Bemis Manufacturing Co. introduced a line of nine hand-painted toilet seats at the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show held in Chicago April 5-7. Designed exclusively for Bemis, the first offerings are works from two artists, Leslie Trewyn and Kathleen Savage.

Trewyn's abstract designs feature bold shades of plum, maize, indigo, mango, russet and pumpkin, contrasted by black and white. Savage created a dog and a cat, and decorated the inner lid of each seat with whimsical images of each pet's toys.

Bemis identified the design trends that optimize the look and feel of consumers' bathrooms, which served as inspiration for its Gallery Collection toilet seats:

• Nature-inspired motifs

• Colors and designs that morph, blend and overlap

• Latin and tropical influence

• Darker, richer woods

• Metal or metal-looking finishes

• Designs for kids

• Retro looks and 20th century vintage designs and replicas

• Special-effect finishes such as pearlescence

• Ivy as a highlight.

"Focusing on style and design, this new product line elevates the seat beyond functionality, offering an entirely new way to look at this traditional bathroom accessory," said Brian Pomplun, senior product manager/plumbing products at Bemis, in a statement.

Suggested price points on the seats range from $70 to $100.

BLANCO Expands Production For Stainless Steel Sinks

BLANCO has added two dedicated production lines to its stainless steel sink factory in Sulzfeld, Germany to serve the exclusive U.S. needs of BLANCO AMERICA. The new production lines are supported with dedicated machinery for drawing, welding, grinding, and polishing. The work crew, part of the "TEAM BLANCO, Partners in Excellence" program, was assembled by promoting the best of the factory's workers in all areas of fabrication.

The new production lines follow a $9 million, 30,000-sq.-ft. expansion, including state-of-the-art computerized robotics and press machinery.