Step in the bathroom, turn on the tap. Step in the shower, turn on the faucet.
Just mundane parts of the daily routine, right? Yet for bathware designers, they are anything but. These creative minds dive deep into what they call 鈥渢he water delivery experience,鈥 and once you鈥檝e experimented with some of their creations, you鈥檒l probably never take a tap for granted again.
For the bathroom sink, companies like THG, Axor and Drummonds are offering collections resembling fine jewelry, often at comparable prices.
And for the full-body cleanup, there鈥檚 shower hardware designed to elevate your senses. Precise, perfectly smooth edges and detailed fine knurling make 鈥榮 new Edge collection resemble the high-end perfume bottles that were part of the inspiration for Jean Marie Massoud, the collection鈥檚 Italian designer. It was unveiled at this spring鈥檚 massive ISH European kitchen and bath industry show in Frankfurt and will be available in North America in the fall.
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鈥淚鈥檓 interested in water鈥檚 energy and flow, how it鈥檚 both balanced and unbalanced at the same time,鈥 says Massoud, who has designed for the German manufacturer before. With the faucet design, he wanted something that looked effortless, refined and minimalist.
Axor has a stable of fashion-forward creatives who鈥檝e designed faucet collections for them, including Philippe Starck, whose Organic faucet was inspired by the shape of a tree branch.
鈥檚 Grid collection was inspired by the Dutch De Stijl art movement, which was characterized by vertical and horizontal lines; Piet Mondrian was one of its founders. The taps and faucets were created with 3D technology as open-sided squares and rectangles, so the water seems to emerge from nowhere. They鈥檙e finished in buffed matte black, which gives them an architectural presence.
Black finishes are currently in demand for the bathroom, according to US鈥檚 product and research development director, Ryan Ramaker. 鈥淢atte black, graphite and brushed black chrome finishes are all strong trends,鈥 he says.
And there鈥檚 another big one to watch, Ramaker says: 鈥淢atte white is going to be the next big thing.鈥 He says interior designers and homeowners are attracted by its clean crispness and the idea that, as with matte black, the finish can be integrated into any decorating style for a seamless look.
Hansgrohe鈥檚 Pura Vida faucet and tap set combines chrome and white finishes.
That metallic and white combination can also be found on Eisen Home鈥檚 Marella faucet, available at .
Wayfair鈥檚 also got Vigo鈥檚 Niko faucet delivers the water in waterfall form via an elegant, crane-like, white, open-topped spout. Maestro Bath鈥檚 Ikon perches a sliver of a handle atop a faceted geometric base, all clad in white.
The shower is also seeing its share of high style, in high-tech form.
Hansgrohe鈥檚 sizable PowderRain showerhead sends the water out in a soft, enveloping spray thanks to the five holes in each nozzle. The flow is angled so water doesn鈥檛 splash in all directions.
Moen鈥檚 U system lets you control your shower experience via an app to create presets for time and temperature, then use device buttons or your voice to command.
鈥榮 DTV+ system allows you to preset six different 鈥渆xperiences.鈥 Customize your dream shower with components like speakers, steam, body sprays and chromatherapy (colored) lighting.
