ISH presents the latest design trends and room concepts in the sanitation sector

'The Bathroom Experience' sets new standards in home design Pampering in the private spa: a cat's lick and a promise

The bathroom has developed cult status for a new generation of homebuilders. This is where dreams come true because this is where a new awareness of the body, the fascination of water and the desire for a more cultivated form of body care – desire and beauty – come together. Modern luxury is the time and the care people reserve for themselves and their physical and emotional wellbeing.

The bathroom is increasingly an expression of a new culture of pleasure in which the spotlight is on both aesthetics and sensuousness: rain shower, integrated bath/shower, lighting effects, colour harmonies, puristic clarity and sculpture-like objects turn the bathroom into an experience. All the latest trends in this connection are to be seen at ISH – The World’s Leading Trade Fair for the Bathroom, Building, Energy, Air Conditioning Technology and Renewable Energies – in Frankfurt am Main from 6 to 10 March 2007. Thus, 'The Bathroom Experience', which presents a host of designs revolving around bathing, is comparable only with the big furniture fairs in terms of the quality of ideas for interior design.

With the design of the bathroom as an impressive but contemplative place of tranquillity and sensuousness, the 'homing' trend has reached an initial peak with aesthetics and content playing a major role. Nowadays, many people regard the resulting treat for the eyes as a good substitute for, for example, visiting a restaurant. Similarly, others no longer obtain sensory satisfaction in a club, cinema or swimming pool but prefer to stay home – in their integrally designed bathroom, their private spa.

Private Spa – a place for all the senses

The private-spa concept brings together the expertise of the sector, lifestyle, design and future-oriented architecture. Developed by the sanitation sector, this model of an ambitious bathroom is in line with the integral design popularised by premium hotels worldwide, in which superior aesthetic qualities, sensuousness and comfort come together to create a new room concept combining wellness and privacy. In the home, there is a genuine need for the luxury of staying at a spa or in a hotel bathroom screened from the outside world, which amalgamates dwelling and regeneration. Wellness in the bathroom is more than 'just' a whirlpool or a shower panel. Although wellness is closely linked in the mind of the consumer with water, sanitation products are more complex than conventional wellness products, such as teas, aroma therapy and package travel arrangements. Wellness in the bathroom is not simply the bathtub but the experience associated with it and which is influenced by a variety of soft factors, such as room ambience, atmospheric design and opportunities for ritualistic usage.

Bathroom planning combines interior design and high technology

Modern consumers are open to new concepts and sophisticated installation technology. And this has given the sanitation sector a creative boost. However, the result has not only been new types of products but also an interdisciplinary approach to include the bedroom, of course, and other parts of the home.

Thus, the plumber is no longer the last person to be involved in the bathroom design, who simply installs the various products required, e.g., wash basin, toilet and bathtub. On the contrary, the plumber should be consulted first as a bathroom planner. A good overall concept can only be achieved if all the disciplines concerned, i.e., sanitation fittings, architecture, electrical installation and interior architecture, work hand in hand. Today, design concepts represent the real achievement of the industry and service providers.

In a variety of situations, i.e., where shower screens rise out of the floor like transparent walls and the rains falls straight out of the ceiling, where the floor tiles merge with no apparent break into the shower tray and where bathtubs are embedded in platforms and wood panelling, the choice of material, colours and haptic aspects are of paramount importance. The elementary qualities of water and the way it tingles on the skin are the actual highlight where water flows from minimalist fittings in the wall or the fittings appear to grow out of the washbasin. In private spas, the design of the individual object, i.e., rectangular, curved, linear severity or organic softness, becomes part of the overall idea. The fact that the emphasis is no longer so emphatically on design reflects the skill and the sophisticated design concepts of many sanitation manufacturers.

New ideas for individualists

The collections give consumers more and more freedom of choice and, together with matching furniture modules, enable them to make their own designs. Even bathtub panels and shower screens made of glass come in a huge range of individually matched colour variations. Some manufacturers even offer complete modules as architectonic units that can be placed anywhere in the room. Others market their bathroom only as an obligatory package of sanitation products, fittings, lighting, shower screens and floor and wall designs. That, however, is the exception. Generally, the trend is towards elements that can be combined as required, which consumers can select from collections that, although the elements do not look the same, still match. Mediocrity is passé in modern bathroom design.

The boundaries between light and water abolished

Lighting is increasingly being integrated into bathroom planning and the products themselves. Given that light and water complement each other perfectly but are difficult to merge in technical terms, this requires special expertise; something that makes a positive contribution to the image of the sector. The sphere has long since moved on from mirror illumination and sophisticated programmes with atmospheric and random patterns of colour and colour temperatures. Light therapy and water lighting – especially in the bathtub and in the area of the fittings – contribute to the experiential character of the bathroom. LED technology has generated significant impulses for the development of products for effective light and water installations. Integrated into the rain shower, for example, they make the water droplets glimmer in different colours. Just like in real life – only better. Here, rain from the ceiling is a pleasure – not outdoors but indoors, warm and all colours of the rainbow. It is even possible to create a fine mist at the touch of a button – and make it disappear again equally quickly.

In the private spa, the obligatory cat's lick and a promise of yesteryear becomes an aspect of pampering; the cold room is turned into a luxurious landscape while cool utility is transformed visibly into a treat for the eyes. Wood, warm shades, high-tech equipment, natural materials and skilful lighting are the modern tools for premium bathroom design.