We have put the crisis properly behind us and have started to invest in our homes again. And where kitchens were the big thing during the last upswing, there are signs that the bathroom is the room we now want to tackle, says Frederikke Aagaard, a qualified architect who has appeared on the DR series ‘Vil du bo her?’ (‘Want to live here?’)
“We now have the time to pamper ourselves. We go to spas and travel abroad several times a year. When we come back, we want he same experience in our own homes. That is why more and more people are starting to fit out their bathroom as a spa with pleasant things like a recliner or some nice green plants,” says Frederikke Aagaard.
The drive for luxury in the bathroom also means that the room itself is increasing in size. You should no longer have to squeeze into a little postage stamp of a toilet. There should be plenty of space. Some people take space from the other rooms, while others move the bath into the bedroom to create an intimate private space.
“The bathroom is a soft zone between nakedness and night clothes. This is where you start and end the day, so it is actually quite natural to start focusing more on the bathroom. We are taking more care of ourselves than we used to. We do more sports and look after our bodies. This trend is reflected in the furnishing of the bathroom,” says Frederikke Aagaard.
More natural materials
The desire for well-being and wholeness also influences the choice of materials in the bathroom. Where ceramic tiles used to be the norm, we are now seeing more and more natural materials in the bathroom. These may be natural stone, slate or marble, and more and more wood is appearing in the bathroom.
“No more pure white bathrooms. The bathroom should appeal to the senses, and radiate luxury and personality. I believe we will see even more natural materials in the future – and more people will go for a personal expression. It does not have to take much to make it personal; for example, you can now buy tiles that can be laid in many different patterns, so you can create your own look,” says Frederikke Aagaard.
More personal
The tendency to make the bathroom more personal can be clearly seen at Unidrain.
“Since we invented the world’s first linear drain, we have constantly developed smart new designs for the bathroom. We find that customers choose us because Unidrain stands for stylish and timeless design, which is easy to personalise. We have developed many different products that enable you to link the primary elements of the bathroom together. At the same time, our design is so simple that it is easy to spice it up and create your own style,” says CEO Peter Secher.
Unidrain recently launched GlassLine, which makes it possible to bring the ultimate luxury into the shower cubicle with thick toughened glass walls in a thoroughly Scandinavian design. The system has an integrated drain and also comes in various designs with and without a shower base, door and top bar.
“The urge to make the rooms in the house more personal has only just begun. There is no doubt that we will be seeing increased demand for the goods that combine the desire for luxury with a more personal expression. This is a trend that producers like us need to take seriously. We have to create solutions that can be varied and made personal if we still want to be major players in the market in the future,” Peter Secher concludes.