Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1498289
N ot long ago, Aaron Laine walked through a gorgeous old River Oaks estate that hadn't been redone since the '70s. As the founder of Fixtures & Fittings, a showroom devoted to luxury plumbing and hardware, Laine's attention was naturally drawn to the bathrooms. "They had these incredible Sherle Wagner tiger's-eye and lapis faucets, all from the 1970s and they still looked fabulous," Laine says. "So I thought, 'Sherle Wagner doesn't have a showroom in Houston so I should carry the collection!'" Founded in 1945, Sherle Wagner International is one of the world's acanthus faucets and matching handles. They also carry the Molecule collection of knobs and handles, originally designed by Sherle Wagner in the 1960s and reissued a few years ago. A large variety of finishes and options are available, including 24K gold and platinum; some can be fitted with semiprecious stone elements, such as lapis lazuli, malachite, tiger's eye, and rock crystal. Also, look for hand-painted sinks along with sinks carved from unusual marbles and other stones. Laine, who launched Fixtures & Fittings in 2009, is like a kid in a candy store. "When you've been doing something for as long as I have, it's nice to have new toys to play with," he says. Sherle Wagner, to the trade at Fixtures & Fittings, 7026 Old Katy Road, fixturesfittings.com. Rebecca Sherman most admired plumbing and hardware manufacturers, and it's easy to understand why. Everything is handmade by artisans at the Massachusetts factory with jewelry- grade detailing that isn't commonly found outside of France, Laine says. Plumbing and hardware are cast in solid brass and bronze, hand-plated, and hand-finished. It's run by the family's third generation, including the company's creative director, Marissa Geoffroy, whose grandparents, Sherle and Rose Wagner, started the company. Fixtures & Fittings offers some of the oldest and most famous of Sherle Wagner's designs, such as the dolphin, swan, and Solid limestone cantilevered staircase in a Georgian townhouse The Gold Standard The Gold The 24K gold Dolphin faucet was originally designed by Sherle Wagner in 1945. It's now a part of the Heritage collection. Molecule collection Compass collection 46