More colour for bathrooms again

Colour is once again becoming a trendy topic. For years now in northern Europe the “non-colour” white has dominated the range of colours featured in the bathroom catalogues without any competition worth mentioning. It is estimated that in Germany alone, white accounts for approx. 80 per cent of the sales of sanitary fixtures. According to leading German specialists, warm, tinted whites account for a further ten per cent, and light grey, beige and light turquoise for the rest. Which means that up to 90 per cent of sanitary fixtures come in neutral colours per se – so neutral that they almost seem the norm for bathrooms.
Innovative surfaces for bathrooms.
That this is not necessarily so is clear from examples from other cultures. In the markets of the Middle and Near East the leading bathroom brands are primarily represented by coloured products – which account for nearly half of all sales here. Natural shades of beige are popular in the USA. For the French, elegance is embodied by pastel shades of yellow, green or blue, as well as pink.
Market and trend analysts believe they can detect a growing yearning for warmth and a dash of glamour. And this no longer finds expression only in elegant wood and subdued shades, but also in large areas of high-gloss paint in solid shades or soft colour arrangements. Styling is no longer taboo. Understatement and pale tone-in-tone arrangements are being challenged by trendy colours like green combined with violet and pink, or bright neon primary colours, and warm, medium-dark wood in combination with generous amounts of red. The increasing integration of the bathroom into the living area, upgrading the bathroom to a lifestyle object and fitting it out with welcoming elements made of wood and other natural materials as well as metal surfaces, have led to a closer linking of bathroom design to the latest trends in the furniture and furnishings sector.
Washbasin with platinum glaze.
White has proved itself as the basic colour for sanitary fixings over the last few decades and passed through various fashion phases. What is more, there is a latent uncertainty about questions of style in view of the galloping changes of fashion. You can't really go wrong with white sanitary fixtures – after all, the bathroom represents a considerable investment and must last for many years. However, consumers are gradually becoming bolder and more sure of themselves in questions of style. Their growing expectations offer manufacturers and distributors…