One of the largest bathroom fairs just took place and I went to Frankfurt to scout some tendencies and trends for bathrooms. Here is my report from ISH.
ISH is a huge fair and it just closed yesterday, so the final visitor numbers are not public yet. But a bit over 2 000 exhibitors. I have been before. Just look at a report from ten years ago here. The fair takes place every other year and a huge focus is on what is behind the walls. I would like to say that 70 % is about technical solutions, or the things that is happening behind the walls, and 30 % is about design solutions. Large players like Duravit, Villery&Bosch, Hans Grohe, Grohe (yes, two different brands…), Laufen, Vitra etc, are here. But many players from Italy or Spain choose not to exhibit. Not even German brands like Dornbracht.
But it is big. Halls were busy. I am sure the visitor numbers were impressive.
But you are most likely reading this because you are interested in bathroom trends. Just like many other people out there. A lot of people have asked me about what the trends are for bathrooms. I feel this more than compared to any other fair. A huge interest.
I normally don’t use professional product images here. The reason is that you should see the same things as I come across it. But I got this in the email and totally missed it at the fair.
This is by Swiss American designer Yves Behar for brand Laufen. And what he has done is a competely new kind of sink or water basin. And I love it. First the basin is made sustainably with choices of materials and production – but it brings a new level to the bathroom experience. The construction of the basin enhances the water swirl. And interestingly it is also easier to clean, giving it a more sanitary use. I loved this.
This was also new. At Hans Grohe I saw this fountainlike facewash. Notice the standard faucet next to it. This is not for washing your hands but actually washing your face. And it is actually pretty interesting. It’s a new function for our contemporary lives. Everyone (!!) is getting more and more interested in skin routines and beauty, so of course this should be reflected in the bathroom utensils. This is innovative.
What I mean is – compare above new facewash to this. Above pink bathroom is a Barbie bathroom for girls. Super generic and super prejudist.
More overall design solutions. I am sure that the round showerhead slowly but surely is leaving. A big conversation is water usage and there are water efficient water distributors that are using less water. But a the showerhead can distribute the water nicer with a new design. And we are tired of large round “rainforest showers”.
When it comes to bathrooms, the conversation is a lot about hygiene and sanitation. There are of course different was of soliving that. It could be rim free, water pressure or porcelaine made in a certain way so you don’t have to clean so often. But basically EVERYONE is addressing this, so it is kind of an engineerdriven conversation.
Shifting focus
I will soon talk about trends but just stating that a few things are leaving. One of them is that we have less talk about technology in the bathroom. Previously we saw tv screens, connected mirrors and stereos in the bathroom. All gone. At one point you were supposed to connect your mirror to a doctor so that you via the mirror could talk about if you were unwell. Gone.
The social bathroom is also gone. We still see two sinks in bathrooms but non of that extra social activities. No, yoga mats or anything.
And glass. I see less glass.
OK. Time to move into some trends for bathrooms.
Tetris
This look where cabinets are kind if laying over eachother is huge. I heard people say that this is an unefficient storage but you get spare space for vases and stuff.
Faucets or mixers as shelves
Efficient. Why have an ugly rack in the shower? Use the display on the faucet instead.
Structure
So we talked about how sanitation and cleaning is getting important. At the same time we see a lot of texture and structure. Kind of the opposite of easy to clean.
There was a bit of talk about this sink where toothpaste stains would be very evident.
Colours
Red seemed to be big in bathrooms.
And this aqua green or blue.
But in general just strong colour. I talked to someone who said it felt more like pastels, but I see much more of the stronger colours.
I personally think this teal will be interesting to see how this evolves.
Small bathtubs
Don’t have a big bathroom? You can still get at sitdown bathtub. Below bathrub by Karim Rashid and I really think it looks like a space pod…
Chunky
A lot of the pieces had this 60s or 70s chunky aesthetic. Above by Tom Dixon for Vitra and blow Patricia Urquiola for Duravit.
Chunky storage
Lights
One thing is clear – there will be more lights in bathrooms. Lights everywhere. Of course behind mirrors and cabinets – but really everywhere. Here at the basin.
Behind mirror AND cabinet AND under the cabinet.
Even with the hangers.
Wood
Are we done with wood in the bathroom? Absolutely not. I would say it gets a bit more rustic than usual.