Best of Boston Home 2012

Bathroom

Designer: Hacin + Associates

The choose-a-vanity/tub/toilet approach is anathema to David Hacin. When he and his team approach a problem — be it a bathroom, a gut rehab, or a brand-new building — they always come in with fresh, utterly original solutions, rendering those catalogs obsolete.

112 Shawmut Ave., Studio 5A, Boston, 617-426-0077, hacin.com.

Bath Fixtures: WaterSpot

Your dream bathroom should start at a dream showroom — and that would be WaterSpot, where Victoria + Albert tubs and an array of faucets and vanities sparkle beneath gorgeous chandeliers and drum pendants. This is a shopper’s showroom, and it’s supported by professionals who really know their stuff.

Hometown Shopping Center, 575 Worcester St. (Rte. 9), Natick, 508-651-2200; and other locations; water-spot.com.

Lighting: Lucía Lighting & Design

Want to see yourself in a new light? Ditch the fluorescent bulbs for one of the many fixtures on offer at Lucía’s Lynn showroom. Staffers draw on countless resources to create custom solutions, including made-to-order shades and fixtures.

311 Western Ave., Lynn, 781-595-0026, lucialighting.com. 

Towels: Matouk Factory Store

Matouk offers some of the world’s softest terries and wovens, much of it made from Egyptian cotton and manufactured in Fall River. Though the company’s fashionable lines are available in posh boutiques, it’s worth taking a trip to the outlet store, housed in the main production facility, for first-runs, overruns, and stock with microscopic defects.

925 Airport Rd., Fall River, 508-997-3444, matouk.com.

Builder: Payne Bouchier

Mahogany counters, custom walk-in closets, marble mosaic showers, and six-inch-deep crown molding — these are the reasons you call Boston-based Payne Bouchier builders. In their extensive woodshop, they can mill details or reproduce period profiles to match any historical interior, making them the go-to choice for discerning homeowners.

173 Norfolk Ave., Boston, 617-445-4323, paynebouchier.com.

Bath Accessories: Jonathan Adler

Bathrooms can be so, er, serious these days. Sure, it’s an investment and you need to keep the overall design in check (no bright yellow toilets!), but at the very least you should have fun with the parts you can easily change out — which is why Adler’s gorgeous lacquered accessories win our affections. His textural white pieces coordinate with everything, while the boldly hued accents add a little spice to an otherwise purely functional room.

129 Newbury St., Boston, 617-437-0018, jonathanadler.com.

Tile: Tile Showcase

Glass, water-jet-cut stone, ceramic, and colors galore! Tile Showcase’s retail stores are a treat for the eyes. You may go in with your heart set on basic white, but be prepared to fall in love with the hand-embossed relief tiles in rich cobalt glazes — the perfect finish to a crisp layout. Just be sure to book an appointment in advance so you’ll have a guide to escort you through the land of temptations.

Boston Design Center, One Design Center Place, Ste. 639, Boston, 617-426-6515; 291 Arsenal St., Watertown, 617-926-1100; tileshowcase.com.

Photo by Michael Stavaridis (Hacin)