Council of Fellows' Newest Inductee: David Crossley

David Crossley joined the DPH industry at Phylrich, taking over the slowly evolving territories of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. The Texas design and building community never knew what hit them, but bathrooms moved from “blah” to elegant, spurred on in large part due to David’s passion.

With a just a few marquis showrooms, David set out to educate the underserved (and often ignored) decorative showroom sales consultants. He was there in the showrooms educating the salespeople on everything necessary to start selling luxury. Undaunted, David knew his most formidable weapon was knowledge - the more the showroom person knew about the product, the installation and what the customer wanted, the more “war” battles they would win. And win decorative plumbing indeed they did.

DPHA, with its focus on education (especially at that time) and guided by the fabulous Faye Norton as the Education Committee chair, was another place that David found he could support his industry in a “national war”. To say that David Crossley drank the DPHA Kool-Aid is a severe understatement. Very few people have been as actively involved in the association for so many years, and in fact, David has been (and remains) one of the greatest and loudest cheerleaders the association has ever had. His contributions to the association include:

• Past DPHA President 
• 2018 recipient of the President’s Distinguished Service Award
• 2007 Manufacturing Professional of Year
• Treasurer 
• Active Board Member 
• Awards Committee Chair
• Active member of the Marketing, Program & Showcase Committee and past seat on the Education Committee 

From day one, Mr. David Crossley had been all about building our Decorative Plumbing & Hardware industry and has done so through the education of our members, sales and support. David has truly been a pioneer of the DPH industry.

2019 DPHA Professional Award Winners

Congratulations to the 2019 DPHA Professionals of the year!

• Customer Service Department of the Year - Icera
• Representative Agency of the Year - Level 5
• Representative Professional of the Year - Yana Haralanova of Repcor
• Showroom Professional of the Year - Valerie Ezra of Grande Central Showrooms
• Manufacturing Professional of the Year - Steven Weinberg of California Faucets

We will be highlighting each winner over the next several weeks, so stay tuned!

DPHA Members' Blog - November 15, 2019

Houzz.com recently released its 2019 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study, surveying 1,360 homeowners who had completed a bathroom remodel or addition project in the last year or who were currently working on one, or planning to start a project in the next three months.  The major trends in bathroom remodeling mirror the trends we are seeing in (name of service territory).

Power Showers:  More than 80% of homeowners renovating their bathrooms upgrade the shower, with more than 50% increasing the size of the shower. Manufacturers offer a tempting array of products that can convert an ordinary space for bathing into an in-home spa, featuring steam, light and aroma therapies, high-performing environmentally efficient showerheads, Bluetooth activation and control, music, digital controls and seats for relaxing...     

Click here to read more

2019 DPHA Council of Fellows Memorial Scholarship Recipients

Each year, DPHA provides two scholarships to the children or grandchildren of current DPHA members.  This year we honor the memory of Fred Silverstein of California Faucets – he was a Fellow, an industry icon and a huge supporter of this association.

The Fellows spend a lot of time evaluating the great kids who apply for these scholarships.  DPHA staff receives all of the applications and then crosses out all names and any other identifying marks so there is no chance of any personal biases getting in the way.  

 

This year's recipients are:

• Brianna Domingo from Sunland, California.  Brianna is currently a junior at the University of California Irvine and the daughter of Associated Sales’ Dale Domingo.
• Justin McCartney from Lake Bluff, Illinois.  Justin is currently a freshman at Michigan State University and son of Russ McCartney of Dornbracht.

Dornbracht RAINMOON Rain Panel Named DPHA 2018 Dealers' Choice Award Winner

If you have read Connections over the past few years, you may remember that the Awards Committee introduced the Dealers' Choice award with the intent of putting new products in front of the staffs of every DPHA dealer. Basically, this award category works like this:

• Every product submitted last year for the 2018 Product of the Year was eligible to win the Dealer's Choice Award.
• Voting took place after the conference last year and details on how to vote were emailed to all DPHA dealer members in our database and via Constant Contact on November 2nd and 16th, and December 7th. Additionally, several articles appeared in our weekly eletter, Connections, with the voting details.
• All dealer showroom staff members who have a DPHA login were eligible to vote. There was one vote per person and no, this election was not rigged!

There were many votes cast for the various nominated products in 2018, and the winner was ...

