I have often said that I want to see the world through a kitchen and bath lens and I recently had the pleasure of spending time at Lago D’Orta, Italy, courtesy of ROHL Luxury Faucets & Fixtures, the White Good Agency and Designhounds. The trip was fantastic! A truly luxurious experience, which I will get to in detail, but it was incredibly special to experience the culture of this brand.

The story of founder Ken Rohl innovating the pull out kitchen faucet and bringing it to market is an impressive one, but even more impressive is the way the family continues to keep a finger on the pulse of the industry to bring exceptional products to our market. The polite generosity of the Rohl’s exhibited during our dinners and two factory tours is refreshing. The factory tours included a story told in animated Italian by Bruno Nicolazzi and translated to reveal how some designs were created at dinner from a napkin sketch. The actual plumbing has a variety of personalities from sleek modern to beautiful classic designs but all have a an artful quality that transcends trends.

 

As a young woman, I ran a plumbing showroom for a few years. I am guilty of looking at swans at a beach and thinking not of that natural beauty but the brass swan faucets in the showroom back in the day! I do love plumbing. I have designed pressure balanced loops for walls to distribute the water flow and understand the difference between pressure balance and thermostatic valve. I say this because I was particularly impressed by the quality, beauty and simplicity of the multi port manifolds I saw being assembled in the factory. Innovation, quality and commitment to the environment were on exhibit everywhere at these lake side manufacturing facilities. Watching hands craft, polish and assemble the pieces was impressive also. The hand crafted quality is something you can see and feel in the product and each valve is actually pressure tested. Yes, these are water appliances you can count on!

 

It is also interesting to note that the area has long been known for artisanal metallurgy. Beautiful church bells were produced here and that legacy and commitment to metal craft is now used in the faucet manufacturing process. In honor of this the members of our group were given a momento of a leather bracelet with a bell.

Now on to our full Lago D’Orta experience. The views were stunning during the drive through the countryside and the arrival at our hotel had me in awe. The Hotel San Rocco is lakeside and part of the historic little village Orta San Giulio. There is so much romantic beauty in the historic architecture and stone streets and each little lane inspires thoughts of the stories the walls could tell. Our group was taken by boat to an 11th century church on Isola di San Giulio in the middle of the lake. The art and architecture of the place is breathtaking. I loved the sculptures, the frescos, the marble and metal work and the scenic beauty.

 

I also must speak to the food and wine! The hospitality of the Rohls had us sipping wine lake side and dining on beautifully presented local Italian specialties. Feast your eyes on these beauteous desserts! All in all this was a trip of authentic luxury, indeed!

I hope you enjoy the photos I took as I bonded with this brand. I am quite impressed by the quality and company culture and hope you investigate their offerings for your next water appliance purchase.

Toni