Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/37509
live at home Styling a Create a space that is functional for all ages, friendly to the earth and high on style with these trendy options from Doug Widish at Madison’s Gerhard’s Showroom By Ashley Finke Customize it: Find what fi ts your needs and personality. Custom showers are the “it” thing—but often come with a high price tag. Plan your own showering space on a budget by incorporating the newest trends in full-stream shower heads, massaging body-sprayers and doors, such as the popular textured glass options. Other hot choices are vessel or bowl sinks (especially to jazz up a small powder room) and vanities built to resemble stand-alone furniture pieces rather than cabinets. Go Green: It’s not only about saving water, it’s about saving money. Low-fl ush toilets and low-fl ow shower heads are top-sellers and work the same, if not better, than their counterparts while looking just as stylish. You’ll not only be feeling green, you’ll be seeing green in your wallet thanks to your lower water bill. A New Nest with Resource Robin Tag along on a journey to build a smarter home, locally Month 4: Your Bath’s Future By Robin Pharo I’ve had water on my mind all month, from picking new fi xtures to wrestling with the options in treatment, fi ltration and conservation. Honestly, with water so plentiful in the Midwest, I don’t feel we think enough about water usage. But throughout the country water is becoming a scarce resource, and conserving it locally helps us share the wealth with immediate returns to our wallets. We pay to use water— to heat, treat, transport and dispose of it— and fi nding ways to conserve water saves money as well. According to the Wisconsin Public Ser- vice Commission, the per customer me- dian volume of water usage in gallons has declined more than 12 percent over the past fi ve years, even though the number of customers has increased by 4.5 percent. Th at is a statistic we hope to build on with the House of the Future. One step is fi nding fi xtures that are func- tional, fashionable and conserve our water. Unfortunately not all new technologies, or even all types of fi xtures, can make a dif- ference. Just because a product claims to be using “advanced technology” doesn’t always translate into saving water. We have to evaluate the many new tech- nologies in a different way. In energy ef- fi ciency, we evaluate how many kilowatt hours a product uses, whereas in water we are typically using however many gallons per minute (or per use) a product requires. So how do you fi nd the right ones? First Grow in Place: Age in your home with style. Think beyond the industrial options for accessible bathrooms and look to features that allow for independence. Comfort height toilets, grab bars, tilt mirrors and shower seats are gaining creative points thanks to fresh fi nishes and modern designs. But the newest must-have for bathroom functionality is a walk-in tub, such as Kohler’s Rising Wall Tub, that boasts all the bells and whistles you deserve as you age. 18 BRAVA Magazine July 2011 and foremost, look for fi xtures that have the EPA Water Sense Label because of its rigorous certifi cation process that ensures a product’s effi ciency, performance and quality. When there is a strong program like Water Sense, it makes product selec- tion easy—at least for our fi xtures. Stay tuned for more of our water conservation choices as the House of the Future contin- ues to grow! Watch the House of the Future become a reality by following the link at bravamagazine.com.