Trend Report from ISH 2019

News: April 2019

Trends in the bathroom tend to move slowly compared to the rapid pace set by other rooms in the house. To understand these subtle shifts, West One Bathrooms never misses the world’s largest international trade fair for the bathroom industry. Held biennially in Frankfurt, ISH has long been a launchpad for new products and cutting-edge innovations.

For 2019, the overarching theme at ISH was individualism. While this in itself is nothing new, the trends that define it are bolder than before. Think brighter colours, more pronounced textures and ever-more progressive materials.

COLOUR

The ubiquity of colour in the bathroom is proof that a departure from white is now welcome in even the most minimalist of homes. That said, how colour is used very much depends on where is applied. As a general rule, white is still the go-to colour for sanitaryware and furniture in the average bathroom with colour playing a supporting role thanks to easy-to-update accessories. At the upper echelons of bathroom design, however, change is afoot with colour slowly creeping into the bathroom via heavyweight elements: basins, vanity units and baths.  Embraced by many manufacturers showing at ISH, these functional staples were elevated with a colourful kick.

MATERIALS

Until recently, the prevailing view was that for the bathroom to be timeless, the only material for sanitaryware was ceramic. Then came the realisation that there are ways for bathroom designers to push the envelope without sacrificing longevity. Exciting the senses at ISH was a rich mix of old materials used in new ways, as well as cutting-edge innovations developed to produce very different effects. Cue Cristalmood (see Antoniolupi), a highly durable coloured resin with futuristic appeal, offset by Terra (see Alape) a matt, powder-like surface which conveys a sense of warmth.

WELLNESS

At West One Bathrooms we have long believed that the bathroom is the perfect place to carve out time and space for reflection and relaxation. This translates to a carefully curated product portfolio that moves the bathroom beyond basic hygienic purposes to create a place for calm and recuperation. Wellness is not new to ISH either, but while it was once dominated by showy – and dare we say gimmicky – designs, the offering at this year’s ISH was more discerning than before, targeting a clientele who know what they are looking for.

 

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