The fact is that the desire for originality and self-fulfilment is growing stronger all the time. When we talk about an individual bathroom today, we don’t mean extravagant fittings and furnishings or exceptionally original ideas, but rather a bathroom whose look and functions have been tailored entirely to its user and the architectural circumstances. 

 

The trend forum Pop up my Bathroom creates unusual models to demonstrate the many and varied aspects of individual bathroom design and presents them in a special exhibition at the ISH at Saal Europa, hall 4.0. “The bathroom is increasingly becoming a space that people enjoy spending time in and can identify with,” says Jens J. Wischmann, Managing Director of the VDS, of the trend towards individualism and consumers’ growing appreciation of an attractively furnished bathroom. 

 

It doesn’t matter whether the consumer prefers a bathroom with a seamless, homogeneous look or a stylish arrangement mixed with vintage elements: thanks to the wealth of variants and extremely complex product ranges on the market, almost any brand-name manufacturer’s collection contains a solution for any type of setting. Once and for all, selecting products has become a question of taste, because many ranges permit customisation down to the smallest detail. In the shower, for instance, jets and outlets can be positioned individually; sandblasting technology allows personalised patterns to be “painted” on the shower, and emblems can be incorporated into mirrors, glass or tiles. The big brands are already offering “colour on demand” for their bathtubs and vanities, and in some cases the customer can even design the outer shape of the tub himself. Nowadays even ceramic vanity tops can be custom-sized without putting a strain on either the consumer’s wallet or the manufacturer’s production processes. 

 

“The theme of individualism in the bathroom is the overarching connection between eight different trends that we believe will be very influential – at international level as well,” says Wischmann. “On the one hand there are megatrends like digitalisation, demographic developments or ecologically motivated behaviour, which are having a lasting impact on the way bathrooms are used and designed. On the other hand, we’ve been able to identify various trends at product level too; first and foremost, they support the very strong development we’re seeing towards interpreting the bathroom as cosy living space. The bathroom is becoming a lot more fashionable, for instance.” 

 

Besides being visualised in lavish photos, the trends will also be staged in a one-to-one presentation as part of the trend forum at the ISH 2017, which will be located in the conference room Europa. Visitors will thus be able to gain an overview of the most important developments taking place in the bathroom right now. In addition, the trend forum will also be hosting an informative lecture programme again. Renowned speakers from industry and research will be presenting interesting concepts on the theme of individualism and providing background information on this fascinating topic. Panel discussions with prominent representatives of the industry will put the finishing touches to the wide-ranging forum.