a strolling pond garden with a relaxing stream and waterfall, modeled after aristocratic estates during Japan’s Edo period.

Since 2017, the complex has included a cultural village, where visitors can immerse themselves in traditional Japanese arts while growing closer to history and nature. Seasonal festivals and performances educate and entertain the roughly 350,000 visitors who flock here each year.

Visitors to the Portland Japanese Garden are transported to a distant land and become immersed in its breathtaking landscapes and rich culture.

Creation of this cultural village was part of the Garden’s Cultural Crossing project, aimed at increasing awareness of the complex and helping to bridge the gap of understanding between American and Japanese cultures. Located at the entrance to the Japanese Garden, the Cultural Crossing area was designed by world-renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma for his first public commission in North America.

The SpaLet AT200 integrated bidet toilet from DXV complements the Portland Japanese Garden with its minimalistic design lines. It is highlighted with the distinctive INAX Izumo wall tiles that vertically line the restroom walls.

Part of this project involved partnering with sponsors who might serve as intercultural conduits. The Japanese-headquartered LIXIL Corporation—parent company for North American brands American Standard, DXV, GROHE and INAX—saw this partnership as a perfect fit and signed on to sponsor the Cultural Crossing project. This involved the donation of plumbing fixtures, faucets, accessories, tile and wall coverings to outfit the learning center, gallery, library, garden house and café that are all part of the Cultural Crossing area. The Garden completed construction of this project in the spring of 2017, with various activities occurring throughout 2018 to celebrate its opening.

Inside the men’s and women’s restrooms, DXV SpaLet AT200 integrated bidet toilets combine unique design, advanced technology and thoughtful engineering to transform a bathroom visit into a luxurious experience. Emphasis is placed on providing an enhanced hygienic practice and sense of self-indulgence with an automatic open/close heated seat, a two-nozzle water spray with massage capability and a convenient deodorizer. These features upgrade the bathroom into a relaxing, life-enhancing space, as it is in traditional Japanese culture. At the same time, the SpaLet AT200 is water efficient with its dual-flush ability (1.32/0.92 gallons per flush).

The Serin wall-mount faucet from American Standard offers sleek beauty at the Portland Japanese Garden. Its hands-free operation makes it easy for visitors to experience a healthier environment.

ADA-compliant Serin wall-mount sensor-operated faucets from American Standard reinforce the design theme of clean, minimalist beauty and utility with their hygienic, touch-free operation for Garden visitors. Their durable construction is ideal for high-use applications and their contemporary styling elevates the design of these commercial restrooms. The Serin bathroom sink faucet has an adjustable spout reach, from 6 to 9-inches wall-to-outlet, and features a vandal-resistant metal body. It also includes a self-cleaning solenoid that prevents clogging and run-on, allowing for reduced maintenance and operational costs.

The GROHE New Tempesta Cosmopolitan 100 showerhead with the GROHE Allure pressure balance valve trim provide comfort and water efficiency for employees showering at the Portland Japanese Garden.

Staff showers at the Garden provide a restful escape from daily tasks. The sleek modern New Tempesta Cosmopolitan 100 shower head from GROHE provides a generous rain shower spray pattern and uses a maximum flow rate of 1.5 gallons per minute, providing a soothing counterpart to the surrounding natural landscape. It operates with the Allure pressure balance valve trim, also from GROHE, and features easy single-handle operation and the brand-exclusive GROHE StarLight chrome finish that is soil and scratch resistant for easy maintenance.

Lining the bathroom walls are black and white Izumo and Yuki glazed porcelain tile borders from INAX. Each tastefully designed tile—elongated in shape and placed vertically on the restroom walls—distinctively defines the space. The contrast of light and dark across the complex leverages the Japanese aesthetic of shadow to generate an aura of subtlety.

One of many traditional Japanese buildings on the Portland Japanese Garden path, surrounded by soothing natural landscapes. Strolling through, the visitor is mentally whisked away to another place and time.

A trip to the Portland Japanese Garden is a cultural education in every sense. Once visitors step into the enchanting Garden, they are transported thousands of miles away to an authentic Japanese setting. And it doesn’t end there. The exquisite plumbing products provided by LIXIL—from their American Standard, DXV, GROHE and INAX brands—do their part in transforming the trip from a simple visit into a complete cultural experience.

Huntington Beach, Calif. — California Faucets celebrates 30 years as a manufacturer of artisan-crafted bath and kitchen fixtures. Over the course of three decades, California Faucets has helped shape the direction of the industry, offering a versatile mix of game-changing products that look and function better. At the same time, the manufacturer has remained true to its roots by focusing on old-fashioned customer service and efficient turnaround on custom orders of its premium-quality products.

