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All The Kohler Faucets We Used In My Brother’s River House
One of my biggest goals around my first “new build” was ensuring that it didn’t look “builder grade,” especially since my brother wanted it to be visually simple and not “fancy.” If we didn’t customize the finishes to the exact right amount, it could look basic, but too much could look overly designed (for what they wanted). They/we wanted this house to be simple and streamlined (so not a ton of bold patterns, wild details, etc) and yet it had to feel high-end and designed (not just “selected”). She’s a big house with a lot of plumbing opportunities – 4 1/2 bathrooms, a mudroom, kitchen, and laundry room, and I needed variety in style and finish. Five years ago, I pitched Kohler my brother’s river house project because I knew that stylistically (and quality-wise) it was very aligned (they had just launched their Components line, which I had and loved at the mountain house). Their house is contemporary, warm, streamlined, with at times a slightly traditional bent, and yet every room was going to be designed just for them. When you are lucky enough to have a partner doing all of the plumbing (which is obviously not typical), it gives you an opportunity and a challenge to really stretch the design for each room. It was not one and done, folks. Here’s what we chose and why.
In February of 2022, we all met at the Kohler Experience Center in LA – Max Humphrey (who co-designed some of the rooms early on) was there for a different job, and my brother, SIL, and my family were escaping the rain for a Presidents Day weekend in Palm Springs. The showroom there is incredible and a designer’s dream – you can touch, feel, use, and look at all the finishes in person. We selected most of them for each room that day. And we did…
We had a decent idea of what we wanted before going down (otherwise, choosing them all in one day would have been very overwhelming). There were a lot of opinions and styles of sharing said opinions. Two chefs deep into their crafts, trying to cook the same meal for two customers (but I’m related to one of them). Here’s how it went down.
Me: I can make most styles and finishes work, but I have favorites, preconceived wants per room, and I have a particular way of mixing styles that requires allllll the context and other finishes to be determined. You could say: “It’s me, Hi, I’m the problem, it’s me”. (I personally think that my process works for me, but admittedly, it can be annoying.)
Max: He knows what he wants, is very opinionated, and once he decides something is the right choice, he doesn’t change his mind. Like ever. As you can imagine, our processes are so different (one could say I’m annoying with how I can waiver, question myself, question the design, etc) and this could have been a hilarious reality show that day.
My little/big brother Ken: He doesn’t care until he does. He trusts me completely, and when he really cares about something or has a strong preference, I really listen and value it. He wants things to work, function the way that makes sense to him, and not be delicate/fragile.
Katie: Like Ken, Katie trusts me a lot, mostly agrees with my opinions, and doesn’t really want to have to assert her opinions. But when she really loved or disliked something, I absolutely listened and rarely needed to push back (they didn’t want a tub in their bathroom, which I forced them to have, for instance).
The Kitchen
The kitchen has two faucets and sinks – the main island and the bar. These were the first faucets we chose and here’s why:
- Stylistically, we all agreed the Crue is very beautiful (that gooseneck arch is perfect).
- The single hole look is the preferred style in this more contemporary house.
- The one-handed lever is easiest for cooking (I have a hot and cold, and it’s fine, btw, but technically this is just easier).
- The pull-down faucet with the sprayer makes it easy to wash things without dealing with a separate fixture.
- The vibrant brushed moderne brass was their favorite over polished (I could have made either work). I like every finish, TBH, but Katie and Ken were most attracted to this finish.
Function and form, folks. This is why I love Kohler.
The Mudroom – My Brother’s Favorite Sink
The mudroom was where my brother went rogue for a second (the sink is not contemporary), and he was so enthusiastic that I happily did not rein him in. He wanted this free-standing sink somewhere in the house so badly. Max was on board, and Katie and I were hesitant (it’s so traditional for how modern everything else was), but like I said – I know that I can make (almost) anything work, and I really, really loved it on its own, so I welcomed the challenge of making it work. Also, Ken is so amenable in the design process, so when he really connected to something design-wise, I really wanted him to have it.
