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The Small Bathroom Photo: burgbad |
Bathrooms are experiencing a
very special kind of update. We love spending time at home – and
that includes the bathroom too. Its overall design is becoming
increasingly cosy and welcoming – and revealing the growing
influence of general interior design trends in the process. At
the same time, new technical developments are a must-have in the
bathroom too.
It all stems from users’ desire for a modern, lifestyle-friendly
bathroom. Certainly in Germany, interest in a new bathroom is
very strong. According to a current study by the German Sanitary
Industry Association (Vereinigung Deutsche Sanitärwirtschaft
e.V. [VDS]), 16.7 million Germans aged 18 or over are aiming to
make bathroom-related changes or purchases by 2019. No fewer
than 6.2 million are planning a complete or partial renovation,
while the remaining 10.5 million want to replace individual
items. The favourites for replacement include all products
connected with the washbasin area, a level access shower (28
percent) and age-related alterations (20 percent).
There’s definitely no shortage of options for turning those
plans into reality. Whether the goal is a family bathroom or a
private spa, the level of equipment should be tailored to the
users’ personal needs. There’s plenty of scope for the interior
design too – the spectrum ranges from stylish minimalism all the
way to snug and cosy furnishings with plenty of storage space
and lots of surfaces for decorative items. “We’re seeing an
ongoing shift in the bathroom’s significance within the
hierarchy of rooms in the home,” says Jens J. Wischmann,
managing director of the VDS. “The bathroom is a place of
intimacy and familiarity, and its design should uphold those
values,” continues Wischmann.
Trends towards some very different types of bathroom are
apparent right now, although their characteristic features can
of course be combined in various ways. Nevertheless, these
on-trend bathrooms definitely provide useful orientation – and,
from 11 – 15 March 2019, will be setting the course for modern
bathroom design at the ISH 2019 in Frankfurt, the world’s
leading trade fair and international gathering place for the
sector, where the focus is on the responsible management of
water and energy in buildings.
Pop up my Bathroom shows the bathroom’s
new-found openness towards customisation – whether it’s
implemented by the industry or the skilled trades. Besides the
surge of innovations being driven by digitalisation and new
impetus from 3D printing technology, the Innovative Bathroom
will have to provide new usage options as well – regardless of
its size.
The Health Bathroom
Water is the “blue” thread in the new Health Bathroom: a Kneipp
hose, showers with numerous jets or multifunctional hand showers
get tired muscles moving again. (Photo: Markus Jans, Dornbracht)
The common thread running through this trend is blue: the water.
Sebastian Kneipp’s insights into its healing effects are
enjoying renewed interest and being transferred to the modern
bathroom. The shower in this trend bathroom, for instance,
features a modern Kneipp hose for cold leg affusions. Showers
with numerous jets and individually adjustable programmes for
tense shoulders or tired thigh muscles are also available, and
nowadays you can even turn your bathroom into a little spa just
with the hand shower thanks to various spray patterns that
provide all the pleasure of pure water at the push of a button.
But that’s not all: space-saving pieces of equipment for active
health promotion like step machines, vibration plates, balance
boards and exercise bands are finding their way into the Health
Bathroom too.
The Comfort Bathroom
The furnishings in a modern bathroom don’t need a lot of fancy
gimmicks to convey a sense of luxury and ease. A level access
shower, a shower toilet, a bathtub with an ergonomically sloped
back or fittings that work at the push of a button,
LED-illuminated mirror cabinets with storage space, optimal
lighting and circadian light that’s good for body and soul ...
bathroom products have never been as convenient as they are
today. Finding a separate place for the toilet or adding a guest
toilet to keep the bathroom free of unpleasant odours also helps
the bathroom be perceived as a room in its own right. Today, 46
percent of homes in Germany have a separate or guest toilet – a
steep increase as compared to 2011 (40 percent).
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The Ecological Bathroom
When it comes to ecology, the bathroom has had an excellent
track record for quite some time. Thanks to the optimisation of
tap spouts and the jets on hand and overhead showers, the amount
of water consumed by fittings has been reduced to a minimum. As
for materials, premium sanitary ceramic permits mono-material
recycling, while top-quality design extends the useful life of
any bathroom sanitaryware. The growing trend towards natural
materials for the bathroom walls and ceiling confirms the
Ecological Bathroom’s credentials once and for all.
