New luxury products in the bathroom

By Carsten Gruen Oct 6, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Berlin - The selection of home bathroom hardware has never been as broad and luxurious as it is today, meaning even average homes can be equipped with features borrowed from wellness hotels and designer faucets, which at one time could be found only in expensive homes.

People are rediscovering the relaxing power of warm springs whose soothing relief has been known since the time of the Romans, and which play a large role in the way bathrooms are designed today because the room is still a place that offers a chance to withdraw from life for a while.

'People are decorating their home bathrooms the way wellness hotels do,' says Simone Struve, a spokeswoman for German manufacturer Villeroy & Boch. Struve named a few luxury products that are gaining popularity: Disc shower heads that make the water imitate rain, whirlpools that create a champagne pearl effect in the water, high pressure massage nozzles fitted into the bathtub and steam baths in the shower.

'The bathroom is the last refuge for relaxation,' says Paul Flowers, head designer at Grohe, another German bathroom hardware manufacturer with a large export business. 'It is an emotional room that not only serves the purpose of cleansing, but also is a place to escape the hectic pace of the day.'

Jens Wischmann, of a health industry association in Bonn, says beyond the practical cleansing function, bathroom hardware is being designed to pamper. 'The medicinal and healing effect of water is increasingly recognized in the technical developments' of showers and baths, he says.

The latest multifunction showers have systems for massaging the back, neck and feet; some can also make steam. Water comes not only from above but also from various levels out of the sides of the new showers. The models that make steam have a generator that can heat to a temperature of 50 degrees Celsius, however, it must be descaled after every 20 to 30 uses.

Some showers feature special lighting to make flowing water sparkle in various colours. Others feature aromatherapy as an option. Baths and whirlpools can be equipped with coloured lights, and the room itself can be fitted with loudspeakers for music.

Manufacturers say operating these products is not that complicated. There are bath systems equipped with timers that can be set to start running the water at a particular time. Various combinations of water quantity and temperature can be stored in the systems so that the user can select a particular type of bath.

Andreas Dornbracht, managing director of the German manufacturer of exclusive bathroom hardware that bears his name, says the technical aspects of his company's systems allow for the 'choreography' of a shower or bath: The direction of the spray, the water pressure and its temperature can all be programmed.

Flowers predicts an increase in the popularity of showers that can be programmed. These systems can be set for a vitalizing shower in the mornings and for relaxation in the evening, and extras such as lighting and music will help add mood.

Multifunction showers are available in standard shower sizes. Enclosed showers come in a variety of sizes and types. There are models that fit into the corner of a bathroom or a niche. They often are large enough for two people.

In addition, manufacturers of shower hardware are increasingly tailoring products for senior citizens. Showers with very low basins, easy-to-clean surfaces and hardware that turns with little effort are examples of the features of some of these products.

'Bathrooms that are appropriate for elderly people and that take safety into account are currently hot topics,' says Birgit Hansen, an interior decorator in Cologne who specializes in bathroom design.

In addition to fulfilling the customer's wishes in the areas of comfort and new technology in the bathroom, designers are also taking ecology into account. New swirling techniques in whirlpool baths and aeration methods in showers and faucets decrease water consumption without the loss of comfort, Wischmann says.

A shower system offered by German manufacturer Hansgrohe, for example, is calibrated to match the average body size, which saves water and energy because less water needs to be heated, the company says.

Multifunction showers, however, are often criticized for increasing water and energy consumption, which Hansen says is higher than ordinary showers. In addition the electronic components of the systems require more electricity.