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July 22, 2009
Buying Bathroom Fixtures
I’m planning a gut renovation of my bathroom in Prospect Heights. A contractor is doing the work and I need to buy the fixtures and tile. The problem is that I'm slightly overwhelmed by the many places you can buy them. Some recommendations would be great.
Brooklyn Kitchens and Bath on 5th avenue and Garfield in Park Slope was recommended to me and the people I've spoken to there seem very professional and easy to work with. Would you recommend working with them? Is a smaller place like that better than Home Depot or Lowe's? Has anyone had any experience with tubs or sinks from Ikea? Do they last as long as a higher-end brands? I want things that will really last but don't see the point of paying more just for a brand name.
Comments
Pottery barn has nice faucets & accessories. There is a big sale going on online right now at restoration hardware. that's where I got mine and love the quality.
I would recommend Swan Tile for tile & countertops.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at July 22, 2009 2:13 PM
DO not go to "Brooklyn Kitchens and Bath on 5th avenue and Garfield". Yu'll see plenty of posts about how horrible they are. The worst! I've some experience, unfortunately, with how much they suck.
Posted by: CGmodern at July 22, 2009 3:02 PM
What CG said. Check the archives, then run for the hills. Oh, and go back through Denton's south slope reno blog if you are not convinced.
A&K on 9th is ornery, but honest, and has a great tile selection. Mondial tile on 64th in Bay Ridge/BP/Bensonhurst is also good.
Most fixtures at L's/HD are on the cheapo end. If you like what you see there fine, but you will be missing some options depending on what you are going for.
Posted by: slopefarm at July 22, 2009 3:14 PM
I bought all my fixtures at Park Slope Plumbing on 5th ave and Prospect Ave. The level of service is way beyond any chain. For example, I needed to get a part replaced, 4 years after the sale.. I just brought in the old part, and they ordered it, and gave me the replacement.. no charge.. they just remembered me.
Posted by: oe at July 22, 2009 3:39 PM
Second on Park Slope Plumbing. They are awesome.
I liked Home & Stone for tile. They have fixtures too.
I would avoid Home Depot & Lowe's.
Posted by: MR at July 22, 2009 3:59 PM
I have sent many folks to both Park slope Plumbing and A&K, and like them both. Your contractor should be able to get you discounts at both places if you ask.
Posted by: chmod at July 22, 2009 3:59 PM
I just did my bathroom and bought all the plumbing fixtures at Park Slope Plumbing. You need to go there when it's not busy and speak to the girl who has a desk on the left as you enter. Sorry but I can't remember her name, but she's real nice and competent and put together an order and get you everything that you need.
There is more involved than the obvious and I'm not sure whether Lowes would give you any necessary help.
I bought my tiles at Classic Tile & Marble and they were fine but I think that Lowes would have been just as good.
You will need to calculate the amount of tiles but that is simple math.
Avoid Home Depot in Brooklyn, it's a mess.
Ikea only sells cheap stuff so I would not trust them if you want quality. I used Kohler and Toto but American Standard or Delta are fine too.
Good luck and if I can give any more help than just ask.
Posted by: oldtimer at July 22, 2009 4:00 PM
I agree about P S Plumbing - very helpful too.
Posted by: Arkady at July 22, 2009 4:21 PM
When I needed kitchen and bath fixtures, I frequently browsed Gracious Home in NYC because they have a lot on display--more than some of the local showrooms. Most of the time I ended up ordering online or asked my plumber to get the items for me.
I second Mondial Tile, and I also like Bella Tile in the East Village. I particularly like Bella because they generally don't have minimum orders--if you want a small qty of higher-end tile as an accent, for example, they'll get it for you. Fancier places will only order a minimum of one carton or have a set dollar amt (sometimes $500 or more) that you have to spend.
Posted by: tinarina at July 22, 2009 4:52 PM
I second Home and Stone on Coney Island Avenue for fixtures, hardware and tile. We've bought items from them as well as from Park Slope Plumbing and prefer Home and Stone for the "nicer" things. Also, based on direct experience, I ditto DIBS' suggestion of checking out RH. This is the time of their annual bath sale and great bargains on excellent quality stuff are definitely to be had.
Posted by: Brooklynista at July 22, 2009 4:54 PM
DO NOT use Brooklyn Kitchens!!! But if you ignore this advice DO NOT pay them in advance! There are nice people there, and the owner (Brian Ackerman) may fool you into thinking he is one of them. He's a pathological liar, straight up, and I say this while using my own name.
Second PS Plumbing, also A&K, but there have been neg comments about A&K contractors. Consider using them only for tile.
Posted by: denton at July 22, 2009 5:20 PM
I agree that local places are great if you want a high-end product but Home Depot (preferably a suburban location) has a good variety of fixtures and everything is in stock. They have good brands such as American Standard and Kohler and the pricing is very fair. Stay away from their store brand - Glacier Bay or any other brand that you do not recognize.
Posted by: JoeBushwick at July 22, 2009 5:49 PM
Also, I bought a great little square porcelain sink from IKEA but then you most likely will need to use their cabinet base which is fairly low quality. Stay away from their faucets.
Posted by: JoeBushwick at July 22, 2009 5:52 PM
I recommend looking online at irawoods.com and improvementdirect.com. The shipping is free, they're offering additional discounts across the board, and more for volume. Also, no sales tax.
Posted by: Susan Elkins at July 22, 2009 5:57 PM
For tile I recommend Nemo Tile in Manhattan.
Posted by: Susan Elkins at July 22, 2009 5:59 PM
I second the Nemo Tile recommendation. They have a great selection, competitive pricing and are really helpful.
Posted by: daisyh at July 22, 2009 10:03 PM
The girl to the left at Park Slope Plumbing supply is Lisanne and she's GREAT!! You can't lose buying your fixtures from them!! When you go, tell her Erik from Aladdin gave you her name.
Posted by: Brooklyn Plumber at July 22, 2009 10:21 PM
Wow! Thanks for all of the helpful feedback. I'm new to the forum and didn't expect so many comments. This is great.
Posted by: Duck Soup at July 23, 2009 11:09 PM
This is what i do, this is a link to work I have done in the past year. http://s1002.photobucket.com/albums/af146/steven2667/ , I stand behind all of my work, from big jobs to small repairs, just give me a call.
Steven 646-996-9627 or 718-768-6020
Posted by: steven2667 at July 29, 2009 11:31 AM
You can purchase it from the park slope plumbing.I have bought my bathroom fixture some time before.Their services are awesome.
Posted by: beesondirect at October 8, 2009 5:38 AM
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