With bathrooms become more sanctuaries in hotel design, product development in the wellness arena has taken a step up. Hamish Kilburn, Editor of Hotel Designs, takes a look back at some of the gamechanging bathroom products that launched in 2023…
While design is, on the whole, subjective, when it comes to bathrooms, there is no question that without the specification of quality products – and bold innovation from manufacturers – there would be no such thing as a ‘statement bathroom’. For years, now, hotel interior designers, architects and even clients have understood the need for hotel bathrooms to be more than simply practical spaces.
In 2023, the hotel design industry was treated to a plethora of new bathroom products – from jewellery-like taps to smart showers, colourful and obscure basins to the latest shower toilet experiences.
Here is Hotel Designs’ editor’s pick at the products that made the most impact.
Ohtake from Roca
Image credit: Roca
The Ohtake basins, designed by the late architect Ruy Ohtake, are a cornerstone of Roca’s collection due to their eye-catching design. In honour of the famed designer, Roca has launched a new countertop design and added a matt black finish to the range.
Ruy Ohtake, one of Brazil’s most prolific architectural designers, is renowned for incorporating sweeping curves and round shapes into his timeless and elegant designs. The original award-winning basins do not disappoint and the new design is no exception. To create it, Roca has inverted the original shape to produce a sculptural design carved into a square surround for an innovative take on the countertop basin. All basin designs are available in six existing finishes: Gloss White, Matt White, Pearl, Beige, Coffee and Onyx, as well as the new Matt Black finish.
EDITOR’S CHOICE – Perle from Gessi
Image credit: Gessi
Perle is born out of the ‘Haute Culture’ concept from Gessi, which, in its shapes and materials, celebrates the natural world and exalts the quality of design at the highest level. The new Perle collection from Gessi, encapsulates the meanings and characteristics of jewellery, which represents both elegance and refinement. Just as the pearl is the most perfect and rare shape in nature, the sphere that punctuates each element of the collection is an emblem of purity and the fruit of profound research.
AXESS designed by KEUCO and Studio Porsche
Image credit: KEUCO
Operating from the maxim that good design has to be honest, what is striking about the entire KEUCO AXESS barrier-free range by Studio Porsche, is the clean, design-driven lines of all the products – commencing with the folding support rail positioned over the rail system for the shower, the grab rails, through to the freestanding stool. The design focuses on the essentials, combining aesthetics and barrier-free functionality in a stylish and innovative way, without making the special functions visually obvious. It is this aspect that will pleasantly surprise design lovers who want to see accessibility integrated into the bathroom and products with a minimalist appearance with design that inspires.
NEOREST WX from TOTO
Image credit: TOTO
NEOREST WX users can experience next-level Japanese wellness every time they use the toilet – thanks to TOTO. Every principle in TOTO’s design philosophy is reflected in NEOREST WX’s harmonious, understated form and comfortable size. A new ceramic material is used for the first time, allowing for finer, more elegant lines. These detailed enhancements are what make these quiet moments in the bathroom a perfect break from everyday life.
Vergo by Crosswater
Image credit: Crosswater
Vergo is a textured and trend-led bathroom furniture collection from Crosswater that is guaranteed to make a statement. The design of the drawer front and storage – available in three sizes – is ample and easy to access, thanks to its full extension drawer runners. The wall-hung design helps free up floor space, creating the illusion of a bigger bathroom, making Vergo the perfect addition to small bathrooms.
Phantom Black from GROHE
Image credit: GROHE
Thanks to a three-layer lacquer coating technique providing the deepest of matte black finishes, all GROHE Phantom Black products have been enhanced to be more durable, as well as being more resistant against corrosion, fading and scratches than other matte black variants treated with powder coating. In addition, Phantom Black is more repellent to visible fingerprints resulting in less cleaning and are easier to take care of – perfect for busy environments.
Bristol Bathtub from Bagnodesign
Image credit: Bagnodesign
A statement piece in the hotel bathroom, the Bristol Bathtub from Bagnodesign delivers, both in style and comfort, using every inch of its required floor space to maximum effect. Following the trend for unusual materials and eclectic styling, the Bristol Bathtub is made from resin.
Comfortable to bathe in, durable and simple to care for, the material is also easy to sculpt, resulting in a luxurious oval shape that gives a contemporary twist on a classic freestanding design. In striking Galaxy Black, the Bristol Bathtub measures 1683 x 803 x 550 mm, giving ample room for bathing in comfort. The bath was launched alongside the collection’s basins in the same material and finish, to form part of the Bristol collection.
Vitrium, designed by Duravit and Christian Werner
Image credit: Duravit
Vitrium from Duravit is a unique series that puts bold colour onto the bathroom agenda. It includes furniture such as vanity units, a tall cabinet and washbasins and can be combined with toilets and bathtubs from other series.
The colour concept with its six nuances is curated by Christian Werner, who was also responsible for the formal design of the Vitrium bathroom furniture and washbasins. There are six colours in total, which create presence without dominating the space and form a matt, warm contrast complementing wood, stone, concrete or matching tiled surfaces.
BetteSuno, designed by Barber Osgerby and Bette
Image credit: Bette
British design studio Barber Osgerby, in collaboration with Bette, has developed the exclusive BetteSuno bathroom collection, combining elegant minimalism with sophisticated bathroom design.
Green Vision, designed by hansgrohe and PHOENIX design
Image credit: Hansgrohe
And finally, here’s one for the future. After two years of developing a vision of a sustainable bathroom that functions almost without water, an interdisciplinary team of hansgrohe innovators and PHOENIX design have created the concept design of the ‘Green Vision’, which uses 90 per cent less water, 90 per cent less energy and therefore 90 per cent fewer CO2e emissions in the bathroom.
The concept goes far beyond the usual sustainability triad ‘Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle’ and ‘Rethinks’ our individual needs in the bathroom. With a planet-centric design, it aims to consider these questions: how can consumption be reduced to conserve increasingly scarce water and energy resources? How can the carbon footprint of a bathroom be reduced to as close to zero as possible over its average 20-year service life?
Hansgrohe, Gessi, Crosswater, TOTO, Roca, GROHE, Duravit and Bette are all Recommended Suppliers and regularly feature in our Supplier News section of the website. If you are interested in becoming one of our Recommended Suppliers, please email Katy Phillips.
Main image credit: Gessi, Bagnodesign, Hansgrohe, Duravit, Roca, TOTO
