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| ISH becomes a lifestyle event  ISH – The World's Leading Trade Fair for the Bathroom, Building, Energy, Air-conditioning Technology and Renewable Energies – in Frankfurt am Main from 6 to 10 March 2007 will show how to combine a homely atmosphere with unobtrusive high-tech facilities. The trend towards homely furnishings in the bathroom is being taken up by more and more manufacturers with collections that combine the hard and shiny surfaces of products such as glass basins, stainless steel and plastic bathtubs with warm pieces of furniture made of wood. Besides dark woods, such as American walnut and ebony, woods such as limed oak, cherry and rosewood are in at the moment. They are joined by furniture with lots of extras, e.g., integrated lighting, cosmetic drawers and fronts in wood shades or fashionable surfaces. Even upholstered stools and benches are on offer.Bathtubs are also becoming more comfortable with, for instance, practical seats on the panelling, which is enlarged into a platform with shelves or cupboards. Channels surrounding the tub or other drainage facilities take care of any splashes or waves. Nevertheless, the trend forecasts also call for the entry of multimedia diversions even for such islands of tranquillity – and not just in the form of lighting installations that transform the water into a blue lagoon or bathe the room in the orange light of a fiery sunset but also make it possible to watch films and communicate there via a flatscreen television and internet connection. But wellness continues to be a dominant trend for the bathroom. Hotels and exclusive bathing establishments have given consumers the experience of a new physical lifestyle that combines the sensuous with the purposeful. The 'private spa' must also meet high aesthetic expectations. Besides products characterised by the predominant pure, lineal school of design, more and more soft, organic shapes are appearing in the market for sanitary fittings. Technical features reinforce the experiential character of today's bathroom with special fittings that reproduce rainfall, illuminated by LEDs, or with fog effects, steam showers and fittings with a soft water jet – aerators are certainly not wanted in such bathrooms – all are part of the modern wellness bathroom. XXL-format showers level with the floor are mega-in. Extremely puristic are showers that have been fully integrated into the room architecture, i.e., without a separate cabin. Downpour showerheads, head and hand showers appear to come straight out of the ceiling or wall. These walk-in showers reflect the trend towards complete architectural solutions that blend the sanitary fittings into the room. Parallel to the trend towards spaciousness, particular attention is also being paid to small bathrooms. Today, bathroom-fittings suppliers no longer primarily sell 'hardware' but rather product concepts. Besides aesthetic aspects, this also includes user-friendliness, which has increased significantly as a result of technical developments in the field of fittings and steam showers: from quiet whirl systems and luxury toilets with air cleaning and shower functions to easy-to-clean surfaces. Although even consumers from western industrial nations need time to get used to certain innovations, these new products are likely to become highly accepted in the long run. More sanitary products for private homes are nowadays also being fitted with electronic operating technology. Anyone who has had to reset the water temperature while shampooing their hair only to receive an unexpected and cold blast of water will not want to do without the luxury of one of the temperature regulators that are now used in modern fittings and shower systems. The new all-rounders 'note' the temperature set previously and, following a resource-saving pause, restart the shower at exactly the same temperature as before. The generally preferred water temperature can also be stored and started at the press of a button when taking a shower. Individual settings are also possible for multi-person households and families with small children appreciate the extra safety offered by thermostatically-controlled fittings that cannot scold. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Construction News :: home page |