Long gone are the days when bathrooms were utilitarian spaces. Today, visual appeal, innovative technology and material exploration has transformed them into spaces that promote impeccable taste and beautiful design
Words and curation by Aidan Imanova
Less is more
Alessandro Andreucci brings the idea of an equipped wall to the bathroom through a new concept of retractable storage cabinets with pivoting mirrors, which are both practical and elegant. Bathrooms often become cluttered with countless objects, and so the idea behind Voilà for Agape is to liberate this room from clutter through a minimal storage unit that doubles as a statement piece. “Typically, a storage unit will contrast with the purity of the other elements in the space,” says Andreucci. “With Voilà, the idea is to conceal everything behind an element that is pure in form yet also able to perform various useful roles: it is both a mirror and a cabinet, and a simple gesture is enough to rotate the piece and switch from one function to the other.” With its sleek lines and mirrored surface, Voilà neatly blends in yet also becomes an architectural element in its own right.
Material world
A single element unites the varying pieces of the Sartoriale collection: a gentle engraving that softens the typical solidity of the marble. Designed by Federico Peri for Luce di Carrara, the collection aims to convey an optical softness. The oval bathtub features a series of vertical lines around the entire perimeter, adding to its contours, while the circular freestanding washbasin – which also carries this distinct engraving – features a polished inner surface that creates a gentle junction between the vertical wall and the horizontal plane.
Desert dreams
Inspired by the dynamic forms of sand dunes shaped by the wind, the sculptural design of RAK Ceramics’ Remal collection, designed by Sahar Madanat, showcases the diverse forms and textures that can be created in a desert environment. “Remal was inspired by a moment of tranquillity,” Madanat explains. “We focused on capturing that feeling of rejuvenation when working on the form. Every aspect of the collection was considered to bring people closer to the feeling: that raw, organic and inspiring movement that sand gives. The shape of the washbasins comes from this inspirational image and even the ‘sandy look’ finish makes special what would otherwise be a common matte white glaze.”
Romantic minimalism
Atlas Concorde Habitat explores how shapes can interact and merge with surfaces, using different textures and finishes. Dialogo is the first collection from its Design line, created in partnership with designer Mario Ferrarini. The collection is a dialogue between materials: some in harmony, others in contrast. Using the approach of ‘romantic minimalism’ that often drives the designer’s work, Dialogo offers a return to elemental geometries, combining vitality with the balancing of shapes and forms.
Timeless experience
Philippe Starck’s latest endeavour for AXOR is the new ShowerComposition. Both modern and timeless, it aims to bring a new universal design language to the shower space, and features sleek, flat surfaces and ultra-slim profiles in an architectonic composition. One can choose to opt for an all-in-one shower panel or create a personalised arrangement of floating modules, including the immersive PowderRain spray mode overhead and PowderRain shoulder showers with angle adjustment. “With the new AXOR ShowerComposition programme, we have composed three to four objects in one. That’s what modernity is all about: always doing the minimum to get the maximum,” says Starck.
Tea party
Known for its collaboration with a roster of bright design talents that create its high-craft objects for the bathroom, THG Paris’ partnership with designer Alexandra Champalimaud is no different. For her latest collection with the French brand, Champalimaud cites a peculiar yet fun object as inspiration: teapots. “I was having tea with a great friend of mine, Peter, on a chilly fall afternoon in Connecticut. He is a man of great taste with the most fabulous collections. I was enamoured – if not distracted – by the array of Art Deco teapots displayed around us,” she remembers. “The craftwork was impeccable. The lines: modern yet alluring. I started seeing these familiar pieces differently. Suddenly the spouts and pots were taps and fixtures. I knew then how to approach the collection: like a silversmith crafting the finest teapot.” Champalimaud began researching Art Deco teapots, playing with lines and rebalancing what is typical to create the Estrela collection, which is both elegant and timeless – a staple for all THG Paris collections.
