Shea McGee Has Loved This Faucet Style Since Her Very First Reno

Sonja Morgan, a cast member of *The Real Housewives of New York City*, has openly shared her positive experiences since relocating from her spacious Upper East Side townhouse to a more manageable high-rise apartment in Manhattan's Columbus Circle neighborhood. She expresses that vacating the townhouse has provided her with emotional and physical liberation, allowing her to dedicate more time to personal endeavors such as spending time with friends and her daughter, and focusing on her fashion designs. Morgan notes that her current role as a landlord for her former townhouse means she handles necessary tasks and then departs, a significant change from the daily maintenance of the large property. Despite the newfound ease, Morgan admits to missing certain luxurious aspects of her previous 4,650-square-foot residence, particularly its well-appointed bathrooms. The townhouse boasted five bedrooms and five-and-a-half bathrooms, offering amenities she cherished. In a recent update to her followers on Instagram, Morgan revealed that she has successfully recreated one of these cherished amenities in her new apartment: a high-tech bidet. She enthusiastically shared that she had been missing the bidet functionality since moving, and a company named Cowaymega provided her with a new one. Her new bidet, described as a "booty-washing toilet," comes with a range of advanced features. Morgan highlighted its ease of installation on most standard toilets, its heated seat function, and its self-cleaning capabilities. Furthermore, the bidet is eco-friendly and includes both washing and drying functions, which she categorizes as a significant luxury. This addition allows her to enjoy a similar level of comfort and sophistication in her more compact living space, bridging the gap between the amenities of her grand townhouse and the practicality of her current apartment. #SonjaMorgan #RealHousewivesOfNewYorkCity #HomeDesign #Bidet #LuxuryBathroom #ApartmentLiving #ColumbusCircle #RealityTV

The 2026 Bath Trends Report by the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) highlights personalization as the primary driver for upcoming bathroom design trends. Bathrooms are transitioning from generic luxury spaces to highly customized environments that reflect individual lifestyles, routines, and aesthetic preferences. While earthy color palettes and natural materials continue to form the foundation of many bathroom styles, the evolving trends focus on complementary updates that introduce warmth, enhanced character, and functional personalization. One significant trend is the incorporation of warm accents. Homeowners are increasingly seeking designs that are both elevated and attainable. Peter Wells, a senior principal designer with Amerock, notes that warm metals like brushed brass, gold, and bronze, combined with organic materials, achieve a balance of sophistication and comfort. Softer finishes for hardware are preferred over highly polished sheens, and rich metals will also be prominent in lighting and plumbing fixtures. Natural accents such as cognac-hued leather and modern wood grains will amplify the effect of these metallic finishes. Textured accents, including leather-wrapped pulls and fluted glass, reinforce a refined and luxurious look, pairing seamlessly with neutral, earthy color palettes. This trend extends to countertop accessories, which will also embrace these textures, materials, and warm undertones. Eye-catching faucets are also emerging as a key trend. The NKBA Bath Trends Report indicates that faucets will become visual elements that inject personal style into primary baths. Jamie Chappell, VP of brand and product at Fireclay Tile, anticipates style-forward updates to everyday plumbing fixtures, with faucets and showerheads evolving into functional art pieces featuring expressive silhouettes and tactile details. New product lines like Fireclay’s Foundry Collection, which offers Pebble and Groove handle options for faucets and showers in various ceramic colors and finishes, exemplify this move toward personalized, sculptural design. Microcement surfaces represent another emerging trend. Designer Denise Merbeth of Denise Merbeth, LLC, points to the use of microcement, a textured decorative coating inspired by traditional Moroccan Tadelakt plaster. This waterproof material can be applied to virtually any bathroom surface, including over existing tile, and is easy to clean. Its mix of textures and neutral colors makes it suitable for diverse styles, from minimalist to contemporary rustic. Merbeth explains that microcement and similar plaster styles support organic modern aesthetics by providing minimal visual clutter and continuous colors and materials, adding subtle movement through simple surfaces when applied in warm neutral hues. Craftsmanship-forward hardware is also making a comeback. While minimalist designs have dominated in recent years, leading to sleek and practical cabinet hardware, personalization is now driving a shift toward more intricate details. Wells notes that knurling, fluting, coined edges, and hammered finishes are becoming popular. These subtle yet impactful details signify precision and quality craftsmanship, aligning with the rise of 'quiet luxury.' Hardware that feels bespoke and intentional transforms everyday elements like knobs and pulls into curated design moments. To achieve this aesthetic, Wells advises maintaining timeless finishes such as matte, brushed, satin, or natural appearances, allowing the craftsmanship to shine through in an understated manner. Artful tile is another significant trend. Although large-format, low-maintenance tiles have been popular, homeowners are now seeking more color and pattern to create unique spaces. Chappell observes a surge in handmade-feeling glazes with movement and complexity, as design becomes more personal and collected. Examples like Fireclay’s Manzanita Gloss add dynamic variation to simple shapes and neutral colors. Additionally, pattern tiles, including checkerboards, sweeping layouts, and mosaics in rich, moody palettes, are making a return. The 2026 NKBA Bath Trends Report confirms the growing popularity of patterned and textured tiles, with a strong demand for custom tiles on sink backsplashes, indicating a broader appeal for statement-making design elements in bath design. Individualized wellness is transforming bathrooms into highly customizable spaces designed for personal well-being. Technology allows homeowners to program plumbing fixtures to their preferences, with showers, bathtubs, toilets, and bidets offering customizable settings. This trend extends beyond personalized settings to include features that cater to individual health needs. Merbeth highlights the increasing demand for saunas for their health benefits, along with steam showers, whirlpool tubs, and even cold plunge tubs. This trend emphasizes a holistic approach to bath design, even leading homeowners to seek alternative locations within the home for wellness features if primary baths cannot accommodate them. The NKBA report anticipates future outdoor connections, such as hot tubs and cold plunge baths. Finally, ritual-driven vanities are evolving to support personal rituals and self-care routines. Bathroom storage is adapting to individual needs, with vanities embracing high-end furniture styling without sacrificing practical storage. Erin Sullivan, director of product development at James Martin Vanities, emphasizes the importance of flexible, built-in storage solutions for towels, beauty products, hair styling tools, makeup, and medication. These vanities will also feature electrical outlets and ample countertop space for daily routines. For spaces where custom vanities are not feasible, simple solutions like a floating shelf paired with a decorative mirror can create a dedicated 'beauty zone,' instantly adding personalized functionality without extensive renovation. #BathroomTrends #PersonalizedDesign #WarmAccents #EyeCatchingFaucets #MicrocementSurfaces #CraftsmanshipHardware #ArtfulTile #IndividualizedWellness #RitualDrivenVanities

