Design trends in bathrooms: exceptional sanitary equipment

Today, bathroom and sanitaryware design is witnessing a concerted move away from the mild-mannered minimalism and washed out pastel accents of the turn of the millennium. Bathrooms increasingly feature either bolder colours or more pronounced textures and patterns, and these are found in ceramics as well as fixtures and accessories, providing a more layered, multi-sensory experience.

As well as fulfilling their basic functions, bathrooms should double up as a wellness hub: a place where users can treat themselves to small luxuries, whether a scented bath, or a long massage shower. Dornbracht, for instance, has developed AQUAMOON Rain, an installation that combines an overhead rain shower with a mini waterfall and a misting spray, both of which are complemented by a changing light installation.

Elaborate shower installations such as these also deserve easy, floor-level access, and Kaldewei's Superplan ZERO, an enamelled in-floor steel tray, comes in a variety of colours, from alpine white to black, as well as shades of beige and grey, either contrasting or blending in with the floor around it – a key trend in recent years. Spa-grade shower cabins such as Carmenta's Shower Experience combine it all into a single sleek package, with integrated aromatherapy options and customisable LED lighting, bringing features that are standard in the wellness industry into customers' homes.

But contemporary bathrooms are not just about wellness trends. Technology and sustainability have been important in sanitaryware for decades, and never more so than today. Aerators, for instance, have become standard in all new faucets, helping to reduce water usage by up to two thirds. For example, the Barber Osgerby-designed AXOR One series integrates EcoSmart technology while providing an elegant tapered spout and flat-bar handles in the designer's signature aesthetic. Today everyone can enjoy stylish taps, knowing they'll be conserving water along the way.

Swiss ceramicware manufacturer Laufen pulled off a similar trick when they developed SaphirKeramik. The range already includes the Living SaphirKeramik bowl washbasin, or the more recent Sonar Bathtub designed by Spanish design-heavyweight Patricia Urquiola.

This new ceramic formula allows the manufacturer to create basins with walls that are only 2mm thin, which helps create lighter products, using less material, reducing transport costs whilst also introducing a more delicate aesthetic.

Innovative new materials are also making their way into bathrooms, particularly when it comes to freestanding furniture pieces. For example, a recent collaboration between Laufen and plastics specialist Kartell resulted in the successful Kartell by Laufen family of products, which includes transparent, coloured Sound Rack shelves and the Max Beam stool designed by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba. Vanity units with integrated sinks also come in all shapes and sizes, from VitrA's mid-mod, organically curving Plural Ceramic Counter, to Laufen's tradition-inflected New Classic Washbasin Frame, which combines ceramics with wood. For the luxurious look, Artelinea's +Skin range offers cantilevered cabinets, another recent trend, which can feature doors in mirror, coloured glass, wood veneer or opalite for a naturalistic look.

Tiles continue to offer designers the opportunity to explore pattern and colour, having made such an impact outside of bathrooms in recent years. Turkish company VitrA has created the Retromix range which includes glossy glazed tiles in vibrant colours as well as geometric black-and-white patterns inspired by the rich decorative culture of the Mediterranean. For a more restrained look, Ornamenta has created the Memphis-inspired 80s collection, while FAP Ceramiche has created earth-toned mosaic patterns called Blok alongside Bloom. This line of large-scale tiles can be used to produce almost seamless wall and floor surfaces, another key trend in bathrooms.

While underfloor heating is standard in many new bathrooms today, heated towel racks and wall radiators can bring more functionality and add a decorative touch to larger wall surfaces. Brands such as Tubes provide different ranges of wall-mounted heaters, from the modular, pattered Add-on, to the pared-back Basics range of radiators that comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours, to the more sculptural Agorà or sculptural freestanding Milano heating units.

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