This year’s HIX hotel interiors show offered plenty of bathroom design inspiration – Amelia Thorpe rounds up 6 of the hottest trends on show.
'Everything that makes hotels incredible’ is how the organisers describe HIX, the hotel interiors show that took place at London’s Business Design Centre on 27th - 28th November. Certainly, there was plenty of wow amongst the more than 160 exhibitors’ stands, including striking displays from some 20 bathroom companies. "In the last 10 years, everything we’ve launched in retail comes from hotel design," says David Osborne, CEO, Roman. "Now we are seeing high end retailers, especially the London ones, coming here to see the latest ideas."
We bring you 6 key bathroom trends:
1. Flair with finishes
With barely any chrome in sight, a wide variety of brassware finishes were displayed across the show, usually with the option to match metal finishes across the entire bathroom, from taps and showers to accessories. "Designers want the full holistic solution," says Erika Dodds, channel marketing manager, Hansgrohe, which highlighted its Axor Signature individualisation and custom finish service.
In its new specification showroom, a permanent fixture at the Business Design Centre, opened to coincide with HIX, Grohe showcased its range of 8 standard finishes.
BagnoDesign highlighted Toko Flavours, a range of six colours of brassware made with Armour finish technology designed for high traffic environments.
Dornbracht presented its new Light Gold finish as well as its X-tra service, which offers a host of bespoke options for its brassware. Says Christian Sieger of Sieger Design, the long-term creative partner of Dornbracht: "It is great to be able to offer a choice of finishes. It’s rather like white dinnerware – once you have discovered there are decorative options available, it’s so much more joyful. A beautiful finish is a great way to differentiate yourself and your bathroom."
2. Colour to last
Pleasing to see colour coming through in a range of timeless colours. Laufen showcased its Colour Archaeology collection developed by Italian researcher Roberto Sironi, who reviewed historical ceramics from all over the world to produce a range of soft, liveable hues. "The colour palette draws inspiration form the past and has evolved over centuries while remaining relevant for contemporary and future bathrooms, a true sign of sustainability within design," says Emma Mottram, Laufen brand manager. Also noteworthy, Bagno Design’s Bristol freestanding tub in transparent acrylic Galaxy (a dark chocolate brown) and Ideal Standard’s La Dolce Vita vanity unit in Matt Ashblue.
3. Tactile qualities
True to its commitment to ‘design that engages all the senses’, Italian brand Gessi displayed a range of tactile products, including Incastri, designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, featuring a carefully balanced interplay of fluted lines. More fluting on display on the Roman stand, this time in wood – on vanities, and in glass on shower screens.
4. Let’s get creative
Plenty of creative inspiration from brands such as Majestic Showers, which showcased a shower screen finished with an elegant digital print linen effect.
Similarly, Bathroom Brands Group delivered a maximalist stand with plenty of colourful impact – a bespoke shower screen, a bold wall panel by Showerwall, a chandelier made from several Crosswater Tranquil pendant lights and a striking Tambour vanity. "We want to show a blend of different influences that can bring a space to life – and create unique and memorable experiences," says the head of design Jorge Hernandez.
5. Increasingly sophisticated WCs
Roca devoted its entire stand to a display of Avant, its sleek model with cistern integrated into the WC, designed to save space, simplify installation and eliminate the need for a concealed in-wall cistern. German brand Tece showcased its TeceNeo shower toilet, which does not require electricity unlike models from other brands. And leading shower toilet specialist Toto showed off a range of models, including Neorest WX, designed to be ‘the culmination of all hygiene and comfort technologies’.
6. Making sustainability part of every day
Noteworthy initiatives highlighted included Hansgrohe’s Designflex Planet Edition shower hose made from recycled plastic bottles, Dornbracht’s ReCrafted service to recondition its older products, and the Roca Group’s investment in the world’s first electric tunnel kiln for sanitaryware, designed to de-carbonise the inherent energy and carbon-intensive production of ceramic goods. Woodio showed off its basins, baths, WCs and sheet material made from 80% renewable woodchips combined with resin-based adhesive, produced in a process with an impressively reduced carbon footprint to similar traditional ceramic bathroom fixtures (55kg per unit reduction, according to the manufacturer).
