&Om I Advance Plumbing and Brains Advance Plumbing offers bath options that look good while filling a need. Lynne Konstantin { Contributing Writer he eternal question (one of them, anyway): Form versus function? In home design, this becomes a very real dilemma, particularly for baby boomers who are "aging in place" — meaning, they don't need to move to a retirement home, but could benefit from the assistance of functional equipment in their home. But can you also create the sanctuary of your dreams while also making it functional for real needs? Advance Plumbing and Heating Supply Company, with locations in Detroit and Walled Lake, is renowned for its selection of plumbing and heating products. In keeping with their commitment to offering the best customer service possible, they carry beautiful products that also serve a specific need for people with balance, agility and mobility concerns. "We can make it easy to retrofit a bathroom to make it usable and accessible, while also keeping it looking beautiful, rather than institutional," says Joshua Moss, operations manager of Advance Plumbing. "You can have form and function." T Walk In Tubs - Advance Plumbing offers a full line of innovatively designed walk-in tubs that minimize the risk of slipping and falling while maintaining independence. Taller than standard tubs, walk-in tubs allow the bather to walk into the tub, sit down on the sculpted 17-inch-high seat and completely submerge the body in water while remaining upright, without lying down or bending over. A water-tight, inward-swinging door makes it easy to maneuver in and out, and a quick-filling and draining system means less waiting time. Walk-in tubs are available in a variety of configurations, including soaker, whirlpool, air bath and combination bath, with a number of add-ons, from in-line heaters to chromatherapy lights, to make bathing a spa-like and rejuvenating, yet safe and effortless, experience. Curbless Showers And Accessories A gorgeous showpiece in any bathroom, 4 BOOM Magazine • February 2014 shower area screened by frameless glass panels, made to fit almost any existing bathroom. Once you've chosen a curbless shower, it can be personalized with functional accessories for confidence and assistance, including heavy-duty grab bars and handrails (which can be made to look like part of the decor, rather than looking institutional), sauna-room-styled shower seats and benches, shower heads that can be adjusted on the wall (making it easier to use for bathers that require extra assistance) A walk-in tub from Mansfield and shower heads with multiple spray options, from a massage spray to a gentle rainlike sprinkling. Founded by the late Harry Chernick in 1920 in Detroit (where it still thrives in its original location), Advance Plumbing boasts four generations of family members including Chernick's late son-in-law, Ronald Moss; Chernick's grandson, • Jeffrey Moss; and his great-grandson, Joshua Moss, who now run the day-to-day operations. The state- of-the-art Walled Lake showroom — which opened in 1990, just weeks A curbless shower from Level Best before Joshua Moss was born — brims with the cream of the crop curbless showers by Arc Inc. make showering of the decorative plumbing industry. When easier and safer for the aging baby boomer choosing collections that appeal to their as well as for anyone requiring simplified baby boomer consumers, Advance Plumbing access to his or her shower — while is careful to keep its commitment to quality, maintaining a luxurious experience. Also craftsmanship and customer service. "In our called zero-entry showers, showroom, we offer the the seamless design of best of the best, but we curbless showers means Advance Plumbing Supply also carry an enormous they are flush with the 2984 Grand River Ave. price range, so that we floor, so there is no bump, can work within any Detroit, MI 48201 no ramp necessary and budget to please any no tripping hazard. "They (313) 831-7770 customer, no matter what are an easy retrofit for an their needs are," says existing bathroom, and 1977 E. West Maple Road Joshua Moss. "That is our the result is a more spa- Walled Lake, MI 48390 goal. We want them to like feeling," says Moss. know we have what they (248) 669-7474 The Tuff Form Wet Room need, and that it can be System from Arc offers advanceplurnbing.corn beautiful." the beauty of a fully tiled ■