Parade of Homes

FASHIONABLE FIXTURES — Cont'd from page 97 u r b a n b a r n . c o m | Proudly Visit us online or in person at one of our 2 Winnipeg locations. 1585 Kenaston Blvd. 1594 Regent Ave. West Ticking both boxes? Low- or no- threshold showers that make it easier to access your indoor splash pad are conducive to clients of all ages. "People are planning to have their parents or in-laws live with them, so they're building granny suites — or they're planning to live in a house for that long that they're going to need accessibility," says Astrid Bergstrom, showroom manager at Robinson Bath Centre. "Low-threshold showers are very big, but even the standard shower bases we're selling, the thresholds on them are very low … they're literally a little bump." Prevailing toilet trends are also predicated on comfort, and while's there's been an uptick in requests for space-saving tank-less models, the primary consideration remains ease of access. Witness the popularity of elongated, comfort-height models with slow- closing lids and built-in bidet features. (Bergstrom and Driscoll both note dual-flush toilets never caught on in Manitoba, but confirm all their clients want thrones that are tailor-made for kings and queens.) Or the predilection for stand-alone tubs — many intended as statement pieces, as opposed to functional soakers — that can be paired with chandeliers or pendant lighting to achieve a dramatic, drop-down effect. On the fixture front, black is indeed back — more specifically, matte black and satiny gold combos that blend the opulence of the 1980s with current industrial trends. "It started in the kitchen, then it went to the powder room, then the en suite," says Bergstrom. "This year, I'm quoting on a job where the whole house is black, top to bottom. Trims, the roller bars, handles, everything — black and gold is huge; we even have shower doors on display that are black and gold." Not every trend looks to the past, however. Many of today's upgrades involve comforts that wouldn't have been imaginable a few decades ago. 98 Parade of Homes Spring 2020

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