The Future Perfect
Several seminal designers reflect on what our home spas will look like soon. Plus, we show you how to get your bathroom to the future right now.
By Margaret Hughes
Photo: TKSH, Colagene.com
Karim Rashid
UsTogether
The Pioneer: Karim Rashid
There isn’t any part of a home that New York-based designer extraordinaire Karim Rashid hasn’t redefined with an upbeat and colorful take: Think sensuously curved wastepaper baskets, wavy sound panels and clothes hangers too cool to hide under clothes. Rashid is fearlessly futuristic in everything he touches. The veteran designer’s ideal bathroom “would not just be wired, but seamless with light that follows you, radiating heat that follows you, music and sound at your footsteps, no doorknobs, touch interface everywhere…smart bathrooms that analyze your health diagnostics and give you biofeedback of your vital signs.” The trend, he adds, is definitely toward larger bathrooms that are designed to enhance relaxation, rejuvenation, privacy and just getting away from it all. “The world is so loaded with information and we are working more than ever, so it is becoming our last refuge in the home, too.” Rashid’s vision of a dream bathroom might not be that far off.
The Au-Courant: Jaime Hayon
Feted during the 2007 London Design Festival and honored with an award for outstanding design, the flamboyant young Barcelona-based designer Jaime Hayon, who mixes romanticism with pop minimalism, is definitely the man of the moment. His bathroom furniture line for ArtQuitect, which combines an elegant mash-up of materials—including swan-necked legs and brilliant super-gloss platinum finishes—sparked excitement when it was launched. Says Hayon: “I didn’t want to approach AQ as a bathroom collection. Everything is so white, so clinical. And the bathroom is a room hidden from everyone. Why not treat it as furniture?” Of bathroom design in the future, Hayon is betting that individualization will be the next trend. “People are in need of things they feel are part of their personality and not just general, anonymous objects,” he says. “There will be a comeback of handmade objects and a definite appreciation of personality, especially in the luxury areas.”
The Up -and-comer: UsTogether
According to the British-Irish design team that makes up UsTogether—Geoffrey Clarke, Alan Marks and Jack Woolley—there will be no knobs, switches or visible plumbing in the bathroom of the future, nothing that will detract from what should be the most serene and relaxing place in a home. Two years ago, UsTogether caused a sensation in the UK when the team launched Ebb, an all-in-one shower and bath module that sports ultraminimalist lines and a silky acrylic stone finish. Since then they have produced two more lines that feature overhead rain showers, a tub with glass walls and a recliner that shimmies up beside the bathtub so you can lie down while you dry off. If that’s not heaven enough, water comes through hands-free faucets, and hidden light fixtures in the bath and sink change color to suit the mood. Their image of the future bathroom is a space that’s split in two: “On one hand, there is relaxation and the bathing experience,” they say. “On the other, there is the practical side of getting up in the morning, showering quickly, shaving or putting your makeup on. It is likely that people will increasingly demand that these two areas become more clearly defined: efficiency and convenience on one hand and the luxury of enjoying water on the other.”
3. The Brush-Off
Soladey is the only toothbrush that doesn’t require toothpaste or dental floss to keep your breath smelling fresh and smile looking white. Light-sensitive titanium rods embedded in the handle release negative electrons that blend with saliva. The reaction helps kill off those nasty ions in your mouth that cause bacteria and plaque buildup.
5. Shower Power
The digital age comes to the bathroom in the guise of sleekly designed fixtures. Grohe Ondus’ AquaFountain comes with a control panel that displays an elegant analog clockface when the showerheads aren’t on. A light tap on the touch pad illuminates an LED display with easy-to-read icon controls for programming ideal water temperatures.
There isn’t any part of a home that New York-based designer extraordinaire Karim Rashid hasn’t redefined with an upbeat and colorful take: Think sensuously curved wastepaper baskets, wavy sound panels and clothes hangers too cool to hide under clothes. Rashid is fearlessly futuristic in everything he touches. The veteran designer’s ideal bathroom “would not just be wired, but seamless with light that follows you, radiating heat that follows you, music and sound at your footsteps, no doorknobs, touch interface everywhere…smart bathrooms that analyze your health diagnostics and give you biofeedback of your vital signs.” The trend, he adds, is definitely toward larger bathrooms that are designed to enhance relaxation, rejuvenation, privacy and just getting away from it all. “The world is so loaded with information and we are working more than ever, so it is becoming our last refuge in the home, too.” Rashid’s vision of a dream bathroom might not be that far off.