I think the combination of the traditional, cast iron sink with the modern cabinets looks pretty dang cool. He also really loved this more industrial pull-down faucet, which I thought felt more utility room than kitchen.
The sink also has a huge basin, the ability to put a cutting board on it, and just some fun bells and whistles. Could I have made it work in the kitchen? Maybe. But at this point, Anne had already laid out the kitchen with the sink on the island, which could work in a quirky cottage way, but felt like a stretch for this house. We love it in here.
The Downstairs Guest Bathroom
Mirror | Sconce | Vanity | Toliet Paper Holder | Faucet | Sink Handles
Remember the Components line I used in the mountain house powder bath? Well, there are even more “Components” to choose from. You can mix and match different faucet shapes (I like this arched gooseneck) and handle styles (I love these large round knobs). We put it on the blue-ish black small vanity, and it helped the quieter neutral room give it some depth.
Showerhead | Showerhead Arm and Flange | Thermotoer Valve Handle | Volume Valve Handle | Handshower | Toilet
I love how we put the shower components easily reachable from outside the shower. And while a downstairs guest bath technically doesn’t need a hand shower, this would be an easy place for them to wash their dog, so we included one here.
Showerhead | Showerhead Arm and Flange | Thermotoer Valve Handle | Volume Valve Handle | Handshower
Volume Valve Handle | Handshower
The Powder Bathroom
This bathroom was the biggest U-turn, TBH. My brother really wanted to use this double-wall-mounted utility sink, but Katie and I, at the last minute, agreed that it belonged in a different house. We are going to use it downstairs in their basement gym at some point, but because it was plumbed for the other sink, we couldn’t choose a wall-mount faucet (which is fine, I like both, but this kept us limited).
Faucet | Mirror | Hand Towel Holder
I love how the arch of this one echoed the mirror (also Kohler), and the square base added a nice geometric contrast.
The Upstairs Guest Bathroom
In the guest and kids’ bath, we went with the Purist line (which is a classic at this point) in vibrant brushed moderne brass. I love how simple and graphic this line is. It’s very easy for your eye to read it; the lines are just very satisfying to the eye.
Shower Trim Kit | Transfer Valve | Handshower | Handshower Hose | Handshower Wall Mount
While there are other options to choose from, I really love the cross handles – they are a great mix between modern and traditional (thus transitional) and could honestly work in most homes
Vanity | Toilet Paper Holder | Faucet
I really love the hefty weight of the bottom of the faucet and that swoop at the bottom – such a pretty shape.
The Laundry Room
In this room, we added a third finish to the house (which, yes, is a good idea), with Kohler’s vibrant polished nickel. Now, polished nickel is certainly timeless, having a huge resurgence right now. I prefer it over polished chrome (which has a blue undertone), with nickel being warmer. I also prefer polished nickel over brushed nickel (if you want my opinion). It’s just such a neutral (think about it – it’s just a shiny warm gray and gray works with almost anything).
We could have done a gold tone in here, but there was something calming and more “fresh” about using this tone in a laundry room, especially with that blue. And don’t get me started on that utility sink – I just really love it. It has such a pretty shape, not to mention function (deep), and I love how it sits inside and on top of a cabinet – adding height and a nice shape.
The Kids’ Bathroom
Mirror | Faucet | Sink | Vanity
Not all rooms want or need wall-mounted faucets, but if you are opening up the walls and doing or redoing plumbing, it’s definitely a way to make things look more high-end (and free up counter space). In the kids’ bath, we used the Purist line again – modern without being hyper contemporary.
