True Experts Who Make Any Home Project Better — Elegant Additions Knows How to Make a Difference

This article is promoted/partner content and not produced by the editorial staff.

When you encounter the best, you know it. The way it looks. The way it feels to the touch. The way it works. You might not be able to state exactly why it is the best, but you know, intuitively. And that feeling is one of the ingredients of a life lived well.

This describes Elegant Additions to a tee, the plumbing fixtures, lighting and door hardware authority that has been supplying designers, builders and homeowners with one of the most exclusive roster of materials for more than 35 years.

Coveting the most elegant door handles and hinges to have ever come out of France? How about handcrafted faucets from Williamsburg, Brooklyn? Copper soaking tubs of the most sublime form? Of course you are, and Elegant Additions can procure all of those things and more, because the company has relationships with nearly every name worth knowing, including Barber Wilsons & Co., John Pawson, THG Paris, Turnstyle Designs, Vola, Armac Martin, Gessi, Kast and William Holland.

Put simply, if Elegant Additions can’t satisfy your every whim, no one can.

Julie Koch, the owner and visionary behind Elegant Additions, is among the best in the field, but she entered the industry purely by accident, a happenstance that has benefitted thousands of satisfied clients.

Koch was working in the advertising sales world and was doing well, but the owner of the company absconded with the funds, and Koch found herself unexpectedly unemployed. At the time, an acquaintance in the early stages of founding a decorative faucet company was peppering her with questions about the process, and the next thing Koch knew she was a partner in what would become Elegant Additions, which was founded in 1986.

As with most companies, the early years of Elegant Additions were marked by sleepless nights, lots of on-the-job education and a steep learning curve for Koch, who knew absolutely nothing about plumbing or fixtures. To make matters worse, her partner, three years in, announced to her one day with no warning, that he found the venture too stressful and would be leaving it. He had given her only 48 hours notice, so Koch had a decision to make.

“I really never gave a minute’s thought to quitting,” the irrepressible Koch says. “Bills and investors had to be paid, and I was newly single. The show had to go on!”

Fast-forward 32 years later — and many challenges overcome, including the advent of the Internet and the effect it had on selling and customer relations — and Koch has a winner on her hands, not to mention showrooms in Houston and Dallas (look for the new “design your own” Dallas Design Lab soon), a dedicated and professional team of designers and sales associates, and those thousands of satisfied clients.

What’s more, Elegant Additions recently partnered with two stars in the industry, and will represent them solely in Houston and Dallas.

Waterworks is one of the most desirable purveyors of high-end fittings and products for baths, spas, kitchens and other spaces that make humans happy and productive, and COCOON designs and creates timeless pieces whose function and form represent holistic perfection. Both firms chose Elegant Additions as a partner because, well, they work with only the best. (If the names John Pawson, Piet Boon, or ASH NYC mean anything to you, you are now very excited.)

Now let’s ask Julie Koch some questions to tap into her expertise and learn more:

Tell me about one design trend that you are excited about?

Julie Koch: The trend I am most excited about are actually two. The new hot finish (yes, everything old is new again) is the use of white for taps and fittings. It’s not new, just coming back to the top of the color wheel for bath taps and fittings. The new finishes are durable, easily cleanable and, when done with the help of a designer, gorgeous.

What makes Elegant Additions unique?

JK: You talk, we listen. You’ve said you want an exceptional selection experience curated by a knowledgeable, qualified, professional sales associate. We give you that and more.

We work where you are. Since 1987 we have worked in Texas, the Southwest and beyond. We can handle your job no matter where it’s located.

Our showrooms are must-experience. They are relaxing, beautifully appointed, modern, easy to work in and feature a variety of unique and exclusive fixtures.

Let’s hear your five tips for successful bath projects?

JK: Never go it alone. It pays to invest in success and hire a designer or architect to guide you through the spaces and help pull it all together. In the end, you will spend less.

Never shop on the Internet. Find a showroom like ours with a huge bank of history and knowledge in the plumbing and hardware field. We’ve been doing this for 35 years, and that matters. Too many moving parts and water is running through your wall. Why, why, why do people want to try to save money on the Internet when water is involved?

Find images of things you like, share them with the person helping you, then let them do their thing. Remember, you hired them for a reason.

Find products that are timeless, not trendy. Trendy dates your house quicker than anything.

Stick with the three basic finishes when possible: unlacquered brass, polished nickel and polished chrome.

Tell me about one of your favorite commissions or projects?

JK: It was a glass house on a ranch. Why my favorite? Because when the spaces are totally visible every single piece has to be perfect for the space. The kitchen, the baths, the bar all on full display. It wasn’t huge, but it was absolutely perfect. We care about details for every project, and are not into cookie-cutter design. You walk into some homes and you know exactly what store things came from. We don’t want that for our clients.

Ready to design the bath of your dreams, update your door hardware, or build the outdoor shower for the ages? Elegant Additions is waiting for your call.

For more about Elegant Additions and what they can do for your home, check out its full website here.