Close your eyes and imagine your dream bathroom. Does it have a steam shower? A free-standing tub? Or is a shower with built-in aromatherapy more your style? More than ever, bathrooms are a focal point for homeowners, and little luxuries, from a sleek faucet to a towel warmer, can make all the difference in designing a calm, soothing spot to relax in. But luxury doesn’t have to come with a high price tag, says Leigh Suffian, partner at Immerse, a plumbing supply studio that’s been showcasing the top kitchen and bath brands since 2011. “Years ago, there were six choices in toilets, but now bathrooms have gotten really sexy,” she says. “And luxury, which means something different to everyone, now is available at every price point.”
An offshoot of Atlas Supply Company, which the Suffian family has run since 1937, Immerse features a gallery-style showroom specifically designed so homeowners, designers and builders can touch, feel and see what the full range of bath and kitchen decor looks like. “We have a lot of experiential things, such as a working shower with 35 different shower heads and working saunas and tubs,” Suffian says. “We wanted customers to be able to live the experience and see what things actually look like and how they work. It takes the guesswork out of it.”
Immerse built its business on offering product lines and designers not found elsewhere in St. Louis, and the showroom’s displays are constantly changing, Suffian says. “We were able to create from the ground up what we wanted our showroom to feature, and I travel all the time to different cities and showrooms to find out what’s new with the brands we have and to discover new brands we want to bring to the area,” she explains. “Our showroom looks fancy, but we have things at all price points, and the at-home luxury you see online and on HGTV now is attainable. If you go to a hotel and see fog-free mirrors, a light-up makeup mirror or a towel warmer—you really can do that in your home. There are tons of little things you can do to make it feel like a sanctuary.”
Although Immerse is open to the public as a showroom, it sells exclusively to designers, builders, plumbers and other professionals in the industry. This doesn’t mean that homeowners can’t come in and get ideas, though. “We sell to the professional the homeowner is working with, but you can come and take a look at what we have, and we can help you hone in on what look you want for the space,” Suffian says. “We’d help point you to options that could work for your room. For example, many homeowners might not realize that they don’t need a huge space for steam showers—we now can do those in tiny spaces.”
[Immerse is a plumbing supply studio brought to St. Louis by Atlas Supply Company. For more information, call 314.375.1500 or visit immersestl.com.]
Pictured: Tami Miller, Anne Kelleher, Jo Ann Powell, Leigh Suffian, Adrienne Nienkamp
Photo: Bill Barrett