admin – Page 4 – Buying Guide for Kitchen & Bath Fixtures & Faucets

When it comes to minimal designs, The Kohler purist is the go-to collection amongst remodeling professionals. Its clean design and attention to details simply out-shines the competition. However, the cost may be too much for some customers to bare. Here are some affordable options that may be worthwhile alternatives depending on your needs. Pfister Contempra The Pfister Contempra is probably the collection on our list that most closely resembles the Purist Collection. It keeps the same uniform look throughout the line. Some manufacturers might offer an identical faucet to the Purist. Others might focus on the shower components, but the Pfister Contempra keeps that same design throughout the whole line. Savings vs the Purist: 20 -50% depending on the items. Available Finishes: Chrome, Brushed Nickel, Matte Black. Brushed Gold Faucets Pfister Contempra 2 Handle Widespread FaucetContempra Single Hole Vessel FaucetPfister Contempra Single Hole Faucet The Contempra widespread faucet keeps the same language of the Purist line. One major exception is the spout. The Contempra has a goose neck spout as opposed to the angular one found in the Purist faucet. The single handle faucet is where the Contempra deviates a little bit from The Purist look. However, this is more of a statement of the Purist unique look for their single hole faucet. As you will see, most of the collections on this list share the same generic look for their single hole faucet. Kohler, however decided to have a swooping handle and neck to differentiate themselves. Shower Hardware Pfister Contempra Custom Shower with DiverterContempra Shower Trim PlateContempra Showerhead Only Trim A round flat shower trim with a tubular handle is the standard look for both the Purist and Contempra. There are some slight differences in the details but if you want to save a couple bucks, the Contempra shower trim is a great alternative to the Purist shower hardware. It's worth noting that the Contempra offers a diverter tub spout in their line while the Purist doesn't. In this case the Contempra tub spout may serve as a compatible item with the purist. A diverter tub spout does not need to be made by the same manufacturer to be compatible. Accessories The Contempra bathroom accessories is where you will get the most bang for your buck. The Contempra towel bars, though not as sturdy as the Purist line are listed as less than half the cost. The same can be said for most of the other bathroom accessories. If you have opted for the Purist collection but want to save some extra bucks, the Contempra bathroom accessories will do the trick. American Standard Serin The American Standard Serin is a viable alternative the Kohler Purist. Though American Standard is not necessarily known for their cutting edge design, they do offer quality dependable products. The Serin family definitely falls into this category. The major downside with the Serin collections is its limited finish options. As of this time the Serin only comes in two basic finishes: Chrome & Brushed nickel. This collection also has some small gaps like a deck mounted tub filler with a handshower. Although the Kohler Purist doesn't have stock deck mounted tub filler with a handshower. It offers the handshower as an add-on. American Standard has no such option. Faucets Serin Single Hole Faucet - Straight.Serin Two Handle Widespread FaucetSerin Two Handle Wall Mount Faucet Here is a list of the available Serin Faucet options Two Handle Widespread FaucetSingle Hole Faucet (Straight)Single Hole Faucet (Forward tilt)Deck Mounted Tub Filler (no handshower)Freestanding Tub Filler2 Handle Wall Mount Sink FaucetBidet Faucet The Serin is one of the few on this list that has a bidet faucet, though it's only available in a single hole version. The Kohler Purist collection line offers both the single & two handle versions. Shower Hardware Serin Shower Only TrimSerin Tub & Shower TrimSerin Thermostatic 2 or 3 way Trim American Standard offers both both pressure balance & thermostatic trims for their Serin collection. They are all worthwhile alternatives to the Kohler Purist as American Standard are known with their durability. Where the Serin line falls again is in the limited finish options. One area where the Serin outshines the Purist line is with their inclusion of the 2 & 3 Way Thermostatic trim with integrated volume controls & diverter (as seen above). 5+ years ago, this was an option only offered by the big European brands. Now that everyone is catching up, Kohler has been reluctant to get on that train. Bathroom Accessories CR Spring Loaded TP HolderCR Double Robe HookCR 24" Towel Bar American Standard doesn't have a specific a specific accessory line named after the Serin collection. They instead group their accessories in 4 categories: Contemporary Round (CR), Contemporary Square (CS), Traditional Round (TR), Traditional Square (TS). The Serin would definitely fall under the Contemporary round collection. This is what we have displayed above. As you can tell, bathroom accessories are an afterthought for American Standard. Any of the collections on this list would be better a better option in terms of quality. However they are probably the most affordable. Grohe Essence Grohe, being more of a contemporary brand, has quite a few collections that could be used as a Kohler Purist alternative. They have the entry level Concetto and the higher end