ASID Students Create Cutting-Edge, Seasonal Designs for Moen's `Accent on Design' Contest.

Business Editors

NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 4, 2003

Now there's no excuse for not changing the look of your faucet when the leaves begin to fall. The 1960s-inspired design of Moen's 'Accent on Design' contest winner will be available for your bathroom. This bath fixture design, entitled "Indian Summer," is based on the current trends in retro fashions, particularly peasant styles and love beads featuring geometric and floral patterns. The colors of this design are just the thing to get you going on a cool autumn morning.

The 'Accent on Design' contest was open to more than 8,000 American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) students nationwide, giving them creative license in designing faucet accent pieces. The cutting-edge designs submitted ranged from traditional and calming to modern and wild, and everything in between.

In total, Moen awarded more than $10,000 in products and prizes for the four seasonal winners and 40 finalists. The grand prizewinner's design was unveiled in Las Vegas at the recent International Builders Show. The design will be put into retail production and will be available to consumers in time for their fall decorating needs.

"We were thrilled with the many outstanding designs we received," said Ginny Long, Director of Public Affairs for Moen Incorporated. "It was hard to choose the four winners with such a wide array of choices -- each one adds something unique to a bathroom setting. Seeing the creativity represented by these students makes me excited to see what the future holds for interior design."

The contest 'Accent on Design' name derives from Moen's Asceri(R) bath collection of 'Accent' pieces, that allow consumers to easily change the look of the bath. There are currently 10 different Accent styles -- from the traditional look of china and florals to the wild hues of animal prints. The ASID students were encouraged to design new patterns to add to the collection.

ASID students were asked to create designs to fit into four seasonal categories -- fall, winter, spring and summer. The winners included:

Fall design winner (and overall contest winner)

Elaine Dominguez of West Nyack, N.Y. who studies at Rhodec International, Quincy, Mass. Dominguez's "Indian Summer" design showcases the look of love beads with their strong colors and floral designs.

Summer design winner

Dominguez will receive an additional cash prize as the winner of the summer category as well. For this design, she picked up on the current craze for mosaic tiles in the bathroom. The use of cool blues was inspired by water.

Spring design winner

Emily Black of Chicago, Ill., who studies at the Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Fla. Her design features flowing willows with lilac brushstrokes running throughout the background. The design makes you long to run through a field, enjoying the fresh, clean scents of spring.

Winter design winner

Karen Ann Davis of Houston, Texas, also studying at Rhodec International, Quincy, Mass., provided a design with soft blues that mimic snowflakes. It reminds you of a calm winter's night - the kind where you'd like to cozy up to the fire while the snow falls outside.

The grand prizewinner received a $5,000 cash prize, a trip for two to the International Builders Show in Las Vegas and will see her design put into production. Each of the four seasonal winners received a $1,000 cash prize. There were also 10 finalists awarded in each seasonal category, all receiving Moen's Revolution(TM) massaging showerhead featuring a patented technology that takes ordinary water, spins each drop, then twirls the entire shower stream.

An elite panel of national media, representing some of the country's top design and shelter publications and daily newspaper home editors completed judging for the contest. The judging criteria included creativity, seamlessness/continuity of design, tie-in to category and finish compatibility. Judges included:

-- Liz Forgang, Home Writer, New York Daily News

-- Carolyn Forte, Director/Editor, Home Care Dept., Good Housekeeping

-- Jacqueline Goewey, Decorating and New Products Editor, InStyle Magazine

-- Karen Klages, Home Writer, Chicago Tribune

-- Joan McCloskey, Architectural Executive Editor, Better Homes & Gardens

-- Carolyn Sollis, Executive Editor, House Beautiful.

All contest entries including the winning designs can be viewed online at http://contests.moen.com/asceri. Media can download high resolution images of all four designs at http://contests.moen.com/asceri/pressroom.cfm.

Moen's Asceri Accent faucets use it's revolutionary M-PACT(R) common valve system, which requires nothing more than a few minutes to change the Accent -- and the entire look of the bath. Changing the faucet can be accomplished by unscrewing the handles and spout, lifting out the accent pieces and replacing them with a new style. Now changing the look of your faucet is as easy as changing to a new set of towels or other seasonal accessories.

For more information about Moen's Accent on Design contest, contact Moen Incorporated at 25300 Al Moen Drive, North Olmsted, Ohio 44070-8022.

EDITORS NOTE: Moen Incorporated is one of the world's largest producers of residential and commercial plumbing products. Moen is the #1 brand of faucets in North America. The company manufactures a complete line of single and two-handle faucets in a wide assortment of styles and finishes. It is also a leading producer of residential and commercial sinks, a variety of shower accessories, and bathroom accessories (sold under the brands Moen, Cleveland Faucet Group, and Creative Specialties International).

Moen Incorporated is an operating company of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE:FO)(www.fortunebrands.com), the consumer products company.