Dornbracht RAINMOON Rain Panel

Water, light, energy – RAINMOON represents a new dimension of a highly-individual shower experience. The spa application permits a unique encounter with the element of water: two newly-developed flow modes and a unique moonlight are combined to create an emotional water experience providing new life energy.

RAINMOON is distinguished by its particularly minimalist design, attributing focus to the unique water experience. A dome in the ceiling forms the central element which is seamlessly integrated in its surroundings and practically merges invisibly with the bathroom or spa interior. The dome offers a particularly deep-view effect: by means of a concealed light strip inside the semi-sphere, RAINMOON creates the perfect mood lighting while generating a feeling of infiniteness when gazing upwards. The unique water experience is created by two innovative flow modes.

Please don't forget that all products that are listed in the 2019 Product of the Year Guide are now eligible to receive the 2019 Dealers' Choice award, which will be announced during the Friday morning opening session of the 2020 DPHA Annual Conference and Product Showcase. Voting will take place shorty after the conclusion of this year's annual conference, so look for notices in upcoming issues of Connections. Additionally, details on how to vote will be emailed to all DPHA dealer members in our database and via Constant Contact in the near future. This process will take only a few minutes, but it gives every dealer member a chance to be heard, with no gerrymandering involved.

Thanks again to our members for their nomination submittals and congratulations to this year's winners. If you would like to see all of the products that were nominated this year, many of which you can see at this year's Product Showcase, simply click here to download the 2019 Product of the Year Guide. And if you aren't here with the rest of us at the conference right now, we hope we see you next year at the Hyatt Regency in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 22-25!

First Impressions' Glacier 1 Pull Named DPHA 2019 POTY Winner in the Hardware Category

The 2019 DPHA Annual Conference and Product Showcase was held last week in Seattle, WA, and we are happy to tell those of you who were not able to join us this year that the POTY (Product of the Year) in the Hardware category was the -

First Impressions Glacier 1 Pull

The Glacier 1 Pull is only hand-chiseled on the backside of the grip - this provides the chiseled look without all sides being textured along with a gloss finish on the front. The newly designed brass mitered end mounts can be finished to your specifications. The Glacier 1 Pull has a modern feel to it due to the acrylic material used in the grip. However, when the mitered end mounts are finished in an antique brass or similar finish, they can be used in transitional to slightly traditional designs.

Honorable Mentions:

• Accurate Lock & Hardware's Jay Jeffers for Access
• OMNIA Industries' Small-Scale ARC Privacy Rose System

Thanks again to our members for their nomination submittals and congratulations to this year's winners. If you would like to see all of the products that were nominated this year, many of which you can see at this year's Product Showcase, simply click here to download the 2019 Product of the Year Guide. And if you aren't here with the rest of us at the conference right now, we hope we see you next year at the Hyatt Regency in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 22-25!

Robern Uplift Tech Cabinet Named DPHA 2019 POTY Winner in the Furniture Category

The 2019 DPHA Annual Conference and Product Showcase was held last week in Seattle, WA, and we are happy to tell those of you who were not able to join us this year that the POTY (Product of the Year) in the Furniture category was the -

Robern Uplift Tech Cabinet

Designed to enhance the grooming experience while eliminating bathroom clutter and increase space-savings, Robern Uplift Tech takes innovation to an art form. Uplift Tech incorporates a range of styles and minimalist design sensibility. The creative vertical door application ensures it will not interfere with tall faucets and hanging light fixtures and provides an unparalleled flexibility to intimate spaces.

Honorable Mention:

• Fairmont Designs Ambassador 48-Inch Vanity

Thanks again to our members for their nomination submittals and congratulations to this year's winners. If you would like to see all of the products that were nominated this year, many of which you can see at this year's Product Showcase, simply click here to download the 2019 Product of the Year Guide. And if you aren't here with the rest of us at the conference right now, we hope we see you next year at the Hyatt Regency in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 22-25!

Kartners' Knurled Grab Bar Named DPHA 2019 POTY Winner in the Accessory Category

The 2019 DPHA Annual Conference and Product Showcase was held last week in Seattle, WA, and we are happy to tell those of you who were not able to join us this year that the POTY (Product of the Year) in the Accessory category was the -

Kartners' Knurled Grab Bar

Kartners has created a sleek modern grab bar with knurling accents that make the product a great contemporary addition to the bath. The grab bar enables showrooms to design baths where their clients can age in place gracefully and with discrete modern style. The inspiration comes from industrial themes that knurling represents to create a grab bar that can work in multiple spaces.

