Kitchen & Bath
Galley Workstation
Formerly known as the Galley Sink, Carly Miller says the renamed Galley Workstation is “so much more than a sink. It’s changing the way people use their kitchens.”
Miller says that Bella Domicile originally installed a Galley Workstation in its showroom hoping clients would like what they saw. The workstation features a large trough sink, available in four lengths from 3 to 7 feet, and has a series of accessories—cutting boards, racks, bowls, colanders—that slide on tracks to maximize workspace and efficiency. Designers should anticipate using custom cabinets to accommodate the sink’s size.
“Using the Galley requires that homeowners change their mindset,” Miller says. And designers must alter their approach to kitchen layout too. Miller says that the Galley works best when installed in an island where home cooks can interact with family and guests while cooking, or when the Galley is set up as a buffet. “The whole concept,” she notes, “is to bring your family together so that the cook is not off in a corner of the kitchen away from everyone else.” In fact, with a Galley Workstation in the Bella Domicile showroom, Miller says some visitors have come in specifically to look at the sink, allowing it to bring homeowners and remodelers together as well.
“The manufacturer has a wonderful website with videos,” she says. “Once you see the Galley in action, you start to think, ‘How will this work for me?’”
Carly Miller, design consultant
Bella Domicile
Madison, Wis.
Kohler Digital Thermostatic Valve
This valve replaces traditional shower handles with a digital display. The DTV lets users set water temperature and maintain it, for example, if one person is in the shower and another is using the sink.
Chad Hatfield often suggests the technology for high-end master baths. “It’s clean—there aren’t a lot of valves showing,” he says. “We can use this in a traditional or a modern shower, and anything in between. People love it and it’s easy to use.”
Hatfield discovered the product in his search for ways to keep the shower area uncluttered. “I don’t like a lot of valve handles and appliances showing in the shower,” he says. The DTV eliminates the need to find matching valves for handshower, fixed shower head, thermostatic valve, and transfer valve.
DTV models accommodate anywhere from two up to six devices, such as a shower and rain-head or shower and handheld; the controller can be put anywhere within 15 feet of the actual valve; and cost is comparable to a thermostatic valve with a diverter.
Chad Hatfield, owner
Hatfield Builders & Remodelers
Dallas
Schluter Systems
Jonas Carnemark specifies a lot of linear drains for zero-threshold showers and is a fan of Schluter Systems’ products for drains, waterproofing, and tile edges. He particularly likes the Kerdi bonded waterproof membrane, which adheres to the large integrated bonding flange at the top of the drain assembly to form a complete waterproof system.
Schluter-Ditra, a polyethylene membrane with a grid structure, acts as both waterproofing membrane and uncoupling layer and is another favorite. “Tile installed over Schluter-Ditra eliminates the need for additional structural layers,” Carnemark says. “I’ve relied on Ditra for years to provide flush or low transitions between tile and other floor surfaces.”
He’s so happy with Schluter’s array of tile solutions that his subs know to price it all out automatically.
Jonas Carnemark, principal designer
Carnemark Design + Build
Bethesda, Md.