by Louis Postel | Showboats International, July 2015
Wed the spirit of water to the spirit of light and out comes a mega yacht! Or a custom faucet. Or to look at it from another perspective, if a yacht is indeed a woman, jewelry for the bath can make or break her presentation.
Especially when counter-poised with stripped-down minimalism. Case in point: last year’s Academy Award appearance of Australian actress Cate Blanchett — how her understated, low-key dress set off a show-stopping bling bib by Tiffany, a statement piece studded with diamonds, aquamarines and turquoise, that captured “the effect of sunlight reflected through water,” according to the New York Times.
Playing with Dolphins. As baths become hyphenated into bath-spas, bath-retreats, bath-sanctuaries, and bath-gyms, it’s good to have a constant companions like these to share in its many delights, even if they occasionally run hot and cold. Dolphin Basin set, sand cast, hand-chased brass finished in antique 24 caret gold plate at P.E. Guerin’s New York foundry, from P.E. Guerin, Item #10201, $10,285.
Your Stainless Key to Outdoor Showering Sensuality
Everyone knows that showering outside in the hot sun can be better than sex. But who knew that in the area surrounding Lake Maggiore, there’s a flourishing faucet industry? And who knew that most stainless steel faucets are brass or cast metal with only a stainless steel coating? That truly solid stainless steel’s non-porous surface has a natural protective coating of chromium oxide that insures its hygienic qualities practically forever?. Which is to say – if it’s ever damaged, it the chromium oxide coating allows it to heal itself pronto? So leave it to Marcello, the entrepreneur, his friend Giulo, an industrial designer, and Stephen, a Swiss manager, to forge a fixture business called MGS in 1997, which taps into the utility, eco-friendliness and industrial chic of solid of stainless steel right there at the very foot of the Alps. http://www.mgstaps.com/
Beware your guests may never leave. These lotuses are certainly tempting to touch, but the great mega yacht captain Ulysses had a real problem getting them out of the hands of his sailors gobbling up the fruit on an enchanted island. One bite, said Homer, and the men forgot all about going home. Ulysses had to literally drag them back to the ship. Fleur de Lotus from Serdaneli, Paris with hand-carved, crystal, amber-colored hand-wheels with gold-plated brass faucets, 2620 euros.
We’ll glow when you go. In 1960 big money from the Pentagon fueled the invention of the Internet. In October of last year, a leading French atelier for the bath, THG, leveraged the yachting world’s huge resources to made a comparable breakthrough in bath bling, partnering with M/Y designer Remi Tessier (Kahalani 54m, Salute 56m) and Baccarat to create LED- illuminated hand wheels. Beckoning like candles, THG dubs its new collection Beyond Crystal. “We wouldn’t attempt these innovations on our own,” says THG’s Sophie Durand. “but yachting demands it and is willing to pay for it — innovations such as this — integrating electricity and water flow is far above the level of a five star hotels.” http://thgstyle.com
Hot, Cold and Zeff right. The depth and breadth of designer Mark Zeff’s impact would appear fathomless — from his richly-appointed M/Y Fathom 45m to luxury homes, from a boutique hotels to restaurants to condos to furniture, and most recently most recently to faucets. In collaboration with Watermark Designs, a Brooklyn-based manufacturer, Zeff’s new H-Line collection does what Zeff does best: creating a narrative that links classic luxury with modern aesthetics. The handles feel weighty, even sexy, the stamped H and C on the base of the handles comfortably familiar, while at the same time the escutcheons are positively sleek and low-profile. http://www.watermark-designs.com/news_events/
Best Caption Contest Runner-up. He’s saying: “Forget your husband! Come for a ride in my junk and she’s saying “I’ve heard about you and your junk.” From Sherle Wagner International, based in New York City, hand-painted sinks in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Shown here: an under edge china basin in blue with gold-plated levers.