Martha Stewart has partnered with Kohler, becoming the brand's first ambassador, to highlight and promote their enameled cast iron collection. This collaboration brings together Martha Stewart, a well-known figure in home improvement and gracious living, with Kohler, a heritage brand with a nearly 150-year history of innovation in plumbing fixtures. Stewart expresses her enthusiasm for the partnership, emphasizing her long-standing appreciation for enameled cast iron and its aesthetic, strength, and durability across various applications within the home. She aims to share this passion and help others discover the lasting value of Kohler's cast iron products. David Kohler, chairman and CEO of Kohler, underscores Stewart's alignment with the brand's values, noting her embodiment of quality, design, and a refined lifestyle, making her an ideal representative for Kohler Cast Iron's distinctive character. Kohler's history dates back to 1883 when John Michael Kohler repurposed a cast iron horse trough into the company's first enameled bath. Over the years, the brand has expanded its offerings to include a wide range of cast iron products for bathrooms and kitchens, such as shower bases, bathroom sinks, and kitchen sinks, all designed to blend functionality with aesthetic appeal. The article showcases several examples from Kohler's cast iron range, including the Artifacts™ freestanding bath, described as a worthwhile investment that can elevate any bathroom with its monochromatic design. Another featured product is the Iron Plains® bathroom sink, available in a vibrant green, suggested as an ideal accent to neutralize spaces. For kitchens, the Whitehaven® kitchen sink is highlighted as a fitting option for farmhouse-style interiors, offering a white finish, a sloped bottom, and ample space for washing larger items like pots and pans. A core aspect of Kohler's cast iron collection is its commitment to sustainability and style. The materials used in these products contain at least 80% recycled content, reflecting an environmentally conscious approach. The designs available cater to a variety of tastes, ranging from contemporary to traditional, encompassing classic elements like clawfoot tubs and modern farmhouse sinks. Each piece is handcrafted and comes with Kohler’s Limited Lifetime Warranty, assuring consumers of their resistance to chipping, cracking, and burns, thereby positioning them as durable and valuable long-term investments for any home. As part of her ambassadorship, Martha Stewart is slated to headline the Kohler Food & Wine Festival, scheduled to take place in Kohler, Wisconsin, from October 16th to 19th, 2025. This event will further promote the brand and its offerings, allowing consumers to engage with the products and the Martha Stewart-Kohler collaboration directly. The article encourages readers to explore Kohler's cast iron range on their website, suggesting that these products can significantly enhance the bathroom experience. #MarthaStewart #Kohler #CastIron #HomeImprovement #BathroomDesign #KitchenDesign #EnameledCastIron #InteriorDesign #LuxuryHome