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Designer���s Notebook By Ellen Cheever, CKD, ASID, CAPS Bathroom Trends Balance Bath Experience Several new trends are helping to balance the bathroom���s functional purpose with the room���s experiential potential. to ���live responsibly��� ��� they want to be green without feeling like they are sacripcing their experience with water. The power of water���is pretty powerful! But, so is consumers��� desire to be responsible global citizens. Our industry���s mandate of function before fashion suggests that before we delve into what���s ���trending��� in water experiences, it���s important we increase our awareness of an EPA program called WaterSense. Products bea ring a WaterSense label: Perform as well or better than their less e���cient counterparts; Are 20% more water efpcient than average products in that category; Realize water savings on a national level; Provide measurable water savings results; Achieve water e���ciency through several technology options; Are part of the program after receiving an independent, third-party certipcation. Talented designers are aware of the importance of specifying dual-flush toilets and water-conserving showerheads. So, researching products that carry the WaterSense label is a logical next step when suggesting green bathroom products to the consumer. WATER & WELLNESS The interesting change that goes hand-in-hand with ���green��� design is the interest consumers have in the wellness aspects ��� not just the cleaning potential ��� of water. Consumers value the destressing and/or invigorating spirit of a water experience. While in the past, a long soaking bath was what people chose for rejuvenation, today���s showering experience o���ers the same sense of renewal. New hand-held and wallor ceiling-mounted stationary showerheads o���er a variety of water experiences. Rather Photo: Courtesy of Saloni Ceramica, www.saloni.com/en D esigners in our industry work hard to stay current with technological innovations emerging for the kitchen. But in our fast-paced business, innovations are being introduced almost daily in the bathroom planning sector as well. Because there are so many dissimilar products used in a bathroom, it can be difficult to keep s Designer Alert! up with them all. There are dramatic, However, new shower systems trend watchers that sculpt the water into unique have been clear: wave patterns, We��� ll be ser vcreating a ���feeling��� ing a younger of more water consumer who while improving is an Internet rewater e���ciency. Additionally, there search activist. are shower systems Therefore, savvy that choreograph designers who the water qow to plan baths must provide a selection devote research of water therapies. Bathing pxtures time to learning continue to improve ���what���s new��� in on the experience of the various prodbeing immersed in a uct categories for pool of warm water. the bathroom. Product innovations can be tracked by reading industry publications, attending supplier and association meetings and conferences and visiting bath product manufacturers��� Web sites on a regular basis. However, I believe these product-specipc, fresh new ideas are being driven by several ���umbrella��� design and technological trends. LIVING GREEN The first such trend is the need to balance the interest in green living with the desire for high-performance faucets and pxtures. Consumers want 24 | Kitchen & Bath Design News February 2013 ��� Oversized tiles are installed in a stacked vertical orientation behind the vanity. The pattern then changes in the shower with a horizontal pattern. than complicated multi-head shower enclosures, new ���shower towers��� are available that include a stationary showerhead, a hand-held showerhead (as well as body sprays), the diverter and thermostatic control���and possibly a storage shelf. Typical in Europe, but being introduced more and more in the U.S., this optional approach relies on one plumbing connection and a bar of some nature that includes the controls, various water experiences and even a storage shelf. For example, the Rain Dance Register Select by Hansgrohe combines an overhead shower with a hand-held shower in what they call a ���shower pipe.��� More complex, carefully orchestrated showering experiences are also possible. For example, Dornbracht���s ATT (Ambiance Tuning Technique) Shower System o���ers