Emma Mottram, Marketing Manager at Laufen UK, comments on the latest bathroom innovations that are enabling housebuilders to shape the way users experience the bathroom.
In recent years, the bathroom has become much more than a functional space, and the latest technological innovations are evidence of this. So what are the latest trends and innovations within the bathroom industry and how can housebuilders and property developers use them to create an aspirational bathroom?
Ultra-thin ceramics
One of the main innovations that continues to gather pace in the bathroom market is ultra-thin ceramic materials. As well as offering a sleek and refined aesthetic appearance, slim ceramics are space saving, light-weight and environmentally friendly.
Some of the new creative standards in this market have been set by Laufen and its ceramic material, SaphirKeramik. By blending a ceramic material with different substances, manufacturers can create a supreme material that goes beyond the natural qualities of clay. SaphirKeramik is a blended composition of ceramic material with corundum, a colourless mineral, which gives the product the flexural strength of steel. It is a unique ceramic of unprecedented strength, with precise, wafer-thin walls and a radius of just 1 to 2mm.
Versatility of design
New shapes and textures are becoming a big trend within the bathroom industry, with geometric and simple shapes leading the way. Looking to the future, the company’s latest collection, Sonar, designed by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola, incorporates textures, gentle waves and geometric structures, changing the way that ceramics are perceived. More manufactures are also offering innovative ceramic surface finishes that are fired on top of the original glaze for durable and long-lasting hygiene, such as Laufen Clean Coat (LCC).
Health and wellbeing
Offering the latest comfort and hygiene benefits, shower toilets are set to make a big splash across UK bathrooms this year. Using fresh water, the shower toilet provides the user with a feeling of complete freshness. At the heart of a shower WC are the versatile and intuitively operated shower functions. These can include a standard function with selectable jet intensity, position and temperature, as well as a strong power mode and a pulsating jet mode. Most products also include a separate setting for women, offering a gentle wash with adjustable strength, position and temperature.
Aesthetically, many shower toilets emulate a classic WC design and, depending on the manufacturer, the controls are discreet and user intuitive. This is demonstrated on Laufen’s Cleanet RIVA Shower WC. Designed by Peter Wirz, Laufen has succeeded in integrating the latest advances into a closed ceramic body, creating a timeless aesthetic that is suitable for any high-quality bathroom design.
