Fall is nearly here: Sept. 23 marks the official start of autumn. Football season has begun. Leaves are starting to turn. And as the outdoor foliage changes color, a change in homeowner color preferences for the kitchen and bathroom is becoming evident. Consumers are heading to the “dark side” by choosing dark woods, rich paint colors and dark finishes for faucets and accessories, according to Moen. The company noted that sales of its oil-rubbed bronze finish increased 328% between 2004 and 2005, while polished brass dipped by more than 60% and white finishes dropped off by 20%. Pictured is Moen’s Camerist single-handle kitchen faucet with pullout spout in oil-rubbed bronze. For more on this subject, see the This ’N That section.

Marc Nover

Blanco America named Marc Nover president. He succeeds Chuck Burhans , who is retiring after heading the company since 1996. Most recently Nover was general manager at Villeroy & Boch USA’s Bath, Kitchen & Tile Division. His 20-year career in the decorative plumbing industry also includes a senior management role with American Standard.

Larry Miller

Decolav hired Larry Miller as its first vice president of operations. Most recently Miller was vice president of Europe operations at the Formica Corp. Before that, he served as Formica’s plant general manager for North America.

Bob Day

In other news, Decolav hired Bob Day as its first director of quality assurance. Most recently, Day was the director of corporate quality assurance and technical services for Grindmaster Corp. He has nearly 30 years of global experience in corporate quality, technical and field services, and compliance standards.

West Columbia, SC-based Cregger Co. opened a Design On Tap offsite decorative plumbing showroom in Murrells Inlet, SC, in August (pictured). More than 200 local home builders, plumbing contractors, interior designers and architects attended a cocktail reception at the grand opening. This is their fourth offsite showroom and it is located directly on Hwy 17 Bypass, the major artery along South Carolina’s Grand Strand. The new 3,200-sq.-ft. showroom features 18 functioning shower and rain heads, two working steam showers, and a large working kitchen faucet display.

The Fuller House kitchen and bath showroom, a division of Murray Supply Co., Winston-Salem, NC, sponsored a meeting of the American Society of Interior Designers (pictured) in Raleigh, NC, in September, with help from Hansgrohe. Dana Finch, showroom manager for The Fuller House, met with designers and distributed information about the showroom and Hansgrohe products.

Vendor News

Jaclo appointed Imperial Decorative Hardware as its exclusive Canadian distributor. Imperial has a 10,000-sq.-ft. distribution center in St. Laurent, Quebec. The distributor also carries products by Villeroy & Boch, Jado, Fusion and Classic Brass. Its mix includes bath accessories, decorative knobs and pulls, faucets and luxury fixtures. In addition to the trade showroom, Imperial Decorative Hardware services an independent dealer network in all major cities across Canada. Imperial’s outside sales representatives will set up new Jaclo dealers in Canada.

Jay Rambo Co. , a custom cabinetry manufacturer, was honored with the “Peterson Innovation” award presented by the SEN Design Group during the organization’s National Fall Conference held in Garden Grove, CA (pictured). The honor is the second ever awarded since 2004 when the award was established during the organization’s 10th anniversary to recognize a leading manufacturer in the SEN Design Group who is an effective marketer and trainer, and is committed to creating innovative products. Jay Rambo Co. was awarded in recognition of the manufacturer’s pioneering of entertainment cabinetry, furniture grade closets and outdoor kitchens.

Basco Shower Enclosures’ Basco University training program won a Crystal Achievement from Glass Magazine in the Best Plants, small/medium company category. The Crystal Achievement Awards, the “Oscar” of the glass industry, recognize significant achievements in architectural glass technology, manufacturing and marketing. A panel of 28 industry professionals selected Basco from a pool of 95 nominations.

Premier Faucet announced the immediate availability of its new full-line faucet catalog (pictured). The 50-page, full-color catalog highlights 193 kitchen, lavatory, tub/shower, and bar faucets organized into nine new collections. In 2007, Premier launched over 100 new products, including kitchen pull-down faucets, vessel filler faucets, showerheads, vessel sinks, vanities, mirrors, vanity lighting and bath accessories — all featured in the new catalog.

A project containing Chicago Faucets products was recently recognized with a Modernization Award from Buildings Magazine . The project, Syracuse Technology Garden in Syracuse, NY, submitted by QPK Design Architects/Engineers, received a Citation of Excellence. More than 65 project innovations were submitted and reviewed by the preliminary judging committee that established criteria based on aesthetics, function, performance and sustainability.

Fagor America Inc., a high-end European appliance designer, has announced a partnership with Berloni, a designer of Italian kitchens. This partnership brings together the design of stainless steel appliances with European cabinetry.

Green Street

A Florida contracting firm, Mark Baker LLC, is attempting to build the greenest home in the world, a 3,500-sq.-ft. “Near Zero-Energy Home” and “Near Zero-Runoff Home” they call “ Florida’s Showcase Green Envirohome” (pictured). American Standard is donating a FloWise high-efficiency toilet, 1.5 gpm showerheads and aerators, as well as sinks and bathroom furniture consoles to the project. Other innovations in the home mechanical systems include a gray-water recycling system, solar air conditioning, wind generator and solar water heater.

The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) has launched its Green Certified Professional (GCP) certification in conjunction with an alliance with GreenHomeGuide, an online source for greening the home. Homeowners seeking to remodel green will be able to find local NARI GCPs in GreenHomeGuide’s green directory. In addition, GreenHomeGuide and NARI will jointly develop continuing education programs for NARI members.

