Jun 13 2007
Function has always come before form in bathroom fixtures, but today's interior designers are transforming hardworking, hygienic bathrooms into extraordinary metallic masterpieces with LuminOre® metal coatings. Today, vanities, sinks, faucets, tubs and toilets coated with LuminOre antique bronze, copper and highly polished stainless steel are giving bathrooms an unbelievable 'Wow-Factor.'
It's the latest twist to form and function, and LuminOre licensee Landmark Metalcoat of Temecula, Calif., has flushed out a strong market for metallizing bathroom fixtures, a relatively new process that is making a big splash in the world of interior design.
"When I first coated a toilet with LuminOre metals, I was trying to make a statement as to who we are as a company. People are impressed with little widgets and other things, but I wanted to create something that had a 'wow' factor. So, I got together with interior designers and asked them what item -- coated in metal -- would be over-the-top, and the metal-coated toilet was the result," says Jeff Smullen, president of Landmark Metalcoats, who notes that oil-rubbed bronze is the most popular finish. "Today, LuminOre-coated toilets, tubs and other bathroom fixtures are real 'statement pieces.'"
The demand for LuminOre-coated bathroom fixtures has grown and grown, explains Smullen. Word quickly spread among regional designers and requests for the elegant fixtures have flooded in ever since. Smullen believes his success has come not only because of the metal-inspired 'wow-factor' but because of the high-quality of the work. At Landmark Metalcoat, every LuminOre finish is completed entirely by hand. Whether on an ornate handcrafted Venetian pedestal sink with a bronze oil-rubbed finish or on a highly polished, contemporary stainless steel tub, each piece is guided through a meticulous process where the craftsman's skill presides over technology and efficiency. The end result is a metal and finish so rich and detailed, observers swear is solid metal.
"Architects and interior designers often need unique applications in metals and metal alloys to achieve a desired look or appearance, and LuminOre is a perfect, cost-efficient solution," says Thomas Valente, founder and CEO of LuminOre Inc. "Our patented, cold-sprayable process allows a thin layer of metal to be applied over any substrate, in virtually any configuration or design. Therefore, our licensees and applicators, such as Landmark Metalcoat, can easily deliver a custom metal surface to create unique architectural environments and decorative pieces."
LuminOre's sprayable metal finishes are revolutionizing the way the world works with metal, and have been embraced by billion-dollar resorts, such as the Wynn Las Vegas and The Bellagio. LuminOre's composite metals spray onto virtually any surface, and are available in aluminum, brass, bronze, copper, iron, nickel-silver, stainless steel and other metals. The result is a protective coating that is anti-corrosive, non-conductive of electricity and withstands the harshest of environments.
"LuminOre looks, feels and acts just like cast metal," adds Valente. "From foam to fiberglass, LuminOre metal composite coatings adhere to almost any surface and possess most of the characteristics of a cast metal, including texture, luster and heat conductivity."