Tub | Rite-Temp® Bath and Shower Trim Kit | MasterShower® Transfer Valve Trim | Wall-Mount Handshower Holder | Round Two-Function Handshower | Metal Shower Hose
We continued the same line in the shower because it is all of our favorites (especially Ken and Katie’s). While you can mix and match lines in the same finish in the same room (and I did in the primary bath), I usually only do it if the components don’t come in all the plumbing fixtures I want. I like mixing finishes between lighting and plumbing fixtures, but if you want the safest bet, I’d go same line + same finish in the bathroom like we did here.
The Primary Bathroom
Wall Light | Tub | Rain Showerhead + Shower Arm | Showerheads + Shower Arm | Handshower | Wall-Mount Handshower Holder | Metal Shower Hose | Thermostatic Valve Controls
Saving the best for last (IMHO), the primary bath. This line in the shower, Statement, had just launched when we were at the store, and we were all pretty blown away by it. It felt contemporary in a really simple and streamlined way (not trying too hard to do something new, but felt so fresh and still does).
Rain Showerhead + Shower Arm | Showerheads + Shower Arm | Handshower | Wall-Mount Handshower Holder | Metal Shower Hose | Thermostatic Valve Controls
The racetrack shape is so pretty and has a lot of different spray functions (as seen in this reel that went viral). The rain shower is an option (fun fact – men love rain showers, women tend not to because we don’t like to water in our face as much since we tend to have more steps in the shower). This bathroom is a great example of all the faucet configurations you can have in one wet room – rain shower, showerheads, handshower, tub filler, and tub hand shower.
Showerheads + Shower Arm | Handshower | Wall-Mount Handshower Holder | Metal Shower Hose | Thermostatic Valve Controls
I absolutely LOVE the knobs and push components on this one. It looks like it’s “smart” as in electrified, but it’s just controlled in a push-and-turn mechanism that is super intuitive.
Tub | Bath Spout | Handshower | Wall-Mount Handshower Holder | Metal Shower Hose | Thermostatic Valve Control
Bath Spout | Handshower | Wall-Mount Handshower Holder | Metal Shower Hose | Thermostatic Valve Control
The faucet line, Statement, also comes in 12 different finishes – the classics, as well as pretty alternatives like French gold (champagne-y). I’m a massive fan of this line, and it shows that Kohler continues to innovate even after 150 years.
Mirrors | Ceiling Lights | Faucets | Handles | Sink | Towel Bar
For the sink, we chose the Components line (the Statement line didn’t have sink faucets then) and went with a more squared off version to showcase a different profile. It’s simple and straight and felt that it contrasted nicely with the shower (and you don’t really clock that they are different, to be honest).
Mirrors | Ceiling Lights | Faucets | Handles | Sink | Towel Bar
The Components line also comes in 12 finishes, in addition to so many different spout and handle shapes. You can see the entire line here.
We really tried to take a holistic view of the house, with each room being cousins, but not twins. Mixing finishes and styles without going hyper traditional or too modern. We stuck to three finishes (mostly 2 – Black and Vibrant Brushed Brass), and they are all just so high quality and feel like one big, holistic collection as you weave through the house.
Of course, we chose all the Kohler vanities, towel rods, toilet paper holders, mirrors, and many light fixtures as well. It was an incredible partnership that was such a win/win/win. Now, if you didn’t catch some of the reveals, they are all below. Feel free to deep dive on all of them (see the vanities, toilets, and all the stunning tile), and I’m sure it helps you make some decisions if you are pre or mid-renovation. It can feel overwhelming, for sure, but I love the ability to customize and mix and match within Kohler’s lines that I’ve grown to love so much.
Kitchen
Mudroom
Primary Bathroom
Powder Bathroom
Upstairs Guest Bathroom
Downstairs Guest Bathroom
Kids’ Bathroom
Laundry Room
*Architect: Anne Usher
**General Contractor: JP Macy of Sierra Custom Construction
***Interior Designers: Emily Henderson (me!) and Max Humphrey
****Styling: Emily Henderson (me!)
*****Photos by Kaitlin Green
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