The Hygienic Bathroom
In Asia, shower toilets are more or less par for the course in
any modern bathroom and are becoming increasingly widespread in
Europe too. Hotels first acquainted us with the shower toilet,
and word of the good feeling and convenient hygiene it provides
is spreading rapidly. At the same time, sanitaryware
manufacturers have developed rimless toilets that are
considerably easier to clean than conventional models. And there
are also innovative finishes for ceramic sanitaryware, shower
trays and shower enclosures that are designed for easy
maintenance and prevent the build-up of bacteria.
The Snug Bathroom
As bathroom architecture opens up to lifestyle spaces and
enhanced functions turn it into a private spa, the bathroom is
experiencing a very special kind of update. Its snug features,
innovative products and larger size are increasing both the
amount and the quality of the time we spend in the bathroom: a
megatrend.
The Practical Bathroom
It’s often the little things that make
day-to-day life in the bathroom easier. It might be a stool for
the kids so that they can finally play with the water from the
tap, a level access shower or even a special fitting with a
hidden hose for washing long hair over the washbasin. The
fittings work at the push of a button and the water temperature
can be adjusted with spot-on precision. Ensuring a bathroom is
suitable for users of any age (universal design) plays a crucial
role in the development of these products.
The Condensed Bathroom
The Condensed Bathroom for modern families or
lifestyle-conscious singles: nowadays, anybody with a sense of
style wants sophisticated furnishings, even when space is in
short supply. Especially in urban areas, Pop up my Bathroom has
identified a trend towards compact bathroom products that
condense a high standard of design into as small a space as
possible.
The Small Bathroom
Lots of storage space in the Small Bathroom:
it might be small, but it’s stunning too – thanks to an
abundance of hi-tech and convenient solutions.
The dominant type of bathroom with a toilet
currently has an average size of 9.1 sq m – a moderate increase
as compared to 2006 (7.8 sq m). But especially in urban areas,
smaller bathrooms are the norm. As a proportion, their number
even looks set to grow because the density and price of
sought-after inner-city living space will continue to increase.
But the sanitary industry has plenty of product solutions to
meet this challenge as well – such as innovative bathroom
furniture with lots of storage space. In future, a high degree
of sizing flexibility and the availability of compact
combinations will become the hallmark of innovative brands. But
an optimised layout designed by a professional bathroom planner
also helps make full use of every square centimetre when space
is in short supply. There’s nothing outdated about the small
on-trend bathroom. On the contrary: it might be small, but it’s
stunning too – thanks to an abundance of hi-tech and convenient
solutions.
What else is going on: a wealth of invisible and
illuminating ideas
There’s a lot happening “behind the wall” in the bathroom too.
In addition to increasingly better technical possibilities for
soundproofing, the way water is dispensed in the house is also
changing as digitalisation advances. The benefit: precise flow
control and temperature regulation of the water used for the
washbasin, shower and bathtub.
Lighting is another area that’s producing an abundance of
innovations for the bathroom. It looks set to become one of the
trending topics – especially as the new developments we can
expect make a strong impact and are guaranteed to attract
attention. Besides providing functional light for all sorts of
different needs, professional lighting design can also
underscore the snug character of a bathroom by creating
decorative effects as well.
“Today the Germans spend an average of 40 minutes per day in the
bathroom – and counting. That’s why the ISH 2019 will be
showcasing a lot of innovations that considerably enhance the
quality of the time we spend there,” says Jens J. Wischmann.
“The bathroom is turning into a lifestyle space!”
Pop up my Bathroom
an initiative of the German
Sanitary Industry Association (Vereinigung Deutsche
Sanitärwirtschaft e.V. [VDS]) and Messe Frankfurt established in
conjunction with the ISH, is an experimental platform for
architects, bathroom planners, interior designers and
journalists. It aims to explore and illustrate what
possibilities the bathroom can offer people as an aesthetic and
functional space. On the one hand, it gives experts a chance to
find out about new developments, on the other hand it aims to
convert the designs it develops into pictures that will be
understood all over the world. The website
www.pop-up-my-bathroom.de has therefore been expanded into a
continuously updated blog that serves as a communication
platform and has attracted almost 1 million international
visitors. Until the next ISH opens its doors, it informs
professionals and interested consumers not just about the Pop up
my Bathroom trends but about the latest developments in various
segments of the sanitary industry as well.