We love a good budget renovation, but if you're a multi-millionaire celebrity or a Wall Street mogul looking to redo your kitchen and bath in style, you want the best you can afford. For all you high rollers out there, here's our superstar source list.
- BISAZZA: Since 1958, they've been combining modern technologies with age-old Venetian glass tile-making techniques. Their lines are pricey, but the quality is exceptional and the range of colors and choices is huge.
- BULTHAUP: German company Bulthaup is a leading high-end source for modern, minimal kitchen systems. Every kitchen is custom (in other words high quality and expensive), designed to fit snugly into the architecture of your space.
- AXOR: This is the high-end division of German plumbing company Hansgrohe. Axor works with contemporary designers like Patricia Urquiola, the Bouroullec Brothers, and Antonio Citterio to produce bathroom sinks, tubs, and fixtures. Shown above: Axor Urquiola.
- DURAVIT: Not everything they sell is expensive, but they work closely with designers like Philippe Starck and Norman Foster to produce modern ceramic sinks, tubs, and toilets. Their most expensive collections are refined and sculpted by hand at their factory in Germany.
- BOFFI: This company is an international trend-setter in the world of bathroom design, and they've worked with greats like Joe Colombo. They maintain a New York showroom (designed by Piero Lissoni) in SoHo, as well as multiple European locations.
- POLIFORM | VARENNA: This Italian company has been around since 1942, and their trademark is high-end modular storage solutions. They have a line of Italian-made modern designer kitchens called "Varenna." Shown above: Twelve Kitchen by Carlo Colombo.
- TOTO: This Japanese company is a leader in the field of "sanitation technology" — a euphemism that refers to development of high-tech bidets. Their toilets are so advanced that some models can stream music while shooting waterjets and putting on a light show... you think I'm kidding, but I'm not. When it first debuted, the Neorest 550 Toilet cost $5,000, but the price has since come down to $3,705.
- ROHL: This American company works with specialists around the world to perfect faucets and fixtures. In person, their pieces are stunning — fixtures go through multiple coatings to create a deep, translucent finish. They have gold-plated faucets that run as high as $10k, although most of their inventory is well below that mark. Shown above is the Empire collection in platinum finish.
- LAUFEN: Headquartered in Switzerland, this bathroom fixture company has international distribution. They make ceramic sinks, bidets, and toilets — all crafted with what they describe as "Swiss precision."
- KOHLER: This Wisconsin-based company has a range of prices and levels — some high, some low — but the quality is consistently good. They own several kitchen and bath brands, including Robern, Kallista, and Ann Sacks. Shown above: Kohler K-2333-1 Botticelli 22" Marble Vessel Lavatory Sink with Single Faucet Hole, $2,777.
Images: As linked above
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I really want the light show toilet for some reason... Although I think I'd prefer a light show shower.
I have a client who bought that Toto toilet.
The lid raises as you walk up to it.
There's heat, music, air, water -- it's the first time I've had to use my electrician to install a toilet.
And the retail price is $5000.
Forgive me for being snarky, but $5000 for a toilet makes me think that some people have too much money.
The lid coming up when you walk near the Toto is pretty funny; we installed one in a house I worked on. People kept walking past it just to make it go up and down. Very entertaining and silly.
Another expensive company of products not mentioned on this list would be Dornbracht. In case you want to drop $2000 to $10000 on some plumbing fixtures: http://www.dornbracht.com/en/
I love Bisazza and have been drooling over them for ages, their colours are fab.
I really want to use them the bathroom in my new place. It's a really small bathroom so it shouldn't be too bad.
I like the glass tile from Bisazza and the tub from duravit with the bookshelves behind it is every bath-taking loving, book readers dream!
jac7890: that's hilarious! was your electrician amused?
The Axor bath/bathroom there is totally gorgeous. That is now my future bathroom. Plants and the light semi translucent screen.. Not that I would be able to afford the bath but you know, good to have inspiration!
I hope these people spend all their off time alone in their bathroom...
I like the wall mounted toilet, easier to clean the floor but then again, these folks may not actually do their own cleaning.
Also digging the kitchen with the huge drawers in the island.
I don't understand the bookshelves and the rocker in the bathroom. Is this a combo bathroom/reading nook? Or does one spouse keep the other company while catching up on some reading while the other one is relaxing in the tub.
I would pee my pants laughing if I ever visited a house where the toilet anticipated my arrival.
That said, we do have a Toto in each of our renovated bathrooms - just a standard type toilet - but those things flush like no other. And my two year old notices toilet brands and if he ever goes potty in, say, his auntie's American Standard, he points and says, "Toto, no!". A total snob.
That's too funny about the toto-snob! :-D
We have a Duravit (a Starck wall-mount); I wonder if he'd approve?
Seriously, I love the Boffi taps, but the rest is just too much for me... (Our kitchen is a knock-off of a Varenna, made by our carpenter; no way could we afford the original!)