The Au-Courant: Jaime Hayon
Feted during the 2007 London Design Festival and honored with an award for outstanding design, the flamboyant young Barcelona-based designer Jaime Hayon, who mixes romanticism with pop minimalism, is definitely the man of the moment. His bathroom furniture line for ArtQuitect, which combines an elegant mash-up of materials—including swan-necked legs and brilliant super-gloss platinum finishes—sparked excitement when it was launched. Says Hayon: “I didn’t want to approach AQ as a bathroom collection. Everything is so white, so clinical. And the bathroom is a room hidden from everyone. Why not treat it as furniture?” Of bathroom design in the future, Hayon is betting that individualization will be the next trend. “People are in need of things they feel are part of their personality and not just general, anonymous objects,” he says. “There will be a comeback of handmade objects and a definite appreciation of personality, especially in the luxury areas.”
The Up -and-comer: UsTogether
According to the British-Irish design team that makes up UsTogether—Geoffrey Clarke, Alan Marks and Jack Woolley—there will be no knobs, switches or visible plumbing in the bathroom of the future, nothing that will detract from what should be the most serene and relaxing place in a home. Two years ago, UsTogether caused a sensation in the UK when the team launched Ebb, an all-in-one shower and bath module that sports ultraminimalist lines and a silky acrylic stone finish. Since then they have produced two more lines that feature overhead rain showers, a tub with glass walls and a recliner that shimmies up beside the bathtub so you can lie down while you dry off. If that’s not heaven enough, water comes through hands-free faucets, and hidden light fixtures in the bath and sink change color to suit the mood. Their image of the future bathroom is a space that’s split in two: “On one hand, there is relaxation and the bathing experience,” they say. “On the other, there is the practical side of getting up in the morning, showering quickly, shaving or putting your makeup on. It is likely that people will increasingly demand that these two areas become more clearly defined: efficiency and convenience on one hand and the luxury of enjoying water on the other.”
1. Greening the bathroom It’s no longer necessary to compromise on beauty if you’re a tree-hugging aesthete. Just launched in Europe, this ultra-minimalist washbasin, available in over 60 eyepopping colors, is just one of a complete line of bathroom modules created by Durat of Finland that are partially made from recycled plastics—and are 100% recyclable. |
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2. Shaping The Future One of the new guard of Italian “it” designers (is there any other kind, we ask?), Patricia Urquiola, originally from Spain, is known for bringing a feminine touch to the more masculine rigidness of minimalist design. Her Pear collection, which includes toilets, bidets and sinks, expands with a new sink and bathtub launch in 2008. Designed for Agape, the series is distinctive not only for its floral decals but also for its pudgy form, inspired by the bottom-heavy shape of a pear. |
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3. The Brush-Off
Soladey is the only toothbrush that doesn’t require toothpaste or dental floss to keep your breath smelling fresh and smile looking white. Light-sensitive titanium rods embedded in the handle release negative electrons that blend with saliva. The reaction helps kill off those nasty ions in your mouth that cause bacteria and plaque buildup.
4. Made to Measure The award-winning OSIM uScale Pro takes weight control to the next level. Using an undetectable bioelectric current that passes through your body when you step on it, the scale assesses your body fat, bone mass and muscle mass in relation to your weight, gender, height and age. It also calculates your hydration levels and lets you know if your blood pressure is too high. |
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5. Shower Power
The digital age comes to the bathroom in the guise of sleekly designed fixtures. Grohe Ondus’ AquaFountain comes with a control panel that displays an elegant analog clockface when the showerheads aren’t on. A light tap on the touch pad illuminates an LED display with easy-to-read icon controls for programming ideal water temperatures.
6. SOURCE OF WELLNESS Oasis for Personal Care: BainUltra’s Vedana is your source for wellness. A veritable haven for health and well-being, this one unique system integrates to a shower space to offer five combined therapies. For the ultimate in spa-grade care, be enveloped by the powers of Thermotherapy®, light therapy, chhromatherapy, aromatherapy and sound therapy, and live a new wellness lifestyle. |
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