Uncharted Waters: Falper maps the future of bathroom design

They say a good conversation is a two-way street.

For premium Italian bathroom brand Falper, the lifestyle of the end user has, on the one hand, consistently been a driving factor behind its product development, encouraging the firm to continuously evolve its products in response to societal shifts. Yet, at the same time, Falper has proven itself to be a key agent for change in the way that that we behave within the domestic sphere. As bathrooms become increasingly integrated into living areas, and as smaller spaces demand more flexible solutions, the company’s catalogue offers an innovative take on the future of bathroom design.

The task of ensuring that Falper’s products remain ahead of the curve rests with MD and art director, Luca Fallavena, whose father Guido founded the company in 1962. Originally a manufacturer of plastic fittings for furniture, the firm moved into the production of items for the bathroom in the 1980s. The family-run company now operates from a 12,000-square-metre manufacturing facility in the town of Ozzano dell'Emilia, where it focuses on developing trend-making products with resolutely international appeal.

Falper’s latest collections once again position it at the vanguard of modern interior design. Influenced by the compact urban residences inhabited by many Millennials (people who reached adulthood around the year 2000), the company, in turn, influences the market by offering the opportunity to tailor its products for use within small spaces. Without compromising on the quality of the material and manufacturing details expected of a premium brand, the designs enable customisation so products can be specified to fit within small or medium-sized bathrooms.

“For those already familiar with Falper, you will agree that their products are truly inspirational, finely crafted and innovative,” says the company’s US distributor. “Falper products are created for floor plans from open and spacious to modest and compact, allowing designers to individually customise any bath environment. Elegant and harmonious, noble and essential, innovative but always focused on real everyday use: this is the essence of the forward-thinking and sophisticated design of Falper.”

One of Falper’s key objectives in recent years has been to identify ways of combining the artisanal expertise it has acquired over several decades with technologically advanced and ecological materials. Alongside traditional ceramics and innovative solid-surface materials, the firm currently uses antique wood, marble, stainless steel and lacquered glass to manufacture items that can be installed in the most sophisticated bathrooms, but also don’t look out of place as stand-alone pieces of furniture in the lounge or bedroom.

The recently launched Quattro.Zero collection epitomises Falper’s pursuit of technical innovation through its application of the robust, bio-based material Ceramilux, which can be used to engineer products with exceptional thinness. The collection centres on washbasins with sides measuring just 4 millimetres. This enables the development of minimal and delicate forms that have a pure, graphic quality. The precision enabled by the Ceramilux material also means that raised edges can be incorporated into the flat surfaces to prevent water dripping onto the floor.

The newest addition to the Quattro.Zero range is a bathtub that reinforces the ethos of the collection and the unique qualities of Ceramilux. With a wall thickness of just 8 millimetres, the capacious and ergonomic tub has an impossibly delicate aesthetic that accentuates its elegant curves. The collection also includes storage units, mirrors and open shelves featuring details that complement the ceramic surfaces. The units come in a wide array of dimensions, materials and finishes, and can be individually customised to the specific requirements of any space.

In addition to exploring new uses for advanced ceramics, Falper’s research and development team is continuously experimenting with other materials to identify suitable applications in the bathroom. The Edge collection is based on a sculptural yet remarkably strong glass surface produced using an innovative processing technique. Its seamlessly indented sink features a stain-proof finish made possible by nanotechnology. The company’s also produces uniquely characterful designs that combine materials in surprising ways, as epitomised by the masculine George collection, which unites textured ceramics with details in stainless steel, copper, leather or wood.

Falper’s dedication to experimenting with materials and collaborating with some of the world’s leading designers on products that both respond to and develop the needs of today’s users has contributed to its enduring success and evolution over recent decades. The firm is now uniquely placed to produce pioneering designs that apply new and familiar materials in inventive ways, resulting in products that are suited to use in different spaces. Its ongoing aim is to ensure these items continue to enhance the aesthetic and functional qualities of bathrooms, in both the near and distant future.

The conversation is far from over.

© Architonic