Trend: 04 Comfortable Bathroom - 365 days a year: a lifetime of wellbeing in a Comfortable Bathroom with individual solutions

Expectations of the bathroom have increased – and will continue to do so. At the same time, consumers no longer primarily define comfort in terms of traditional signs of luxury like marble or exclusive designer fittings, but in terms of personalised bathroom equipment and design. Because the Comfortable Bathroom is no longer built for generations, but for the moment. For each individual user. 365 days a year.

That presents considerable challenges not just for those planning the bathroom but for sanitaryware manufacturers too. Because in order to make their bathroom a pleasure to spend time in, users don’t only demand modern bathroom equipment and high-tech features for hydrotherapy treatments, the toilet or the lighting systems. They want an ergonomic and customisable design for the furniture, materials and stylistic elements as well so that they can accomplish the ideal of a Comfortable Bathroom, a space that they identify with just as much as their living room.Because let’s be honest: a cool, standardised atmosphere isn’t the best setting for grooming, primping and relaxing.Tomorrow’s bathroom is comfortable, ergonomic, safe and inviting.

The Comfortable Bathroom makes life easier – at any age

Somebody once figured out that we spend about three years of our lives on the toilet. That’s not as long as we spend in bed, but still long enough to illustrate how deeply even basic hygiene is embedded in our everyday routines.So what about the kind of activities that are becoming increasingly important in modern bathroom culture?

The desire for a space that’s a pleasure to spend time in plays a crucial role in the design of the bathroom. Health and body consciousness, the desire to indulge in grooming, styling and fitness, as well as to incorporate quality time into everyday life wherever possible, are upgrading the bathroom to the status of fully fledged living space. Individually adjustable procedures and sensor-controlled lighting are a help in any life situation. Today, a comfortable and convenient bathroom is regarded as an investment in health, regeneration and continued independence in old age.

Ergonomics are key to a Comfortable Bathroom

If we want to feel comfortable in a certain place, we make it feel like home – by surrounding ourselves with things we like and high-quality, well thought-through equipment and furnishings.Today, that applies just as much to the bathroom as it does to the rest of the home.But in this case, there are certain things to consider that don’t play quite such a big a role in the living room: technology, storage space, the suitability of the materials and, above all, ergonomics.

When it comes to the user’s size, for instance, any bathroom can be tailored to individual wants and needs nowadays. And as society changes sanitaryware is changing too, and offering products like toilets specially made for people with high body weights. Adjustable or adaptable installation heights and flexible systems can meet the needs of various users in one and the same bathroom or accommodate changing requirements as the users age.

The bespoke bathroom

But there’s more to ergonomics than shaping things to suit the body. Personalised solutions for the shower, toilet and vanity unit play an important role as well.Even creating storage space – a perfectly straightforward exercise in the living room – calls for a lot more attention to detail in the humid setting of the bathroom. All the same, virtually anything is possible these days. Thanks to sophisticated industrial processes, even ceramic washbasins can be produced “by the metre” and sized to order – with contoured and glazed edges all the way round.

Comprehensive furniture systems that permit just as many configurations as cabinet ranges for other areas of the home are available for the bathroom too – and can be adapted to suit both individual body sizes and the specific space situation. Besides meticulously manufactured bathroom furnishings with water-resistant finishes, there are even hardwearing solid wood options as well.And when it comes to technology, the revolutionary developments of recent years have led to individual shower programmes, the linking of light and water, surfaces for multimedia displays and a new standard of hygiene as a result of things like sensor-controlled fittings and shower toilets.

Pop up my Bathroom interprets the Comfortable Bathroom for two

And when a couple doesn’t see eye to eye, what could be better than a Comfortable Bathroom that conveniently provides two solutions: one for each user. After all, it’s not uncommon for couples to sleep in a double bed with two different mattresses.The tongue-in-cheek alternative to a double vanity shown here doesn’t just take different physical builds into account, it factors different usage behaviour into the equation as well. One person might feel comfortable in chaos, whereas the other needs an uncluttered setting to feel at home. The effort is definitely worthwhile in real life too, because it allows procedures to be optimised and can help create a harmonious routine that provides opportunities for quality time.

The Comfortable Bathroom created by Pop up my Bathroom features the Edition 400 collection from Keuco. The centrepiece is the exclusive washing area with washbasin and vanity, available either as a custom solution with a worktop and modular base cabinets or as individually combinable sideboards (design: Tesseraux + Partner). Besides being easy to use, the furniture provides plenty of storage space and permits a wide variety of sizes and combinations for single and double washbasin solutions.Available in trendy colours and finishes such as textured lacquer, high-gloss lacquer or genuine wood veneer, the wide range of furniture can be complemented with matching mirrors – like the built-in version shown here – with energy-saving LED lighting that can be adjusted to the required brightness and colour. The illuminated mirror is equipped with sensor-controlled mirror heating that prevents it from misting up. The fittings and accessories in the Edition 400 range speak a very slender and graceful language,while the lighting of the iLook_Move make-up mirror can be adjusted to the required brightness and colour using a glass control panel.

Styling tip

Life is made up of contrasts and compromises – as are relationships between husband and wife, members of the family and people in other partnerships. These days, we’re reluctant to pin ourselves down – and that goes for how we style our homes as well.Still, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t arrange things to suit our needs wherever we can. And that goes for a shared bathroom too.A chaos corner here, an uncluttered look there: two washbasins, linked by a consistent design and contrasted with different finishes in different shades of the same colour family, and hey presto: the little haven of harmony is complete.And if you want to add a special touch, why not use wallpaper – it’s very on-trend again nowadays, even in the bathroom. Even if only applied to one wall – like behind the washbasin, for instance – it’s a great way to add a cosy, stylish feel. These days original wallpapers like this one, which was specially designed for the Comfortable Bathroom, are widely available.Professional lighting design for the bathroom is also becoming increasingly important. As with the components used here, individually adjustable light over the furnishings and mirrors can influence the atmosphere of the entire bathroom. A few decorative lamps, perhaps in on-trend materials like concrete or wire mesh, can be arranged in rows or clusters to put the finishing touches to the ensemble. Curtain fabrics like these by Création Baumann, which are ideal for use in the bathroom, are also a great way to create a stylish, up-to-the-minute look.