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As the Coming Home In New England Showhouse approaches completion, the designers and builder’s attention turned toward finishing the house’s three bathrooms.
 The baths focus on comfort and tend toward the traditional in this showhouse. Diane Hyland, showroom manager at Frank Webb’s Bath Center in Gloucester and a 15+ year veteran of the industry, specified traditional fixtures throughout the house, including the Heritage line by American Standard in the master bath (including the whirlpool), a Woodpro cherry vanity, and a (decidedly unpuritanical) multi-spray shower. Upstairs, one bath features American Standard’s Town Square line. Taking a lesson from durable kitchen countertops, this bathroom has Corian walls, which Hyland says are easier to clean than tile, are more durable, but still look stately, clean, and traditional.
The main upstairs bath has what you’d swear was an iron tub. “It’s American Standard’s version of cast iron,” says Hyland. “Made of American Standard’s exclusive Americast material, it looks like cast iron but weighs half as much. It’s more chip-resistant and has better heat retention.” For this bath, Hyland chose a china console by Porcher instead of a vanity; the mirror and other accessories are by Ginger.
If you’re thinking about redesigning your own bath, Hyland suggests you start an idea folder—fill it with magazine photos, brochures, and other information. Decide whether you’re satisfied with the current layout of the room, she says, then set a realistic budget and stop by a showroom, like Frank Webb’s Bath Center, to get ideas. “People have a tendency to know what they don’t like, but don’t really know what they do like,” she says. When you’re ready for a contractor, Hyland suggests you get referrals from friends or relatives. Patience is especially virtuous when it comes to home remodeling: “A good contractor is worth waiting for...”
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“A Buderus high efficiency hydronic system using Watts Radiant’s in-floor heating complete with an indirect hot water heater; a York 13 SEER split heating and cooling system, and all of this managed by Taco’s unique control system.”