Honorable Mentions:

• Baci by Remcraft Smart Mirror
• Keuco Shower Shelf

Thanks again to our members for their nomination submittals and congratulations to this year's winners. If you would like to see all of the products that were nominated this year, many of which you can see at this year's Product Showcase, simply click here to download the 2019 Product of the Year Guide. And if you aren't here with the rest of us at the conference right now, we hope we see you next year at the Hyatt Regency in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 22-25!

AXOR's MyEdition Faucet Named DPHA 2019 POTY Winner in the Plumbing Water Delivery Category

The 2019 DPHA Annual Conference and Product Showcase was held last week in Seattle, WA, and we are happy to tell those of you who were not able to join us this year that the Plumbing POTY (Product of the Year) in the Water Delivery category was the -

AXOR MyEdition Faucet

The AXOR MyEdition faucet offers designers and homeowners the opportunity to pair a sleek, low-profile chrome faucet body with six different cover plate options that top the faucets including leather, wood, two types of marble, and a mirrored or black glass. With the AXOR FinishPlus program, an additional 13 finishes are available for the faucet body and cover plates, offering nearly limitless design combinations geared towards satisfying varying personal styles. Cover plates can even be retrofitted, meaning users can change ‘the look’ at a later date. AXOR MyEdition incorporates the company’s innovative new PowderRain spray technology, a micro-fine mist that has a powder-like feel.

The sleek design of the faucet coupled with the option to customize ensures that customers are able to create a bathroom space, which is completely tailored to their style and needs. The cover plate options are on-trend and unexpected materials including mirrored glass, black glass, black walnut, lasa covelano vena oro, nero marquina, gray nappa leather, polished chrome, brushed chrome, polish gold optic, brushed gold optic, polished nickel, brushed nickel, polished red gold, brushed red gold, polished bronze, brushed bronze, polished black chrome, brushed black chrome, polished brass, brushed brass and stainless steel optic.

Honorable Mentions:

• hansgrohe Raindance 180 Showerhead
• Waterstone Endeavor Wheel Pull-Down Faucet

Thanks again to our members for their nomination submittals and congratulations to this year's winners. If you would like to see all of the products that were nominated this year, many of which you can see at this year's Product Showcase, simply click here to download the 2019 Product of the Year Guide. And if you aren't here with the rest of us at the conference right now, we hope we see you next year at the Hyatt Regency in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 22-25!

BainUltra's VIBE Back-to-Wall 5828 Tub Named DPHA 2019 POTY Winner in the Plumbing Fixture Category

The 2019 DPHA Annual Conference and Product Showcase was held last week in Seattle, WA, and we are happy to tell those of you who were not able to join us this year that the Plumbing POTY (Product of the Year) in the Fixture category was the -

BainUltra VIBE Back-to-Wall 5828 Tub

Specially designed for smaller baths, VIBE Back-to-Wall measures 58” x 28” x 21.” VIBE provides bathers in small urban bathrooms the ability to achieve the elegant feel of free-standing design and the power of hydro-thermo massage and other therapies without sacrificing a square foot. Offered in pure 100% acrylic and trend-setting finishes: UltraVelour matte white and black on white.

The Vibe Back-to-Wall concept was inspired by the next generation of bathers, especially urban Millennials who want to create an oasis of relaxation in space-challenged lofts or condos. VIBE Back-to-Wall helps marry the design elements of the wall and floor as a functional center piece of the bathroom. The VIBE Back-to-Wall tub fits smaller installations without compromising comfort or design.

Honorable Mentions:

• LACAVA Giulia Matte Black Bathtub
• Laufen Sonar Double Bowl Washbasin
• Native Trails Zaca Wall Mount Sink

Thanks again to our members for their nomination submittals and congratulations to this year's winners. If you would like to see all of the products that were nominated this year, many of which you can see at this year's Product Showcase, simply click here to download the 2019 Product of the Year Guide. And if you aren't here with the rest of us at the conference right now, we hope we see you next year at the Hyatt Regency in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 22-25!

DPHA Members' Blog - November 1, 2019

What Color Countertop Is Best For Your New Bath

Selecting the color of countertops for a new bath needs to account for how you want the space to look and feel.  The options are unlimited, and homeowners in (name of service territory) tend to choose from:

• White quartz or solid surface
• Speckled or flecked white, cream and lighter colored quartz or solid surface
• Black or darker quartz or solid surface
• Gray or other mid-tone quartz or solid surface
• Slightly veined quartz or stone
• Heavily veined quartz or stone

White countertops work well for homeowners in...

