The Villeroy & Boch Group on building smarter bathrooms: How developers can streamline design and specification
With housing demand in the UK showing no signs of slowing, developers are being pushed to deliver homes more efficiently and in increasingly compact spaces. At the same time, the average UK home is shrinking. Data analysis from Shrink That Footprint puts the typical home at around 76 mÇ (818 ftÇ) in 2025, down from 87.9 mÇ in 2021.
That drop only adds to the pressure on developers to make the most of every square metre, especially in high-density urban and suburban developments. Buyer expectations aren’t slowing down, however. Homeowners want spaces that combine practicality with style and a sense of quality – and bathrooms are no exception. For developers, achieving the right balance consistently across projects and units isn’t easy, especially when juggling several suppliers or different specification levels.
Smarter specification, simplified process
In response, manufacturers are offering broader, more integrated product portfolios, making it easier for developers to plan complete bathroom fit outs through a single source. Using one manufacturer for ceramics, furniture, taps, showers, and accessories can simplify procurement, streamline design decisions, and reduce complications during aftercare. It also helps maintain a consistent standard of quality and style across multiple developments, giving developers confidence that every home meets modern buyer expectations.
Providing everything from a single manufacturer doesn’t just make specification easier, it gives developers confidence that every product will work together as intended. Standardised specifications and a coordinated range of products simplify planning, reduce the risk of compatibility issues, and make longterm maintenance more straightforward for homeowners and property developers. This means time, cost, and effort are saved across projects.
Practical tools for developers
Recognising these pressures, the Villeroy & Boch Group, which now includes Ideal Standard and Armitage Shanks, is launching its Developer Bathroom Specification Guide in December to help housebuilders navigate specification decisions more efficiently. Rather than a traditional product brochure, it acts as a reference tool that brings clarity to what can otherwise be a complex process, showing how integrated bathroom solutions can support consistency, quality, and efficiency across different project types.
Building on this, the Villeroy & Boch Group’s Singular™ offering provides an end-to-end approach for creating crosscategory solutions. The guide covers the bathroom design process from initial concept to installation, highlighting practical considerations around specification, design, and product performance. The aim of solutions like these is to provide developers with a onestop shop that makes it easier and more cost-effective to plan spaces that are functional, durable, and efficient.
Leveraging decades of expertise, Ideal Standard is renowned for innovation in taps and showering solutions, while Villeroy & Boch brings a rich heritage in ceramics and bathroom furniture.
This style of guide illustrates how developers can create cohesive, highperforming bathroom designs at every level, from functional family bathrooms to premium en suites. By including practical considerations such as sustainability, durability, and water efficiency, they also enable developers to meet regulatory requirements without needing to worry about compromises in aesthetics.
Balancing design, sustainability and value
With these tools in place, developers can take advantage of innovations that help meet rising expectations without adding complexity. Modern bathroom design plays a key role in balancing cost, performance, and sustainability for developers, and across large-scale developments, small gains can result in big margins when it comes to replacements and meeting the legislative requirements of tomorrow, today. These solutions are also front and centre for potential buyers who are looking to keep bills down, so ensuring they are in every unit and that they are quality installations can play a big role in sales. Technologies that reduce water consumption such as Villeroy & Boch’s TwistFlush, which uses a flow-optimised flush system to reduce water consumption beyond European efficiency standards, and Ideal Standard’s FirmaFlow+ cartridge, which lasts up to 35 years, are clear examples of how clever specification can increase appeal in a challenging housing market.
A cohesive future for bathroom design
As housing trends change and development pressures grow, the need for smarter, more efficient ways to deliver high-quality interiors will only increase. Resources like the Developer Bathroom Specification Guide show how manufacturers are supporting that shift, not by dictating design, but by giving developers the tools and confidence to make informed, consistent decisions. When every home, timeline, and specification counts, working with a single, trusted manufacturer that offers complete design solutions isn’t just more convenient, it helps ensure cohesion, clarity, and smoother collaboration across the project.
The Developer Specification Guide will launch in December.
For more information on the Villeroy & Boch group visit, www.rdr.link/dbh038