Jaclo has created a collection of low-flow showerheads (pictured) and handshowers that feature advanced technology that incorporates flow regulators, keeping the pressure and flow of the water strong. The company reports that the showerheads and handshowers distribute 1.75 gallons per minute compared to the 2.5 gpm standard.

A growing share of homeowners are concerned with utility costs, which has led to an increase in demand for energy-efficient solutions, greater popularity of home offices, along with healthy business conditions in the home improvement sector.  These findings are from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Home Design Trend Survey for the second quarter of 2007 that focused on systems, technologies and functional rooms in the home. A recent AIA poll revealed that 91% of registered voters said they would be willing to pay $5,000 more for a house that would use less energy and protect the Earth. Read more here.

Another survey conducted by AIA found that although buildings produce nearly half of all greenhouse gas emissions contributing to global warming, 40% of voters believe cars and trucks are the highest contributors, compared to just 7% who accurately identified buildings as the top cause of emissions. Read more here.

Sustainable Facility, a new publication from the editors and publishers of Environmental Design + Construction (ED+C) and Sustainable Home magazines, will debut in October to more than 30,000 BPA-audited facility and energy management subscribers. The magazine will publish twice in 2007 with editorial content written for professionals overseeing commercial, institutional, industrial and government facilities. Editorial content will include all phases of commercial resource conservation unique to the “green” facility community, including alternative energy, building automation efficiency, sustainable design/build techniques for interiors and envelopes, and water conservation techniques, among others.

Overwhelmed with information and nonstop technology? BNP Media, publisher of Supply House Times magazine, offers eight ways to help you use new media to transform your business in 2008. Full story >>

This Cregger Co. showroom exhibits the popular dark finishes in fixtures, floors and cabinetry.

Moving To The Dark Side With Finishes
“Consumers want everything in their home to coordinate, from the walls to the lighting, to the fixtures and appliances,” according to Judy Riley, Moen ’s vice president of design. “With dark colors becoming increasingly popular, even the faucets need to tie in with this look.”

Moen reports that recent sales figures demonstrate dramatic increases in oil-rubbed bronze and wrought iron finishes, while sales of its Glacier (white) and polished brass finishes are decreasing.

“From 2004 through 2005, oil-rubbed bronze finishes had a 328% increase in sales,” Riley noted. “At that same time, we saw polished brass dip by more than 60% and consumer preference for white finishes drop off by 20%.”

Paint companies are offering shades for walls and trim that exemplify strong worldly colors, as well as relaxed earthen tones.

According to Peggy Van Allen, Pratt & Lambert Paints color specialist, “Color is vital in a home and should be used to create a bridge between furnishings and accessories, while setting the overall mood of a room.”

Palettes that include rich browns, deep blues, wine reds, blacks and greens make dramatic color statements that convey warmth and sophistication, according to Moen.

The trend is also evident in home furnishings. More furniture is being painted black or shown in deep chestnut or cherry finishes. Tables, chairs and shelving are displayed in darker colors. This extends to cabinets for the kitchen and bath.

According to Aristokraft, cabinetry styles and finishes are driven by furniture trends and consumer desire to have a similar theme or color style throughout their home.

BNP Media Acquires Professional Services Division Of Ascend Media
BNP Media, publisher of Supply House Times magazine, has announced the acquisition of the Professional Services Division of Ascend Media, which includes the Food, Beverage and Packaging Group (Deerfield, IL) and the Gaming Group (Las Vegas) of magazines, conferences, Web sites and events.

“All of the titles have been well managed by an excellent staff that has integrated print advertising, events and online media. We now have robust products for any customer looking to reach each and every corner of the food, beverage, packaging and gaming markets,” said Taggart Henderson, co-CEO of BNP Media.

“We've been extremely impressed with the way the Professional Services Division team has evolved and grown into a diversified B2B media business. As part of BNP Media, it will have an even more compelling strategic fit that will allow the team and their brands to build on this year’s impressive growth rate,” said Cam Bishop, president and CEO of Ascend Media.

American Standard Announces Plumber Superhero Contest
American Standard has announced its Plumber Superhero Contest, which runs through Dec. 15, 2007, and is open to all professional plumbers in the United States. The company is inviting plumbers to share their heroic on-the-job stories for a chance to star as the superhero in a specially designed comic book that tells how they fixed a homeowner’s toilet woes. The contest was inspired by the company’s just-released plumber superhero comic book (pictured), which is available online at www.plumberprotects.com.

Plumbing/Hydronics Symposium At AHR Expo
The 2nd Annual AHR Expo Plumbing/Hydronics Symposium, “PM Live,” will be held January 22, 2008, in New York City. The symposium is sponsored by Plumbing & Mechanical magazine. Industry superstars John Siegenthaler, P.E., and Dan Holohan will come together for a one-day hydronic heating seminar, and a second session featuring Ellen Rohr and Al Levi will focus on how to grow your contracting business. Check www.pmmag.com for more information on the event.

Golden Opportunity
Some manufacturers are going for the gold in bathroom faucets and fittings. The finish works well in either a classical or contemporary space.

MGS offers a gold lav set in a modern matte gold finish that features its signature handles with flat, angled tips, sliced from across the cylinder to create a dramatically slanted face.

Stone Forest ’s Bronze Chalice (pictured with the Emotion lav handle) provides an organic burst of metallic with natural panache.