Click here to read more 

Calling All Foodies! The Last Installment from Conference Co-Chair Kim Killgore

Hello all you foodies,

Seattle offers a wonderful tapestry of foods and restaurants.  From our rich agricultural (I'm sure you have heard of our apples) and fishing industries to our multi-cultural make up, a great meal is not hard to find.  

Seattle is a wonderland for the seafood loving foodie.  To start, we are all rather snobbish when it comes to seafood.  It better be fresh and it better be wild caught.  You can be assured that the Alaska Airlines flight each May with the first of the Copper River Salmon will be greeted like a rock star - papparrazzi and all.  It is a crying shame that you all will not be able to consume that delicacy - but hey - just an excuse to come back when we can guarantee some sunshine.  Don't be too disappointed, any fresh caught salmon you have while here will be delectable.  And there are plenty of places to do that. A local favorite with a colorful history and charasmatic founder is Ivar's.  There are several sit down locations including the one pictured which is on the north side of Lake Union.  The view of downtown while dining is beautiful.  The salmon can be had a million ways - alder plank is the best - just like the Northwest Natives have always done.  This particular location has a dock, so local boaters can tie up right at the restaurant and jump out for the fine dining or grab some fish and chips at the walk up window.  And although the salmon is fantastic, it doesn't hold a candle to the chowder.  So popular you can buy it at Costco.  If you are a clam, fan don't miss it!  Even if you are NOT a clam fan, don't miss it!  

As mentioned earlier, the Dungeness Crab (discovered at the Dungeness spits on the Washington Coast) is perhaps the best tasting crab on the planet.  A day on the water pulling pots and finding the keepers, than cooking them on the beach......can't wait to do it again.  You don't even need butter!  Don't miss having some of this if you are a shellfish fan.  Oysters Oysters Oysters - razor clams and the Geoduck!  I won't picture it here but have a little fun and google that one!  Apparently they are delicious. 

  

Other Seafood restaurants of note:  Another Ivars on the waterfront very close to The Wheel and Anthony's Home Port further north on the waterfront.  Seastar and Raw Bar just a few blocks from the hotel is another personal favorite.  And if your pocketbook is feeling too full, Aqua by El Gaucho is a bit north of Anthony's and always great for a celebration.

Other restaurants of interest for dinner:  Metropolitan Grill - most likely place to see a SeaHawk or other celebrity, Matt's in the Market - great food with birds nest view of Pike Place Market, and Canlis - the original "it" restuarant for fine dining in Seattle, you can't do much better (dress code strictly enforced).

Some great choices for less formal meals: Salumi - in the Pioneer Square area, this is an Italian deli owned by Mario Batali's dad.  Din Tai Fung - there are several locations around town - this is one of those "best in the world" Michelain Star restaurants and started in Taipei.  Seattle was one of the first US locations and they are currently in all 3 west coast states.  Their claim to fame is the Xiaolongbao - a dumpling with the soup inside.  I must say they are rather amazing.  My kids literally can't get enough of them, and you can watch them make the dumplings thru the giant glass walls.  For a late night crave, Dick's Burgers.  In-n-Out has nothing on Dick's!  Similarly short menu.  The french fries are gooey and salty and the vanilla shakes are real.  A local boat company has been floating around Husky Harbor during the football games throwing them out to sailgaters - yes please.  (The Best Setting in College Football thing is a whole other topic on its own - but I digress).

For the sweet tooth - Bakery Nouveau has a double baked almond croissant that you will dream about, and Molly Moons has the most interesting ice cream flavors you may ever see - Earl Gray ice cream anyone? Top Pot Donuts doesn't have the lines of Portland's VooDoo but they are still varied and delicious.  Last but not least for this post - Fran's Chocolates - Gray Sea Salt Caramels.  If you have them in town you will be grabbing a box to go in the airport - promise.  

Well folks, this is it for the pre-conference blogs.  I hope you are as excited to come as I am for you to enjoy my beautiful corner of the world.  Pray for sun, plan for rain, and travel safe - I'll see you all in one week! 

Now off to grab something new and different at the Starbucks Reserve - Definitely next level coffee shop!