FOCUS | Compact living: bathrooms
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Bijoujbathing The panel:
Wayne Lyons, director,
Soaks Bathrooms, Belfast
Alison Teverini, director, Milward Teverini, London
We take a look at some of the latest trends in compact bathroom design, where the keywords are bold and bright. Francesca Seden reports
D 44
espite average UK bathrooms being among the smallest in Europe, it doesn’t mean you have to think small or ordinary when it comes to design. Current styles are tending towards using this small space to create a real design statement using bright, dark or pastel shades, unusual tiles, statement mirrors and wallpaper, as well as a range of vital and innovative storage solutions. Trends noted by our design experts include half-height tiled walls with natural or statement wallpaper, accessories in pastel
1. This copper boat bath from BC Designs is available in three sizes. The smallest, measuring just 700mm x 700mm x 1500mm, fi ts into the space of a standard sized shower 2. This Rectangle antibacterial shower tray from Britton measures 1,500mm x 700mm and comes with a 10-year guarantee
colours and even sanitaryware in similar retro hues. Soft curves are preferred over hard edges and Crittall-style shower screens continue to prove popular, as their “elegant lines,” according to Soaks director Wayne Lyons, “create a simple but effective addition and focal point to any bathroom”. Dark, inky tones are still popular, offering a sense of drama, and gold can also be effective, according to Alison Teverini at Milward Teverini. “Gold is great for providing a subtler way to explore a glamorous look in the bathroom. One simple way to introduce gold with restraint is to build it up gradually. Start with hard-wired fi ttings, perhaps a basin tap or light fi xture, then layer on the accessories like wall mirrors,” she advises.
Going social
Driving these trends are hotel design and social media – something Lyons advises designers and retailers to take seriously if they are to stay ahead of the curve. “Before visiting a showroom, customers are now looking up bathrooms on apps like Instagram and Pinterest,” he comments. “Customers now know the style they are looking for and are visiting showrooms trying to source a similar style. Now, more than ever, showrooms need to be more on-trend and update their displays more regularly to have what customers are looking for and gain the sale.”
Hotels have also been an important source of inspiration for a while, but are now a real force to be reckoned with, as evidenced by the record number of visitors at last year’s hospitality design exhibition Sleep + Eat. Talking to Trend Monitor about the role hotels play, Mark Gordon, brand director of the show, comments: “Hotels afford their guests a little more time to slow down and connect with their immediate environment, so they hold great opportunity as a design infl uencer. You only have to read online reviews to see that many guests appreciate the design and, if they enjoy their stay, they are likely to want to replicate some of what they see in their homes.”
Sarah Evans, head of channel marketing at Hansgrohe, adds: “Hotel bathrooms have come a long way from being purely functional areas and have now become one of the most memorable parts of the hospitality experience. More customers are taking inspiration from hotels they have stayed in across the world. When you combine this with the growing
kbbreview · August 2019
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