Atrio. However, the Grohe Essence is the one that checks all the boxes while still being more affordable than the Purist. Faucets Grohe Essence Side Handle Single Hole FaucetGrohe Essence 2 Handle Widespread FaucetGrohe Single Hole Faucet While the Grohe Essence is a great Kohler alternative, we appreciate the small unique touches that separates it from the pack. Their focus tends to be more on the single faucet options. They offer 2 types of top handle faucets and a side handle single hole faucet that is available in three different heights. The two handle faucet has a tubular spout , but has opted for the flat surface handles instead. That's consistent with their focus on the single handle design. Shower Hardware For the shower, the Grohe Essence opts for the flat surface design that is so prominent among European manufacturers. Because Grohe is a more modern brand, there are plenty of shower components that will match. If you're not a fan of the hand shower "stick" for example, there are plenty of full faced handheld showers that will go with this design. The Grohe Essence diverter tub spout is our favorite to mix and match with the Purist line. Diverter tub spouts tend to be chubby but Grohe Essence 's tub spout has a thinner profile that goes well with the design language of the Purist. Bathroom Accessories Bathroom accessories for Grohe are a step above American Standard's but nothing to write home about. Our biggest gripe with the line of accessories is their open toilet paper holder. While some people prefer the ease of the open toe design, we find that the pivoting toilet paper holder of the Purist is by far the preferred method by most. It's also our personal favorite and it would be nice if Grohe had offered it as an alternative. Delta Trinsic The Delta Trinsic line is one of Delta's most comprehensive collection. It is also one of their best sellers. The definite advantage to this line is that it offers a wide array of options. Compared to the Kohler Purist, it has a slightly different look. It has this flared base throughout its faucets that gives them a unique look. It would be higher on our list if it was not for this slight departure from the Kohler Purist's design language. Faucets Grohe Essence Side Handle Single Hole FaucetGrohe Essence 2 Handle Widespread FaucetGrohe Single Hole Faucet The Faucets is where the Delta Trinsic shines. Although the shower components & accessories have a more similar look to Kohler's design, the faucets is where Delta offers us all types of options that one would need for their bathroom. Here is a list of the available faucet options Two Handle Bathroom FaucetSingle Hole Faucet with straight spoutSingle Hole Faucet with curved SpoutSingle Hole Faucet with side handleWall Mount Faucet (Single Handle)Freestanding Tub FillerDeck Mounted Tub FillerDeck Mounted Tub Filler with HandshowerVessel Faucet The only thing it's missing is a 2 handle Wall mount faucet. However, we're really nit-picking with this one as most manufacturers only offer one type of wall mount faucet. Kohler for example offers a 2 handle wall mount faucet but not a single hole version. Shower Hardware Delta Trinsic Shower Only TrimDeltra Trinsic Trim BronzeDelta Trinsic Tub & Shower Trim The Delta Trinsic's shower components actually are quite similar to the Kohler Purist. Delta offers shower trims with multiple handles which can be confusing to some. However, the single handle to shower trim is pretty straight forward and serves as great alternative for the Kohler Purist. Bathroom Accessories Delta Trinsic Shower Only TrimDeltra Trinsic Trim BronzeDelta Trinsic Tub & Shower Trim The Detla bathroom accessories are pretty standard and very affordable. They again opt for the open tissue holder which is why they wouldn't make the top of our list. The Kohler Purist accessories are far superior but also far more expensive. Signature Hardware Edenton Signature Hardware is a manufacturer that made a name for itself by selling affordable fixtures & faucets online. A few years ago, they were purchased by Wolseley, the parent company of Ferguson, the largest plumbing wholesaler in the US. Due to its popularity, Signature Hardware eventually replaced Mirabelle as Ferguson's designated Private label brand. The Edenton is a holdover from the Mirabelle line & is its flagship contemporary collection. It maintains a simple minimal design like the Kohler Purist. However it's only available in two finishes: Chrome & Brushed Nickel. Faucets Edenton Widespread Faucet (90° spout)Edenton Single Hole FaucetEdenton Widespread Faucet (Gooseneck Spout) The faucet line is where the Edenton shines. It's the only collection on this list offering both a gooseneck & a 90° spout. Their faucets have a great build quality and offer thick handle that feel more sturdy than the Kohler Purist's slim design. Here's a full list of the faucets they offer Two Handle Widespread Faucet (90 deg. spout)Two Handle Widespread Faucet (with gooseneck spout)Single Hole Faucet (with pop up) Single Handle Vessel FillerSingle Handle Wall Mounted FaucetDeck Mounted Tub Filler (Gooseneck Spout Only)Freestanding Tub Filler (90° Spout Only) The only major downside to the Edenton faucet line is the inconsistency of the product offering. While we appreciate having both the gooseneck & 90° spout on their sink faucet, their tub filler offering is a mishmash of indecision. We would rather have them just stick to one of type of spout both the deck