Bathroom trends…Salone Bagno Milan 2016

SaloneBagno 2016, part of Milan Design Week, saw 200 exhibitors – in two vast halls covering an area of more than 19,000 square metres – give a taste of what we can expect bathroom trends to bring over the next couple of years.

Kohler followed this with a design trends presentation, given by Mark Bickerstaffe, over the next two consecutive days attended by visiting architects, designers and retailers.

Future bathroom trends were once again comprehensively displayed at the Salone Bagno with timbers, metals and pattern going mainstream. The look was overwhelmingly organic and serenely practical while other themes included the fantastical, the colourful and the whimsical.

Black tapware had virtually disappeared this year – to be replaced by metals in various tones. Stones, marble and vibrant colour were also prominent bathroom finishes – with bold colour being more of an accent than mainstream.

With a focus on convenience and practicality we saw concealed storage in vanities – lift the counter lid to reveal spacious storage – and flexible basins made from polyurethane.

Colour and pattern were everywhere – in sophisticated tiles that exude the ‘wow’ factor, coloured basins, industrial-style tap handles (but not so much tap bodies) and upholstered baths. In a ‘why-didn’t-we-think-of-this-before’ moment, wall hung toilets and bidets featured patterns, embellishment and even timber (which was the stand out) on the exterior of the bowls.

In futuristic mode were the collection of ‘chromatherapy’ baths – semi translucent baths lit internally with LED coloured lights.

And bambini were included in the SaloneBagno offering with a collection of whimsical baths and basins in the shape of tea cups and cup cakes, straight out of Alice in Wonderland.

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