What’s hot in bathrooms for 2014
Mico Design Manager Hamish Kofoed shares with us what's new in bathroom design trends and where he thinks the bathroom space is heading.
Bathroom design trends for 2014 revolve around the bathroom as a sanctuary, with lush elegant lighting, rich stone and tile-work and luxuriantly deep freestanding tubs. It’s all about luxury, colour and a return to quality. We are also seeing a placement of selected feature furniture items into bathroom designs if space permits, he says.
Basins and toilet suites play a huge part in determining the overall style of your bathroom, says Kofoed. While the all-in-one basin and vanity unit remains an ever popular and extremely versatile option, the vessel basin is experiencing a strong resurgence as it enables both design flexibility with your bench-top surface, and twin bowl options for different bathroom users. Toilet Suites are rapidly moving toward two main styles – Back-to-wall suites tend to be chosen by clients wanting a more classical appearance without the cleaning complexity involved with close-coupled units, while wall-hung systems are the preferred option for new builds due to their smaller footprint and ease of cleaning.
Tapware is seeing a return to function over fashion. The last few years have seen a huge amount of design variety becoming available for consumers, though clients are tending toward the established brands which tend to get very favourable referrals from friends and family. We are also seeing classical styles being selected to counterbalance the emergence of more colour and design flair with aspects such as bench-tops, tiles and basins.
For showers, eco-luxury is key in 2014. We are definitely witnessing a renewed focus on water efficiency, the demand for water-saving tapware, shower-heads and toilets has never been higher says Kofoed. However recent advances have allowed the best of both worlds, such as the stylish Kohler Rain Duet Shower Column with its water saving Katalyst spray technology that increases water coverage without increasing the water volume used.
Freestanding tubs are the new must-have in the bathroom, says Kofoed. There’s great design flexibility in this area – anything goes, like modern fixtures with vintage claw-foot tubs. And if a freestanding tub simply won’t work in your space, Kofoed suggests a tiled or marble frame semi-recessed into the floor to help free up visual space in the bathroom.
When it comes to eco-friendly options, the bathroom is now as much a focus as other parts of the house. “Last year we witnessed a real trend for energy saving product such power saving towel warmers.” Kofoed says that under-floor heating is a surprising eco-friendly option and that under-floor heating has seen a surge globally. “We encourage clients to use heating in floors where possible because when your feet are warm, the rest of your body feels warmer as well since heat rises, reducing the need for more expensive heating options.”
Finally, as clients have become more design conscious, they are mixing and matching product lines to achieve the twin aims of design flair and affordability. The newest installation at the Kohler Design Centre in Parnell, the Viteo Room, is a stunning installation that doesn’t cost the earth. Our designers used the very affordable new Viteo range of tapware from Kohler, in conjunction with the simple yet beautiful Forefront basin and the Kohler Evok geometric drop-in bath. The Parliament toilet Suite was chosen as a showroom favourite.