mounted & the freestanding tub fillers. Shower Hardware Edenton Thermostatic TrimEdenton Pressure Balance TrimEdenton Diverter Trim The Edenton shower hardware line offers both the standard pressure balance as well as custom thermostatic options. They have a limited offerings of smaller components like showerheads, handheld etc.. It's pretty evident as these same components are used for different collection and offer little variety. For example, the showerhead is available only as a single function showerhead. The Kohler Purist, by contrast, has both the single & multifunction showerhead. If neither of them is your cup of tea, they also offer a number of contemporary showerheads that will do the trick (i.e. the Awaken & the Exhale showerheads). Bathroom Accessories Edenton Open Tissue HolderEdenton Towel BarEdenton Robe Hook Like most of the collections on the list the Edenton offers the basic bath accessories but not much more. Here is what's available in the collection Towel RingOpen TP holder18" & 24" Towel BarsSingle Robe Hook The quality of their accessories are average, comparable to the Delta Trinsic, but a notch above the American Standard contemporary line. It's important to note that Signature Hardware also offers the "Prague" line of accessories which has little bit more to offer than the Edenton. Symmons DIA Symmons is a popular faucet brand based out of New England. They are popular in the hospitality & property management industry. They are known for their durable products & readily available parts. They thrive in offering options that are commonly used in hotels & condos alike. Most of their faucet products can be ordered in a variety of low flow options The Symmons DIA would be considered their flagship contemporary collection. It's a suitable alternative to the Kohler Purist in terms of the number of options available. However, since Symmons is an entry level brand catering to large projects, they do not offer thermostatic options specific to this line. Faucets Delta Trinsic Shower Only TrimDeltra Trinsic Trim BronzeDelta Trinsic Tub & Shower Trim Being an entry level line comes with its perks as Symmons is the only manufacturer on this list to offer a 4" widespread faucet. It's also the only collection that has a cross handle alternative to the Kohler Purist. It make The major downside in the DIA faucet line is its two handle widespread faucet. The downward slope on its spout is simply too long. The dimensions from the sink to the spout’s aerator is only 3.5″ inches compared to 5.5 inches on the Kohler spout. Shower Hardware Delta Trinsic Shower Only TrimDeltra Trinsic Trim BronzeDelta Trinsic Tub & Shower Trim The shower hardware is our favorite component of the DIA line. It's straight forward and offers a decent sized tubular handle. It gets out of the way, which is what you want in minimalistic contemporary design. This is once again the only collection on our list that offers a cross handle shower trim. There are other cross handle options on the market but they tend to be priced at the same level as the Kohler Purist or higher. The DIA could stand to improve in custom shower options. However we doubt that Symmons will ever opt to do that as they try to stick to what they do best which is their 40+ year old pressure balance valve. Accessories Delta Trinsic Shower Only TrimDeltra Trinsic Trim BronzeDelta Trinsic Tub & Shower Trim The Symmons accessories are a formidable alternative to the Kohler Purist accessories. As mentioned before, the Purist accessories are priced way higher than their competitors. Going with the Symmons DIA line of accessories would be a great way to go without compromising the look of your bathroom. Other Kohler Purist Alternatives The list below includes 5 of our top more affordable Purist alternatives out there. However, there are a lot more that could suit your needs depending on what you're looking for. Some of them may not be as affordable as the list above but offer the look that you were looking for. Others might not look exactly like the Purist but one set of components that do. Moen Arris The only reason we did not include the Moen Arris on our list is because its prices are comparable to the Kohler Purist. Otherwise, it might be our favorite because of the look and the overall breadth of options offered. Its accessory line however is much more affordable, and offers the same in terms of quality. The one major difference is its more angular spouts and handles but that may very well be a welcomed addition to some of you. Grohe Atrio The Grohe Atrio is another line that did not make the list because of its price point. Other than the accessories, it's quite pricy and sometimes more so than the Kohler Purist. The major difference is the goose neck spout as opposed to the angular spout of Kohler's line. Unlike the Moen Arris, we would not recommend the Atrio's accessories. Their accessories line is an afterthought compared to Moen's. Ginger Kubic The Ginger Kubic is not a faucet line per se, but what it does offer are the most comprehensive line of accessories in the market. If you're looking for high quality alternative to the Kohler Purist accessories, the Ginger Kubic is it. Rather than listing what they offer, we'll only include the Ginger Kubic items not offered by anyone else on this list. Double Towel BarsHotel ShelvesToiletry ShelvesShower Rod BracketsSingle, Double, & Triple Robe HooksDouble Paper HoldersGrab Bars (also offered by the Moen Arris)