Plumber: Matching bathroom accessories can enhance your decorating skills

Years back, plumbing manufacturers started to produce suite fixtures, including toilets, sinks, shower valves and faucets that are designed to perfectly match each other.  Nowadays, some manufacturers include many new accessories with bathroom suite collections. (Kohler/TNS)
Years back, plumbing manufacturers started to produce suite fixtures, including toilets, sinks, shower valves and faucets that are designed to perfectly match each other. Nowadays, some manufacturers include many new accessories with bathroom suite collections. (Kohler/TNS)

Q: Hi Ed: I plan to design/decorate our new bathroom myself and really want a well-coordinated look. What tips can you give me when it comes to the plumbing fixtures to help me achieve a uniformed look throughout the entire bathroom?

-- Sue, South Carolina

A: I'm not a professional designer, just a plumber who has worked in a lot of nice bathrooms. So all I can suggest are some decorating ideas from my experiences.

If you have a little extra in your budget, consulting a professional is always a good idea. If not, I do have a nice bathroom design tip.

Years back, plumbing manufacturers started to produce suite fixtures. Suite fixtures are a group of plumbing fixtures like toilets, sinks, shower valves and faucets that are designed to perfectly match each other. So it was easy to get the big stuff right.

But nowadays, some manufacturers include many new accessories with bathroom suite collections. Accessories like medicine cabinets, towel bars, hooks, shelving, grab bars, shower rods, toilet paper holders, lighting and even soap dispensers are more of the suite accessories available with some fixture lines.

Bottom line: If you go with a bathroom suite collection, you can end up with a pretty sweet bathroom.