California Faucets’ history of innovation has resulted in products and technologies that have shifted the industry’s approaches to both design and performance. Most notable among those is StyleDrain®, the first decorative shower drain with fast-flow efficiency. StyleDrain transformed a category that was once restricted to lackluster, industrial-like drains into a sleek focal point. The industry took notice of California Faucets’ innovations, recognizing StyleDrain and line extensions StyleDrain® Tile and CeraLine® with numerous awards, including three prestigious Best of Year (BoY) Awards from Interior Design (ID) magazine.

A fourth ID award was bestowed upon ZeroDrain®, the world’s first “pop-down” lavatory drain that turns a utilitarian product into a sleek design statement; the drain sits flush with the sink instead of awkwardly protruding. A one-finger touch opens and closes ZeroDrain, which makes installing and cleaning it fast and easy. Another breakthrough was California Faucets’ StyleTherm®, which brought advanced thermostatic technology, previously limited to the luxury market, into an affordable price point suitable for every bathroom in the home. Thanks to creative engineering and years of development, StyleTherm offers a range of features unavailable with pressure balance systems, including dialing-in to exact temperatures, no diverter valve required to toggle between shower applications, independent volume operation for each application, anti-scald protection, and a higher water flow rate.

Along with its reputation for innovation, California Faucets prides itself on its culture rooted in old-fashioned values and fine craftsmanship. With the mantra, “artisan hands, not mass produced,” the manufacturer continues to deliver custom-built, handcrafted solid-brass fixtures in 30-plus hand-produced finishes, even as it has gradually expanded in size and industry footprint.

The wide array of finishes, including 15 decorative PVD finishes with a lifetime guarantee against tarnishing, establish the brand as a world leader in PVD while playing an important role in the manufacturer’s ability to satisfy most any design vision. In essence, by offering the ability to customize any spout in any handle in any finish, California Faucets presents users with nearly limitless design freedom.

“Thanks to my father, Fred Silverstein, California Faucets was founded in 1988 with core values of delivering high-quality decorative faucets in a timely fashion supported by superior customer service. Thirty years later, these principles remain the core of our company culture,” says Jeff Silverstein, President & CEO. “Of course, while the DNA of our company hasn’t changed, we’ve evolved immensely in terms of innovation, technology, and design,” he says, noting that three family members are by his side in their dedication to ensuring the handmade faucet company his father built continues to evolve and thrive. In order of seniority, they include Jeff’s cousin Noah Taft, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales; his sisters, Tina Silverstein, who handles the company’s digital marketing and Sue Cuthbert, who recently joined as the new product launch coordinator. “Overall, we’ve created a formula that has gratifyingly resulted in stellar growth and an ability to continue delivering our luxury designer fittings on a grander scale. I’m proud that we’ve accomplished this growth and continue to be a leader in innovation all while sticking true to the roots my father established three decades ago.”

Fred Silverstein’s cultural vision also is reflected in the company’s devotion to its Huntington Beach home base, where it employs 180 people and has earned the coveted, “Made in California” designation. “We’re extremely proud to do all of our own design, engineering, finishing, and assembly right here in Huntington Beach,” says Noah Taft, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales. “In fact, California Faucets employs more American labor per faucet sold than almost any other faucet manufacturer, a detail that is just as important to the company’s legacy as our reputation for innovation and craftsmanship.”

To see more innovations and artisanship from California Faucets’ storied history, visit www.californiafaucets.com.

Des Plaines, Ill. — Geberit North America has released an updated version of its Bathe in Style brochure showcasing its full line of cable-operated Bath Waste and Overflows (BWOs), including PushControl™, TurnControl™, and the integrated Cascading Tub Filler and Drain. The brochure features new product images and a condensed format that streamlines product information.

The brochure details the benefits of Geberit BWOs, which are easy to operate and feature sleek designs that enhance the beauty and functionality of any bathtub. The PushControl™ BWO is self-adjusting and operates with a simple push. PushControl™ features a thin, elegant design and adapts easily to any bath thickness. PushControl™ has set the standard for bathtub draining by receiving the prestigious IF Award from the International Design Forum.

The TurnControl™ BWO offers unparalleled simplicity and sleekness, and is easy to operate with a drain that opens and closes with a one-eighth turn of the contoured handle.

The metal Cascading Tub Filler and Drain is an integrated system that includes a BWO, combining the functionality of filling and draining in one component. It fills the tub quickly – 18 gallons per minute – with virtually no splash, and provides years of effective and trouble-free service.

The Bathe in Style brochure displays the full line of contemporary color and finish choices for Geberit BWOs, including the exclusive and guaranteed ForeverShine™ finish available for select models.

To learn more about Geberit and its products, please contact your Geberit sales representative, call 800-566-2100 or visit geberit.us.

Download Bathe in Style at http://www.geberitnorthamerica.com/media/local_media/_imported/brochures/GNA7005.pdf