WOW!house panel discussion: the hotel bathroom – creating tangible experiences

Following a series of successful design partnerships in previous WOW!house installations , House of Rohl decided to shake things up a little and, in partnership with Hotel Designs made a creative call-out to the design community to find this years’ partner for its 2024 edition of the WOW!house primary bathroom set.

The decision for House of Rohl to launch a competition was born from the spirit of the event with the aim of approaching this year’s project fairly and democratically. “The WOW!house event is truly unlike any other,” said Emily Hunt, Head of Hospitality Specification at House of Rohl. “We establish a partnership to create something exciting and unique, to thrill the most demanding of audiences. And we start with a blank sheet of paper, with no brief or restrictions (beyond the obvious practicalities). As a participant in WOW!house you become part of a community of designers, celebrating design. It’s hard work, but the result is a month-long house party that is a joy to share with friends, family, customers, and prospects.”

Image credit: Billy Bolton

It has been an inspiring design journey for all involved – from sifting through all the creative proposals at the beginning, to judging and agreeing (after much discussion) on the winning design from Michaelis Boyd. Finally, the hard work started in the months leading up to the opening of WOW!house, all culminating in the installation complete and fabulous waiting to be discovered.

In celebration, House of Rohl and Hotel Designs hosted an evening with a select audience from the design community in a spirit of creativity and celebration in the House of Rohl showroom. The canapés and conversation led seamlessly into the panel discussion scheduled for the evening, all of which was followed by an exclusive and private tour of the final installation.

The evenings conversation was caught on film, with the panel discussion, titled The hotel bathroom: creating tangible experiences, moderated by Sophie Harper, Editor Hotel Designs.

On the panel were:
Charlie North, Global VP of Design, Ennismore
Jessica Morrison, Senior Associate, G.A Group
Andrew Wakem, Founder, Wakem PR
Alex Michaelis, Founding Partner, Michaelis Boyd

After an animated conversation on all thing’s bathroom and design from this panel of experts, the discussion continued with a range of questions from the audience drawing on the panel’s knowledge and creativity.

In conclusion, the guests were invited to enjoy the exclusive showing of the WOW!house installation. Not only was it a pleasure to experience the installation without the crowds, but it was both informative and insightful to have designers from the Michaelis Boyd team present during to discuss the details.
The concept for this year’s House of Rohl WOW!house primary bathroom was based on a playful and whimsical journey through the bathroom. The feature bathtub was encircled by a hand-painted mural niche within a theatrical space.

The design was all about the user, with an emphasis on how thoughtful and sensory design can transform a bathroom into a sanctuary for relaxation. While the WOW!house might not have been the place to experience the inherent serenity and stillness of the design, it certainly provided an inspirational platform for, and a tangible experience of, the transformative power of a bathroom design.

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Main image credit: Billy Bolton